When I took the podium last month at the annual luncheon for Girls Inc. of Santa Barbara, I was honored to be recognized for the role Curvature has played in providing much-needed networking equipment and technology services to this vital organization. I also was humbled by the powerful education programs carried out by this group, which helps more than 140,000 girls across the U.S. become lifelong learners with workforce readiness skills.
Over the years, Curvature has provided similar support to many local chapters of worthwhile organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as we believe strongly in supporting our local communities. Beyond being responsible corporate citizens, we think high-tech companies should go that extra mile to support, teach and empower kids with technology.
Think about it—technology is the conduit to opening a world of opportunity for children. In particular, it can serve as the bridge to a better life for disadvantage youth who are facing an uphill battle if they don’t have access to computers and the Internet. If we can help expose at-risk kids to basic computer skills, we can begin to lay the groundwork for mastering word processing and spreadsheets—essentials for any entry-level position in the tech world.
Earlier this year, Curvature made a $300,000 gift to MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation in Santa Barbara. In helping the children’s museum kick off its corporate campaign initiative, we sent a strong signal to our local tech community. Let’s all do our part to support Science, Engineering, Technology, Arts and Math (STEAM) programs to nurture our next generation of technologists, and in our case—hopefully, future Curvature employees!
Beyond basic computer skills, we believe in any activities that help build confidence and teamwork as we know these are important attributes to a successful business career. Countless youth sports teams around the world get a boost from Curvature each year. In our hometown, we donated $100,000 last year to help make a new ice skating rink a reality while continuing to back the annual Santa Barbara film festival.
Our give-back efforts also extend well beyond Santa Barbara to touch hundreds of organizations and charities near and dear to the hearts of the more than 600 Curvature employees around the world. Such is the case with the Two Rivers Community Literacy Project, which came to our attention when Curvature sales account executive Scott Loken brought our attention to this amazing nonprofit that provides access to education to those who were left behind during their elementary and secondary school years.
Our donation of laptops is helping these individuals get a second chance and do more for themselves and their children. We applaud Scott’s ongoing work for this charity and salute all Curvature employees who are striving to make a difference in their communities. Sometimes these communities capture headlines worldwide, such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and 2011 earthquake in Japan. In both cases, Curvature employees raised tens of thousands in aid, which the company gladly matched.
Curvature’s culture of giving has been engrained from the beginning. Since our inception nearly 30 years ago, we have given time, money, equipment and services to more than 70 causes. And as the holidays approach, we’ll be at it again—continuing our decades-long turkey drives, food banks and other efforts to make the world a better place.
What is your company doing to give back or pay it forward? Comment here to share how you’re being empowered to make a difference.
