From Shared Struggle to Shared Purpose: Inside Cloudflare's ERG Communities
Cloudflare's 17 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have become a cornerstone of the company's culture, with 85% of employees participating globally. This year alone, these groups have hosted over 54 initiatives and events. As the workforce remains hybrid, ERG leaders have had to rethink how they foster connection across distances. Four groups—Persianflare, Afroflare, Greencloud, and Desiflare—demonstrate different approaches to building community in this new landscape.
Finding Strength in Shared Experience
For many, the drive to build community stems from personal experience. One ERG leader recalls the isolation of struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia throughout school, feeling frozen when asked to read aloud. Relief came in college through Eye to Eye, a non-profit mentorship program for students with learning disabilities. Surrounded by 200 people who shared the same anxieties, the leader realized that community—people united by shared experience—could transform a perceived deficit into an asset. That revelation is what inspired them to lead Flarability, Cloudflare's ERG for disability and accessibility.
Persianflare: New Voices, Real Impact
Persianflare, the newest ERG, formed during an urgent moment. When the Product Team needed a translator for a WARP VPN release, ERG Leader Shadnaz Nia and other Persian employees found an outlet for their frustration following the death of Mahsa Amini. As they collaborated with colleagues and discovered how many cared about the cause, Persianflare took shape. The initiative eventually delivered WARP in native Farsi, giving Persian-speaking users access to uncensored information and news. For Nia, seeing the app released was "one of the purest moments in my life"—proof that a community of Persian employees, allies, and product teams could create real change for people in Iran. The group plans to continue its work around global Human Rights Day on December 10, 2022.
Afroflare: Celebrating Culture Both Virtually and In Person
Afroflare’s 2022 initiatives have centered on supporting Black voices and achievements. During US Black History Month, the group aggregated lists of Black-owned businesses and non-profit communities across various cities. They hosted "The Plug" chats to spotlight member talents and offered an allyship workshop called "Celebrating Black Joy - An Upskilling Session for Allies."
As the year progressed, the group shifted to hybrid events. UK Black History Month celebration included a cross-culture party in Lisbon, a wine tasting with Latinflare and Wineflare featuring South African wines, and an African + Caribbean food tasting event called "Taste from Home." The programming wrapped up with a Black Woman in Tech panel addressing bias and obstacles faced by the BIPOC community.
Greencloud: Channeling Anxiety Into Climate Action
Greencloud, founded in 2019, grew significantly during the pandemic as employees channeled COVID-fueled anxieties into climate-focused work. The group organizes around "two weeks of action." Impact Week (currently underway) showcases projects helping customers build a sustainable Internet with Cloudflare products. Earth Week, scheduled around April's global Earth Day, focuses on awareness and education through publicly available programming on topics like hardware lifecycle, sustainability reporting, and sustainable transportation with the People team.
Using Cloudflare's blog and Cloudflare TV to reach broader audiences, Greencloud has embraced virtual events while looking forward to adding in-person opportunities. As one leader notes, climate change requires "holistic action by people with many outlooks and skills working together."
Desiflare: Rebuilding Connections After the Pandemic
Desiflare found that its most impactful events were in-person gatherings after two years of isolation. Folks hired during the pandemic finally visited the renovated San Francisco office. Austin hosted its first South Asian food tasting since the group's inception. Diwali was celebrated in Singapore and Sydney, while London's community took to the cricket pitch. These events brought together people across country of origin, gender, age, and beliefs, evoking shared childhood memories.
Recognizing different comfort levels with in-person gatherings, Desiflare balanced physical events with virtual connection: weekly chai times, monthly lunches, and organizing virtual jam sessions for music lovers. The group's chat room has become a hub for discussions where members feel supported, allowing people to connect cross-functionally with their culture and roots "regardless of their job title and team."
The Role of ERGs in a Hybrid Workplace
The experiences of these groups underscore how critical community is for hybrid work. If individuals want to feel connected, understood, and seen in a distributed environment, ERGs provide essential structures. More broadly, these stories suggest a template for other organizations: find a shared purpose, leverage leadership commitment, and let community-driven initiatives create both internal belonging and external impact. Whether it's providing uncensored Internet access in Farsi or sharing South Asian cuisine in an office kitchen, the power of these groups lies in turning individual passion into collective action. As these ERG leaders have learned, community isn't just a company benefit—it's a way to bring one's whole self to work.
