Recently, the San Jose campus came alive in color. As we celebrated Holi with Cisco’s ICON (Indians Connecting Network) community, the festival’s colors became the catalyst for connection, joy, and a shared sense of belonging across teams and backgrounds.

As the executive sponsor of ICON, Holi always reminds me of something deeper. Holi, at its core, is about renewal. It’s about letting go of what weighs us down and stepping into possibility. It’s about breaking barriers — of hierarchy, hesitation, and even identity.

In our day-to-day work, it’s easy to default to the structure of deadlines and org charts. Holi flips that script. Covered in color, people’s roles begin to fade, and in their place, something more human emerges.

And you could feel that shift the moment the celebration began.

At the Atlanta campus, employees participated in Holi celebrations by throwing colorful powder (gulal).

Richardson chapter celebrations.

Celebrants in APJC paint flowers on tote bags to celebrate spring.

In Canada, employees celebrated with a joint Holi and Easter event.

ICON celebrations at the RTP campus.

ICON celebrations in London.

Across Cisco, teams around the world came together to celebrate Holi in their own ways, each bringing local traditions and personal meaning into a shared global experience. In San Jose, the day started with the Trail of Colors walk and t-shirt painting — vibrant and immersive. I had the chance to walk and talk with people from across the organization that I had never met before. Spending that time getting to know people outside of their roles was incredibly fulfilling.

With our Richardson office closed and so much of our work happening remotely, I honestly didn't realize how much I missed just being around my people until we were all together, covered in color, laughing under the sun. We ate amazing food, danced, played games, and just talked — the kind of conversations you can't really have over a Webex call. I think I speak for everyone in Richardson when I say we left that day feeling genuinely recharged.

- Rani Banerjee, Learning and Development Consultant

At Cisco, we talk about inclusion often. But Holi is a reminder that inclusion is an action, not a concept. Watching colleagues from across cultures come together was a powerful reminder of what global community really looks like.

In a world that can often feel divided, Holi reminds us of something simple and important: We are more alike than we think. Joy is a universal language. And belonging doesn’t require permission.

Related links

• Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility
• Cisco Purpose Report 2025
• Careers at Cisco