On October 17th, 2023, at the ScanSource and Intelisys Channel Connect 2023 Awards Dinner, Symplicity Communications CEO and President Catherine Behrenbrinker was awarded the Program Advocate Award from the Intelisys and ScanSource Diversity Partner Program.
The ScanSource Diversity Partner Program (DPP) identifies, learns from, and supports Partner businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and contributes to their long-term success by providing business resources and opportunities.
“I was asked earlier in the year to do a presentation to the Diversity Partner Program, and I love doing things like that, I love being a giver,” said Behrenbrinker. “I just kind of love helping people and so if I can help take something that I have learned and shrink someone’s learning curve or help them along the way, that fills my cup.” After the presentation, Catherine had a few people reach out and say that they were struggling and could use some help. “And I made time in my calendar, those are really important meetings when someone reaches out and asks for help,” said Behrenbrinker. “I was thrilled to help, because isn’t that our job? Isn’t that our job to look back and see people on the same journey and say, ‘how can I help you?’ That’s what we are supposed to do.”
“I am a female businessowner in the technology industry. When I am in a meeting, I typically might be the only female there, if there is another female, that’s exciting. People of different ethnicities, different religions, we are all so different, and I just think we have to help each other no matter what those differences are.” She added, “we have to help include people that might not be able to have a big enough voice yet on their own. Those that do have a bigger voice should carry somebody along and push the light onto others. Thats diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s really helping, and helping others be great and see their brightness.”
“I think that’s what this award means to me,” said Behrenbrinker. “That it doesn’t matter who we are as people. We are all so diverse, and I think it’s really important to elevate. People that tend to struggle because of all types of diversity challenges, I think that it is important to have a program to help them, to give them a voice. It’s important to help shine that light and say, ‘how can we help?'”
“It’s part of our mission here at Symplicity Communications, to empower people to be able to contribute and use their voice. And now we have this honor from the Diversity Partner Program that says we do that, and we have this recognition that we collectively do that, and that’s pretty cool.”
