In March 2022, HR Business Partner Sharon Chandra organized a lively Holi celebration at the Bay Meadows project with Project Director Ted Williams’ enthusiastic support. Known as the Festival of Colors, Holi celebrates the beginning of spring after a long winter, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. Each year, millions of people throughout South Asia and beyond celebrate with brightly colored powder, traditional foods, music, and dancing.
Sharon’s goal was to share the joy of Holi with her fellow Webcorians while deepening their appreciation and understanding of a culture different from their own.
“Holi is about joy, unity, and inclusivity—values that resonate across all backgrounds,” she says.
Three years later, Sharon saw the perfect opportunity to revive the tradition during a Webcor APAC (Webcor’s Asian-American/Pacific Islander ERG, open to all Webcorians) Steering Committee meeting. When the committee began discussing possibilities for their first 2025 event, Sharon seized the chance to share the meaning of Holi with her fellow APAC members.
On March 20, nearly 20 AAPI employees and allies joined Sharon in celebrating Holi on Hotel Via’s rooftop, just across the street from Webcor’s King Street office in San Francisco. Attendees enjoyed traditional Indian street foods such as pani puri, modernized samosas, tandoori chicken wings, and vada pao before Sharon and Sr. Vice President Greg Chauhan kicked off their presentations.
Sharon dove into Holi’s background, including its history and meaning, and Greg shared his personal connection to Holi and its significance to him and his family.
“Sharing our cultures and backgrounds gives a little insight into each of us,” Greg says. “When people work really well together because they got to know one another, especially across projects, it solidifies who we are as Webcor.
“ERG events and interest groups such as internal softball and soccer teams are essential to coming together and getting to know one another. At APAC’s Holi event, I really enjoyed spending time with everyone and talking about something aside from the daily grind of our day-to-day world.”
Project Manager Ruhi Thakur and Project Engineer Riya Joy then performed a Bollywood/bhangra dance. Ruhi had shared her passion for dance during the January APAC meeting, inspiring Sharon to ask her about performing at Holi. Knowing Riya also loved dancing, Ruhi asked her to join as well.
“I was excited to share my cultural heritage and deep love for dance with the larger Webcor team,” Ruhi says. “Celebrating Holi is a wonderful opportunity to relive cherished childhood memories and welcome the new season.”
APAC members wrapped up the evening with traditional color-throwing, a Holi practice symbolizing joy, new beginnings, and the triumph of good over evil.
“The color throw was hands-down the best part of the night!” Riya says. “The energy, the smiles, and everyone embracing the moment were just incredible. I loved how excited everyone was to dive in.”
ERG events offer all Webcorians a rare opportunity to learn about one another’s backgrounds and engage in new cultural experiences such as Holi. It’s a powerful way to connect with colleagues, broaden perspectives, ignite eye-opening discussions, and strengthen unity across Webcor.
“These events are also a fun opportunity to collaborate with coworkers outside of our regular interactions,” Ruhi says. “I really enjoyed planning the dance performance with Riya and hearing her insights throughout the process!”
As someone who grew up celebrating Holi with her family, Ruhi greatly appreciated the authenticity of APAC’s event. From the color-throwing to the traditional menu, it was clear that Sharon had invested significant time and energy in ensuring the experience was a true Holi celebration.
“The inclusion of traditional Indian street food was a delightful surprise, as these delicacies are not typically featured at Webcor events,” Ruhi says.
“These detailed touches truly elevated the celebration and allowed us to immerse ourselves in the rich traditions of Holi. “Kudos to Sharon and the entire team for orchestrating such a successful celebration! The vibrant colors, heartfelt introductions, and personal stories shared by Greg added depth and meaning to the occasion.”
