Pictured Above: The living room designed by Geoffrey De Sousa featuring the Fold Sofa by John Pomp Studios in Terra Mohair and a pair of Todo Modo Chairs by Jean-Michel Wilmotte.There’s no shortage of inspiration at this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase, where 20 top-tier designers reimagine 28 spaces inside a sprawling 9,400-square-foot, five-level Pacific Heights mansion—all in just fourteen weeks. “Each year, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase brings together an extraordinary roster of the region’s most talented interior and landscape designers,” said Geoffrey De Sousa, Chair of the Showcase Design Advisory Board and one of this year’s featured designers. “This year's designs push creative boundaries while honoring the home's architectural heritage. Visitors can expect an immersive, inspiring experience curated by the very best in the business.”As with any good showhouse, we look to these rooms not just for their spectacle but for take-home inspiration. This year's showcase delivered in spades. Design-forward trends we’ve been predicting were on full display—like the sculptural seating silhouettes in De Sousa’s artfully curated living room and Navarra Design Inc.’s modern, mood-rich library. Nash Design Group’s “Global Nest” featured a boldly pink toilet in its ensuite, proving playful color is officially bathroom-approved. And ceiling lighting—often the final frontier in residential design—took center stage in JKA Design’s rooftop listening lounge. Outdoor areas were just as captivating, with Katharine Webster and Strata Landscape Architecture crafting lush, livable escapes.But what makes a showcase truly compelling are the new ideas. With tight timelines and unique parameters, this kind of project challenges designers to think on their feet—and go big. “The transformation of the Showcase home is nothing short of remarkable,” said Stephanie Yee, Executive Director of the Showcase. “Behind the scenes, our designers pour their talent, creativity, and countless hours into bringing their visions to life—all under incredibly tight deadlines.” The results? Jaw-dropping. From painterly wall treatments to custom furniture that could moonlight as movie set pieces, this year's home left us buzzing about where design is headed next.The San Francisco Decorator Showcase is open through May 26 and benefits the financial aid program at San Francisco University High School. If you’re in the Bay Area over Memorial Day weekend, consider this your must-do. Tickets are available via Eventbrite—and don’t miss the live music night on May 23.Can’t make it in person? Don’t worry—we’ve rounded up the 10 must-see trends straight from the halls of this extraordinary home.For even more design inspiration:

This article contains spoilers for Arcane season 2. Netflix and Riot Games created one of the most acclaimed video game adaptations of all time with the original animated series Arcane, set in the world of League of Legends. After premiering in 2021, the series returned for its climactic second season in 2024, concluding the fiery saga of sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) and the fate of the fantasy city of Piltover and its undercity Zaun. The first season dialed up this sibling rivalry to explosive proportions, as Jinx’s reckless antics threatened the fragile peace in place. The second season only ups the complicated family dynamics between its main characters, expanding the scope and depth of familial strife while escalating the consequences and actions as roles are subverted and reversed throughout the story. Whereas Jinx was branded a terrorist in the first season, the second season sees the unpredictable, explosive figure being regarded by Piltover’s populace as a freedom fighter against its totalitarian rule. Meanwhile, Vi grows increasingly erratic and volatile in her own life in the wake of tyranny’s rise, making the two sisters’ inevitable reunion all the more awkward. For showrunner Christian Linke, this narrative inversion proved to be “really fun to think about.” “It’s a really complex moment, when Jinx can say ‘Maybe you’re the baddie,’” Linke says. “So much of the show is about seeing the world through the lens of the other side. I think that is the quintessential moment for them, when they have to question how they see their sibling, at which point, they have a very loaded perspective of each other.” This reconciliation in the face of a common enemy leads to the sisters reuniting with their long-lost father Vander (JB Blanc), now resurrected as the feral werewolf-like monster Warwick. Leaning into the inherent horror offered by prominently featuring such a bloodthirsty creature, Warwick’s inclusion also underscored Arcane’s tendency to go to the extremes, in regards to tone and visceral action. More than just presenting another adversary, Vander’s transformation into Warwick also gave the show the opportunity to highlight more of Vander’s backstory as he reunites with his adopted daughters in the mines he worked in as a human. “He went back to this familiar place from his past and he didn’t know why because it got twisted for him,” writer Amanda Overton observes. “That mining room is the first time that [Vi and Jinx]  got to see their father figures as brothers. It just reframed everything for the family dynamics for them.” The season also features a surprise interlude with Ekko (Reed Shannon) traveling to a parallel reality where he acquires a time-reversal device crucial to the series’ final battle. More than just giving Ekko this game-changing item, the episode’s lighter tones and depictions of familiar faces gave Arcane the chance to explore elements that the creative team felt were more romantic and more fun in certain aspects. Overton reflected that more than making Ekko the one to turn the tide in the climax, it restored his faith in Zaun’s potential as well as Powder, the innocent person who Jinx used to be. “In his own world, he lost that faith,” Overton says. “He lost that vision. He had a vision of Zaun that was very similar to that and he lost his faith in it. He needed to see that it was possible in order to fight for that again and also to believe in Jinx again – Powder again.” This complexity and conflict between familial figures isn’t isolated to Vi and Jinx, but also between Jayce Talis (Kevin Alejandro) and Viktor (Harry Lloyd), who see each other as brothers. Though Viktor recognized the destructive potential of Hextech, the technology he and Jayce created, Jayce not only didn’t follow through on Viktor’s wish for him to destroy it, but used the unstable tech to resurrect Viktor. This turned Viktor into a figure poised to use his connection to Hextech to inadvertently destroy Zaun and Piltover, placing him in direct conflict with Jayce over the fate of the city. “A lot of season one was about creating the dream technology that could change the world,” Linke says. “When it gets turned into weapons and they lose control, that’s when Jayce and Viktor react very differently. They’re also a little bit shocked by the other’s reaction to that. We always knew that there would be a different conclusion when they’re confronted with this reality that humans will use this technology for their own motives and for their selfish goals” Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! “That was also the fabric of season two, the things that you can’t see and that you can’t control,” Overton adds. “That’s why Viktor, when he goes down to the Undercity, he does his part to make that his little utopian commune. He’s trying to make what the topside has down here and try to compress that gap. It’s beautiful and wonderful, but even that goes awry for him. They always intended the right things, had great intentions, and could not see the consequences of those actions.” A beautiful narrative expansion of the world of League of Legends, Arcane ends on a high and hopeful note, amidst all the conflict and loss to get there. And from its vibrantly animated cities to its memorable and nuanced characters, the Netflix original series has once again set the bar for what video game adaptations can and should be. Available to stream on Netflix, Arcane lives up to the hype as one of the most engrossing and heartfelt animated series around. Both seasons of Arcane are available to stream on Netflix now.

New Research These Scientists Say They’ve Identified the Oldest Known Star Chart in the World A new preprint suggests that an ancient Chinese star catalog dates to 355 B.C.E. But other researchers aren’t convinced, arguing that the original coordinates are misaligned by one degree An ancient star map (not the document analyzed in the new research) unearthed in Dunhuang, China, in the seventh century C.E. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons Thousands of years ago, Chinese astronomers studied the sky using an ancient record of constellations and their coordinates. Known as the “Star Manual of Master Shi,” the document is the oldest surviving star catalog in China. But now, scientists say the map dates to the fourth century B.C.E.—some 250 years earlier than previously thought. If their conclusion is correct, it would make the document the oldest known star chart in the world. Boliang He and Yongheng Zhao, both researchers at the National Astronomical Observatories in Beijing,Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics, the manual was created in 355 B.C.E. and modified in 125 C.E. That’s more than 200 years before the ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus made his star catalog, which has long been considered the world’s oldest. The manual is attributed to Shi Shen, a famous court astronomer during China’s Warring States period. The new date falls around the period historians think Shi may have lived. “Our findings align perfectly with these historical accounts, vividly demonstrating the continuity and completeness of ancient Chinese historical records,” He tells Science’s Joshua Sokol. “These discoveries left us deeply surprised.” A 19th-century artist's portrait of Hipparchus, a Greek astronomer who made one of the world's oldest star maps Public domain via Wikimedia Commons Over thousands of years, Earth’s axis of rotation has slowly shifted, altering the locations of the celestial poles—the points in the sky around which scientists map stars. This slow change is called precession, and it forms the basis of Zhao and He’s research. Accounting for precession in an old star map should allow “modern researchers to precisely date when the catalog must have been created, much like counting rings in a tree trunk can reveal a tree’s age,” according to Science. Zhao and He used a type of A.I. known as computer vision to estimate the position of the celestial north pole at the time the star manual was made. They dated the map using that information. “I think this is pretty definitive,” David Pankenier, an emeritus scholar of Chinese astronomy at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania who wasn’t involved in the study, tells Live Science’s Joanna Thompson. Pankenier adds that the study also confirms previous research by the 20th-century British biochemist Joseph Needham, who specialized in ancient Chinese scientific development. But as Boshun Yang, a science historian at the University of Science and Technology of China, tells Science, “I hold a totally different perspective.” Yang studies the dating of ancient astronomical documents, and he thinks that many of Shi’s coordinates may be misaligned from the celestial north pole by roughly one degree. Previous research has shown that the star map dates to around 103 B.C.E. when taking this potential misalignment into consideration. The new study claims that the map was updated in 125 C.E. in order to account for measurements that appear to have been taken centuries apart. However, the one-degree misalignment theory also removes those discrepancies, as Daniel Morgan, a science historian at France’s Center for Research on East Asian Civilizations, tells Live Science. “It just so happens that if you take this really anodyne consideration into account—that maybe they built an instrument and it was not perfect—then the astronomers’ data analysis perfectly aligns with the human story,” Morgan says. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

If you want to know where AI is headed, this year’s Google I/O has you covered. The company’s annual showcase of next-gen products, which kicked off yesterday, has all of the pomp and pizzazz, the sizzle reels and celebrity walk-ons, that you’d expect from a multimillion-dollar marketing event. But it also shows us just how fast this still experimental technology is being subsumed into a lineup designed to sell phones and subscription tiers. Never before have I seen this thing we call artificial intelligence appear so normal. Yes, Google’s roster of consumer-facing products is the slickest on offer. The firm is bundling most of its multimodal models into its Gemini app, including the new Imagen 4 image generator and the new Veo 3 video generator. That means you can now access Google’s full range of generative models via a single chatbot. It also announced Gemini Live, a feature that lets you share your phone’s screen or your camera’s view with the chatbot and ask it about what it can see. Those features were previously only seen in demos of Project Astra, a “universal AI assistant“ that Google DeepMind is working on. Now, Google is inching toward putting Project Astra into the hands of anyone with a smartphone. Google is also rolling out AI Mode, an LLM-powered front end to search. This can now pull in personal information from Gmail or Google Docs to tailor searches to users. It will include Deep Search, which can break a query down into hundreds of individual searches and then summarize the results; a version of Project Mariner, Google DeepMind’s browser-using agent; and Search Live, which lets you hold up your camera and ask it what it sees. This is the new frontier. It’s no longer about who has the most powerful models, but who can spin them into the best products. OpenAI’s ChatGPT includes many similar features to Gemini’s. But with its existing ecosystem of consumer services and billions of existing users, Google has a clear advantage. Power users wanting access to the latest versions of everything on display can now sign up for Google AI Ultra for $250 a month.   When OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022, Google was caught on the back foot and was forced to jump into higher gear to catch up. With this year’s product lineup, it looks as if Google has stuck its landing. On a preview call, CEO Sundar Pichai claimed that AI Overviews, a precursor to AI Mode that provides LLM-generated summaries of search results, had turned out to be popular with hundreds of millions of users. He speculated that many of them may not even know (or care) that they were using AI—it was just a cool new way to search. Google I/O gives a broader glimpse of that future, one where AI is invisible. “More intelligence is available, for everyone, everywhere,” Pichai told his audience. I think we are expected to marvel. But by putting AI in everything, Google is turning AI into a technology we won’t notice and may not even bother to name.

You've got to hand it to the Tamagotchi team for continuing to find new ways to spin a toy that is now pushing 30 years old. We've seen a Tamagotchi with a built-in camera, a Tamagotchi watch with a touchscreen so you can pet your virtual pet and another one with its own Tamaverse. Sometimes these experiments don't work out as well as we'd like them to — the flat buttons introduced with Tamagotchi Pix were kind of terrible in practice — but they keep the franchise feeling alive. And alive seems like the best way to describe the newest member of the Tamagotchi family. Tamagotchi Paradise looks like it's absolutely bustling with life. Bandai first teased the upcoming Tamagotchi Paradise in a comic for Free Comic Book Day at the beginning of May, but it's now official: we're getting a Tamagotchi that's equipped with a zoom dial feature to observe the critters up close (like, even down to the cellular level) and from afar. It'll bring back gene-mixing, too, meaning you'll be able to create unique characters through breeding. Tamagotchi Paradise will also be able to physically connect to other devices with a docking port on the top of the egg. There is a lot of information to unpack in the Tamagotchi Paradise announcement. For one, instead of starting off by hatching a Tamagotchi character from an egg, players will hatch an entire planet in an Egg Bang (get it?) event. You'll be able to view the planet from space, and zoom in to observe what's going on down at the surface. Your mission is to "enrich your planet and make its Tamagotchi population flourish." The device will come in three shell designs — Pink Land, Blue Water and Purple Sky — and whichever shell you have will determine which location you start in. It appears that you'll be able to unlock all three areas eventually no matter what device you have. Bandai As always, you'll have to raise Tamagotchi characters from babies to adults and do all the usual caretaking tasks, like feeding them and cleaning up poop. But for once, you'll be able to put all that poop to good use by turning it into biofuel for space travel. When a Tamagotchi gets sick, you'll use the dial to "zoom in and treat them at the cellular level." There are a total of 25 different care menus according to Bandai, including shops and mini-games. Tamagotchi Paradise introduces a ton of new, more animal-like characters than we've been seeing in recent years, and they're really cute. (Don't worry, Mametchi, Mimitchi and a few other existing favorites will still be there too). There are also three secret characters that haven't yet been revealed.  Bandai It looks like it's packed with activities, which would be really nice coming off of the Tamagotchi Uni, a device I've loved in the two years since it was released but still can't help but feel like it's a bit boring compared to others. Tamagotchi Paradise goes back to AAA batteries, which should be good for longevity. And it'll be cheaper than other recent flagship Tamagotchis, at $45. Pre-orders haven't opened in the US just yet, but the device will ship on July 12 according to the Japanese Amazon listing. The wait might actually kill me. Once Tamagotchi Paradise arrives, there will be pop-up Tamagotchi Labs in some as yet unannounced stores where you'll be able to connect your device to access exclusive items and experiences. Tamagotchi Uni owners will be able to get a taste of all this ahead of the release as well if they buy the Tamagotchi Lab Tamaverse ticket, which comes out on July 3.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tamagotchi-paradise-looks-like-the-most-exciting-virtual-pet-toy-in-years-155010892.html?src=rss

When Chelsea Riggs, CEO of Brooklyn-based haircare brand amika, envisioned a new workspace, she wanted it to be the antithesis of a standard business hub. “It’s intentionally designed to be the anti-office, a place where the boundaries between work and inspiration are fluid,” she says. CIVILIAN was selected to design the 19,000-square-foot open office, located at 25 Kent in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The designers envisioned a space that was elevated yet still welcoming. It is a headquarters that enhances productivity, and encourages the staff of young creatives to re-engage with a physical office after the era of remote work – with an emphasis on collaboration. “We didn’t want it to be a typical corporate office, but a reflection of their energy and culture,” notes Ksenia Kagner, co-founder of CIVILIAN. The reception area sets an inviting tone, with a bespoke travertine desk with rounded edges. Beige tiles decorate the exposed columns, while strategically placed acoustic treatments minimize distracting noise. In the main work area, instead of assigned desks, employees tend to tasks at 25-foot-long communal tables that seat 20 people on each side, complete with outlets and linear lighting. This arrangement supports a dynamic environment and fosters interaction between teams. Many of the furnishings are custom-made items with gentle curves that echo organic forms. Ten upholstered nooks and private phone booths limit sight lines and are ideal for heads-down, focused work. The executive offices function as shared huddle rooms which feature soft seating and breakout areas of varying sizes. These areas democratize access and still allow for privacy when needed. A window-side lounge with views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline serves as a prime gathering spot for staff and visitors. The company’s signature colors are hot pink and vivid orange, found on packaging and printed collateral. Rather than highlight an accent wall with one of the bold hues, the team chose a sophisticated earthy palette of beige, gray, stone, and cream tints to serve as a backdrop for the vibrant shades and graphics. The interplay of plush fabrics, limewash finishes, and delicately painted surfaces invites exploration. White oak brings in a warmth that balances out the concrete elements. “There was a focus on texture and surface quality as a contrast, which really made the products and displays stand out,” says CIVILIAN co-founder Nicko Elliott. Flexible planning and the introduction of thoughtful design moments throughout improves the overall feeling within. The headquarters showcases the company’s unique identity while optimizing space and performance. It also now doubles as an event space in the evening, which exemplifies the studio’s holistic vision for the client. “The office is not just a place where people come to clock in and work, it has become a platform for amika as a haircare industry leader,” adds Kagner. For more information on CIVILIAN, visit civilianprojects.com. Photography by Sean Davidson.

Sponsored  When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Offensive Security Using Python eBook (worth $39.99) free download ends today Sponsored · May 21, 2025 11:00 EDT Claim your complimentary eBook worth $39.99 for free today, before the offer ends today, May 21 This book is packed with valuable insights, real-world examples, and hands-on activities to help you leverage Python to navigate the complicated world of web security, exploit vulnerabilities, and automate challenging security tasks. From detecting vulnerabilities to exploiting them with cutting-edge Python techniques, you’ll gain practical insights into web security, along with guidance on how to use automation to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of your security activities. You’ll also learn how to design personalized security automation tools. While offensive security is a great way to stay ahead of emerging threats, defensive security plays an equal role in protecting organizations from cyberattacks. In this book, you’ll get to grips with Python secure coding techniques to improve your ability to recognize dangers quickly and take appropriate action. As you progress, you’ll be well on your way to handling the contemporary challenges in the field of cybersecurity using Python, as well as protecting your digital environment from growing attacks. By the end of this book, you’ll have a solid understanding of sophisticated offensive security methods and be able to stay ahead in the constantly evolving cybersecurity space. Free offer expires today, May 21. How to get it Please ensure you read the terms and conditions to claim this offer. Complete and verifiable information is required in order to receive this free offer. If you have previously made use of these free offers, you will not need to re-register. While supplies last! Offered by Wiley, view other free resources The below offers are also available for free in exchange for your (work) email: AI First, Human Always ($17 Value) FREE – Expires 5/27 Hands on Hacking ($45 Value) FREE – Expires 5/27 DearMob iPhone Manager for PC/Mac ($79.95 Value) FREE – Expires 6/3 Winxvideo AI V3.0 Lifetime License for PC ($69.95 Valued) FREE – Expires 6/8 Aiarty Image Enhancer for PC/Mac ($85 Value) FREE – Expires 6/8 The Ultimate Linux Newbie Guide – Featured Free content Python Notes for Professionals – Featured Free content Learn Linux in 5 Days – Featured Free content Quick Reference Guide for Cybersecurity – Featured Free content Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed

Gmail’s Smart Replies are going beyond responses like “Will do,” “Thank you,” and “Apologies.” With the help of Gemini, you will soon be able to compose fully fledged responses that match your tone and context.Called Personalized Smart Replies, the feature will pull information from your previous emails and Google Drive to provide suggestions “with specific details that are more relevant and on point, eliminating the need to dig through your inbox and files yourself,” Google says.In a pre-recorded demo at I/O, Google CEO Sundar Pichai is seen responding to a friend who asked for tips on a road trip from Colorado to Utah. Before composing the reply, Pichai says, Gemini went through his notes in Drive and previous bookings in Gmail to find an itinerary for his trip to Zion National Park in Utah. Gemini then used the gathered information, such as drive time and stops taken along the way, and matched it with Pichai’s writing style to come up with three detailed responses. He picked one, modified it, and hit send.Recommended by Our EditorsOf course, not everyone will be comfortable with Google peeping into their emails and Drive content to mimic their writing style. That probably explains why Pichai emphasized that the feature only works "with your permission."Gmail’s Personalized Smart Replies will be available for all Gemini subscribers this summer.There are two other Gemini features coming to Gmail next quarter. An “inbox cleanup” function will let you automate your inbox management. For example, you can ask Gemini to delete messages from a contact at regular intervals. There’s also a feature that lets you schedule appointments without leaving your draft. You can click on the calendar icon and let Gemini suggest your next available time for an appointment.For more, check out our rundown of everything Google announced at I/O day one.

Google’s AI models have a secret ingredient that’s giving the company a leg up on competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic. That ingredient is your data, and it’s only just scratched the surface in terms of how it can use your information to “personalize” Gemini’s responses.Google first started letting users opt in to its “Gemini with personalization” feature earlier this year, which lets the AI model tap into your search history “to provide responses that are uniquely insightful and directly address your needs.” But now, Google is taking things a step further by unlocking access to even more of your information — all in the name of providing you with more personalized, AI-generated responses.During Google I/O on Tuesday, Google introduced something called “personal context,” which will allow Gemini models to pull relevant information from across Google’s apps, as long as it has your permission. One way Google is doing this is through Gmail’s personalized smart replies — the AI-generated messages that you can use to quickly reply to emails.The new smart replies let you choose a response based on previous emails and files in Drive. Image: GoogleTo make these AI responses sound “authentically like you,” Gemini will pore over your previous emails and even your Google Drive files to craft a reply tailored to your conversation. The response will even incorporate your tone, the greeting you use the most, and even “favorite word choices,” according to Google.As an example, Google says if you’re chatting with a friend about road trip advice, Gemini can search through your emails and files, allowing it to find hotel reservations and an itinerary you put together. It can then suggest a response that incorporates relevant information. That, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said during the keynote, may even help you “be a better friend.”It seems Google plans on bringing personal context outside Gemini, too, as its blog post announcing the feature says, “You can imagine how helpful personal context will be across Search, Gemini and more.” Google said in March that it will eventually let users connect their YouTube history and Photos library to Gemini, too.The breadth of data that Google has access to could put Gemini far ahead of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which starts with a blank slate when it encounters a new user. Instead of having an idea of where someone might like to shop, their favorite foods, or how they typically compose their emails, ChatGPT will have to field several responses before it can start referring to its memories and old conversations. The same is true for other AI chatbots without Google’s vast swaths of data, such as Anthropic’s Claude.If it’s given permission, Gemini can have access to all of this information — and more — right out the gate. That sets it up to be an even more helpful AI assistant that you don’t even need to have a previous interaction with for it to “know” you.See More:

At Unity, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are employee-led networks that foster an inclusive workplace by providing support around shared identities or life experiences that have historically been marginalized or underrepresented in the workforce. The purpose of ERGs is to champion an inclusive culture by modeling our company values of empathy, respect, and opportunity, and to build a sense of belonging. Membership in ERGs is open to all employees, regardless of whether they self-identify with the target demographic; allies are welcomed and encouraged to join in creating a culture of inclusion. Today we have a total of nine ERGs, nearly half of which were launched in 2022. Continue reading for a look back at all that our ERGs accomplished in the past year and to learn more about what each represents.The Access ERG was launched earlier this year and is a group that resonates with many people at Unity. The group hosted multiple meetings with guest speakers, covering various topics such as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) literacy, guide dogs, and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. Leaders have also raised awareness and donations for nonprofits outside of Unity that are doing important work for communities with disabilities and neurodiversity.Employee feedback: “This is the most wonderful [update]. Thank you so, so much for researching, advocating, and sharing [recording transcripts].”In 2023, the Access ERG aims to normalize accessibility so that all team members with disabilities or neurological divergences have equal opportunities and rewarding careers. Seemingly small things, like having transcripts automatically enabled for Zoom meetings or introductions with visual descriptions, can make a big difference for someone with an auditory or visual impairment, respectively. They also plan on aligning with our accessibility council, focused on Unity’s product accessibility, to ensure that employees with disabilities are core stakeholders.The Asian ERG spent the past year recruiting new members through its monthly community meetings and also built an excellent event lineup. The group kicked off the year with a bang by putting together a video that featured Unity employees from around the world who each shared how Lunar New Year is celebrated in their respective cultures. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is observed in North America during the month of May, so the Asian ERG organized four virtual events to raise awareness, including a Stop AAPI Hate presentation by Dr. Russell Jeung. In October, members gathered locally in offices with the Hindu and Sikh community to paint Diya lamps, and to taste locally sourced traditional food and sweets in celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Lights.In 2023, the Asian ERG leadership team aims to drive internal engagement and continue to grow community membership, as well as to continue collaborations with other ERGs such as the LGBTQ+ and Muslim groups by co-presenting discussions and events that tackle intersectional issues. The group also wishes to build partnerships with other companies and non-profit organizations, so as to create volunteer and networking opportunities for Unity’s Asian community. Finally, they are passionate about helping members develop and grow internally and are looking into ways to provide resources that can help guide the Asian diaspora in navigating their careers and to implement a mentorship program to promote a culture of learning.B-United, Unity’s Black ERG, has grown extensively over the past year. The group celebrated several amazing events for Black History Month in February (U.S. and Canada) and October (United Kingdom), and continued to honor Black culture throughout the year. An event that stands out was a fireside chat featuring one of Unity’s Black board members, whose story was impactful to hear for all who attended. The company was also able to send several B-United members to AFROTECH, which offered a unique chance to see and network alongside Black professionals across many areas of the tech industry. The conference was also the first time many of our group members met in person, since the ERG was established during the pandemic in 2020.In 2023, B-United plans to continue the momentum they’ve built and provide even more employees with opportunities to get involved. Creating psychological safety for our Black employees is essential for them to be able to thrive at Unity. This ERG can help be another space outside of someone’s immediate team for community building and career support.The mission of the Caregivers ERG is to partner with Unity to advance understanding and inclusion for employees who find themselves frequently in a caregiving role, be it for children, parents, or for other meaningful relationships in their lives. Founded this year, the group hosted a virtual volunteer event in partnership with our Social Impact team to send care packages to children in hospitals this holiday season. Balancing the care of others with impactful, meaningful work can be taxing for employees, and this ERG is dedicated to bringing resources, policies, and appreciation to its community so that, as a company, Unity is better able to retain, support, and provide equal opportunities for caregiving employees.Employee feedback: “I want to thank everyone for joining the kick off meetings this week. It’s really nice to meet new people at Unity and feel less alone.”Unity currently offers a variety of benefits for caregivers including family planning support and a flexible return to work program in the US and parental leave. In 2023, the Caregivers ERG intends to provide resources to make the return to work easier for employees who take leave for caregiving and to make flexible schedules a top priority.ComUnidad, Unity’s Latinx ERG, saw great improvements in its membership numbers, overall engagement, and group structure in 2022. The community grew to over 200 total members and attributes this growth to the time spent building a solid leadership structure and foundation to support the functions of the group. Growing its leadership team from four to nine this year allowed them to engage more with Unity’s Latinx community through events and community gatherings and to avoid leader burnout. Most notably, the group had a strong showing during Latinx Heritage Month (observed in the U.S. from September 15–October 15) when it hosted five events and increased its overall event engagement by more than 10%.In 2023, ComUnidad plans to continue its efforts to grow membership by offering more incentives for new Latinx employees and allies to join the ERG. This includes plans to provide more professional development opportunities and in-person events.What a busy year it has been for the LGBTQ+ ERG: The group organized more than a dozen events, many of which were in collaboration with other ERGs, such as a short film screening with the Asian ERG and Queer Icons trivia with the Latinx ERG. The team also hosted workshops on being an ally, a talk about the history of Drag Kings, a fireside chat with its executive sponsors, and launched a book club. In June, the group created a collective video to show what Pride really means to members of the community within Unity.Employee feedback: “I want to say how pleased and grateful I was to see [a] company-wide post specifically call out the LGBTQ+ community. A lot of companies tend to [take a much more vague] ‘Pride for everyone!’ approach – the acknowledgement of Pride's history is much appreciated, so thank you ”One of the LGBTQ+ ERG’s biggest goals for 2023 is to improve the sense of community for its members, as well as to offer opportunities for personal and professional growth. Group leaders are proud to have increased membership by over 12% in 2022, especially after a focus on gaining more global representation, but recognize there is still work to be done.The Muslim ERG is the first of its kind at Unity and a unique one in the tech industry, too. Through spreading awareness about issues that impact the community and Islamic culture, the group aims to set up frameworks that ensure that Muslim employees can practice their beliefs with respect and comfort. Leadership has collaborated with other ERGs, such as the Asian and Women ERGs, on issues that affect the intersectional communities. They’ve also hosted celebrations for Ramadan and Eid, including three successful fundraisers (tied to the internal employee match program) and informational sessions about Ramadan and how to be “in it together” for all. The fundraisers centered around food drives for war-torn countries and rebuilding education infrastructure in disaster-stricken nations due to global warming. As part of its end-of-year festivities, the Muslim ERG hosted baklava cooking and arabic calligraphy workshops to bring a bit of the Arabic culture to the diverse workspaces of Unity, and to make members feel more connected during the holidays.In 2023, there is great opportunity for this ERG to make an impact on Muslim employees and to create more allies and intersectional collaborations. The group’s leaders aim to work with internal teams to support onboarding of new employees who have been hired in or are relocating from Muslim-majority countries by introducing buddy systems, as well as to create inclusive workplaces globally for current employees. Together, the Muslim ERG looks forward to another good year for inclusion and diversity at Unity.The Service Members ERG is designed for veterans and military families, and chose a name and logo that would appeal to Unity’s global employee base. Members of the ERG believe service members and their families have unique skill sets and experiences to offer. Formed over the summer of 2022, the group hosted its first open workshop, led by a U.S. Army combat veteran, on how to cultivate a resilient mindset in an ever-changing world in September. To close the year, they hosted a children’s toy drive through Toys for Tots, which is run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve.In 2023, the Service Members ERG would like to grow its member base and bring more allies into the fold. With the new acquisition of ironSource, and the majority of its employees having served in the Israeli Defense Force, we believe there are many peers who would be interested in connecting with and learning from this community.What a year it has been. The Women ERG started off 2022 by introducing its first executive sponsors, who aim to build a continuous partnership in order to realize desired objectives and key results for women at Unity. The highlight of the year was, of course, the group’s impressive lineup of events during Women’s History Month in March, which included an influential Unity Women Panel, a showstopper that inspired all who tuned in and was supported by women leaders within the company. Another focus area for the ERG this year was to provide support for professional development, which led to the launch of its Peer Mentor program. Finally, the Women ERG announced the rollout of its Ambassador program, which is designed to provide additional support for events for employees in both virtual and in-person settings, and even found time to volunteer.As it looks to 2023, the Women ERG wants to support its members as best they can and iterate and improve processes. The leadership team is excited to show members all that they have prepared in an effort to bring more focused events and to increase engagement among women at Unity.We look forward to continuing to foster inclusion and diversity at Unity through these and more employee initiatives and extend a huge thank you to all who participated in ERG programming – both internally and externally – throughout 2022. Cheers to all that we can continue to accomplish in 2023!If you are interested in learning more about Unity’s Inclusion programs, check out our Inclusion & Diversity page. You can watch videos produced by our ERGs on our LinkedIn Life page or read through our Faces of Unity blogs, highlighting individual ERG leaders.