Natalie Mason, in Product Communications, shares how the greatest ideas should work for everyone
For Black History Month this year, our Black employee resource group (ERG) BlackDropboxers chose the theme: Shades of Black: Inclusion to Innovation.
Shades of Black is an acknowledgment of the incredible diversity that exists within the Black community. Just as a prism holds a diverse array of unseen color that exists within light, Black identity is multidimensional, intersectional, and kaleidoscopic. Shades of Black encapsulates the various backgrounds, stories, and people that encompass the Black experience.
During this month, we’ll be introducing you to Black Dropboxers to learn more about who they are and what the theme means to them.
Q: What is your name, what office do you work out of, and how long have you been at Dropbox?
A: I’m Natalie Mason. I work in Product Communications in San Francisco. I joined Dropbox in July of 2018.
Q: What does this month’s theme — Shades of Black: Innovation to Inclusion — mean to you?
A: The best ideas, the ones that make the world better, work for everyone. When innovation is inclusive we think differently and make better products — and when we don’t, we suffer the consequences. To me, Shades of Black represents the importance of inclusion as Dropbox innovates and recognizes that the Black experience is different for everyone.
Q: Why is it important for you to be a part of BlackDropboxers?
A: Being part of BlackDropboxers is an important part of my Dropbox experience because I get to hear about the experiences of Black people in different levels and functions of our company. I also see Black women in leadership and have a blueprint for how my career could grow at Dropbox.
Q: Can you share your favorite Dropbox moment since you started?
A: My favorite experience at Dropbox was the 2018 Holiday Party. My date pointed out to me how diverse my coworkers are and how awesome it is that my lead is a woman of color. I’m so proud to work at a company that connects me with diverse people and works to have diverse leadership. Representation matters and seeing women lead inspires me.
Q: How do you get your best work done? What keeps you in flow?
A: A big focus at Dropbox is making sure our mission of designing an enlightened way of working is reflected in our culture. For me, a huge part of this is making sure I can bring my full self to work every day. Having Black colleagues means I can ask someone where she got her hair braided, if he saw Beyoncé’s most recent Instagram, and if her commute to the East Bay includes the BART stop where Nia Wilson was senselessly murdered. It means that I can talk about my specific experiences in the Bay Area with people who are having similar experiences. It takes off a lot of pressure and empowers me to do my best work.
Q: Anything else you want to add about working at DBX, your role, opportunities that have been created as a result of working at Dropbox?
A: Dropbox is a great fit for me. I have a job where I get to sharpen my talent and work on a product that is changing how we work. There are always opportunities to learn something new. Our DropTalks have featured some of my idols (Emily Chang and Eric Holder) as well as people who I didn’t know about but have interesting stories to share (Jake Silverstein, EIC of the NYT Magazine).
Check back soon to meet more Dropboxers. In the meantime visit us at dropbox.com/jobs.
