Growing Together: Inclusion, Community and Impact at Applied Systems  

As we approach the end of the year, we wanted to highlight some of our recent events that encapsulated our shared commitment to creating inclusive spaces. Let's recap some of our recent events and memorable moments.

Honoring LGBTQIA+ History Month: Education, Awareness & Intersectional Inclusion

Pride at Applied celebrated Spirit Day by donning their purple to honor our LGBTQ+ youth and to stand against bullying.

October marked LGBTQIA+ History Month—a time centered not just on celebration, but on honoring the milestones, movements, and trailblazers who have shaped LGBTQIA+ history and the ongoing fight for equality. At Applied, the month served as an opportunity to deepen understanding, spark dialogue, and strengthen our inclusive culture.

Throughout October, Pride at Applied shared a series of educational posts spotlighting influential leaders, key historical moments, and unique perspectives across the LGBTQIA+ community. These posts also recognized notable observances including International Lesbian Day, Spirit Day (where team members donned their purple), Intersex Awareness Day, Asexual Awareness Week, International Pronouns Day, and National Coming Out Day, helping team members learn, reflect, and engage in meaningful conversation.

To deepen this learning, we were grateful to welcome Aster Gilbert, Manager of Training and Public Education at the Center on Halsted, who led a powerful session on LGBTQIA+ intersectionality and inclusion. Aster explored intersectionality as both a concept and a practical tool—guiding participants in recognizing layered identities, understanding the ways systems of bias intersect, and applying intersectional thinking to create more equitable and supportive workplaces.

Together, the month’s educational highlights and thoughtful discussions reinforced a core truth: Inclusion grows stronger when we learn from one another, honor diverse experiences, and remain committed to creating spaces where everyone feels seen, valued and supported.

Honoring Our Veterans and Their Families

Our Veterans where red every first Friday of the month to Remember Everyone Deployed (R.E.D).

November is Veterans Month—a time for reflection, gratitude, and recognition of the remarkable contributions made by veterans and their families across our global Applied community. Throughout the month, we honored those who have served through moments of celebration, education, and shared storytelling.

We continued our Remember Everyone Deployed (R.E.D.) Friday by wearing red, celebrated the United States Marine Corps 250th birthday on November 10, and closed out the month with our Week of Thanks, where team members shared heartfelt stories of service from their loved ones, neighbors, and friends – highlighting the many personal connections to military service across Applied.

While November 11 is observed as Veterans Day in the U.S., we also proudly recognized veterans across all our global regions. Our Veterans of Applied COI held two powerful events that deepened our understanding of military service and honored the legacy of those who served.

Veterans Day Webinar: Leadership, Resilience and Service

Team members joined a thoughtful conversation with Taylor Rhodes, CEO of Applied Systems and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, along with a panel of Applied veterans who shared their personal journeys and lessons learned. Hosted by Jeff Murawski, Senior Quality Analyst and Co-chair, Veterans of Applied, Marines, and Josh Moore, Lead Customer Support Specialist, Co-chair, Veterans of Applied, Marines, the discussion explored why each panelist chose to serve, how military training shapes leadership, and the values—such as humility, perspective, and teamwork—that continue to guide them in their careers.

We extend our gratitude to our panelists for their service and for sharing their stories.

Discovering the Legacy of Service: A Virtual Veterans Tour

Applied team members also participated in an immersive virtual tour spanning the Revolutionary War through modern-day service. The tour explored Washington, D.C.'s most iconic memorials—including the World War II Memorial and the D.C. War Memorial—and featured interactive trivia that highlighted monuments beyond the National Mall. The experience offered both a historical lens and a personal one, creating a meaningful way to honor the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of veterans throughout U.S. history.

Black at Applied: Creating Space for Honest Dialogue

This fall, Black at Applied continued its commitment to fostering meaningful conversations and supportive spaces for our team members. Through two powerful forum sessions, the COI brought employees together to reflect, share lived experiences, and explore how identity, culture, and upbringing shape well-being both inside and outside the workplace.

Sista Circle, a forum designed to foster open dialogue, shared experiences, and community support around topics that uniquely impact Black women in the workplace and beyond, held a session called Strong, But Not Silent. This session hosted a space for Black women to speak about the burden of being misunderstood, the pressure to suppress their emotions, and the toll it takes on their well-being. Team members unpacked how this shows up in both personal and professional lives, and how to reclaim their voices without apology.

The It's Okay to Not be Okay forum held its quarterly session, exploring how conditions during childhood can have lasting impacts on financial decision-making. The group discussed how growing up with limited resources influences spending habits, perceptions of value, and long-term financial choices. Through open dialogue and personal stories, team members unpacked generational patterns and gained a deeper understanding of how upbringing informs financial behavior.

Giving in Action: Our October Impact

October was a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together to give back. This year, we proudly supported our very first Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) Charity of Choice at Applied Net during the Insurance Industry Month of Giving—strengthening our partnership and deepening our collective impact.

Across Applied, our Communities of Interest (COIs) led initiatives throughout October:

Black at Applied is collecting donations for the 5 Strong Scholarship Foundation, an organization that has served over 400 dedicated scholars. All donations made through Dec. 15 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1,250, and 5 Strong has launched a dedicated Recurring Donors Campaign in honor of their 10 years of outstanding service.

Veterans of Applied partners with Home Base, which supports veterans and their families. Home Base is a national nonprofit dedicated to healing the invisible wounds of war for veterans of all eras, service members, military families and families of the fallen through clinical care, wellness, education, and research.

Pride at Applied supports Center on Halsted, a community hub for LGBTQIA+ programs and services. Opened since 1973, Center on Halsted serves over 19,000 individuals annually and is the Midwest’s largest LGBTQIA+ social service agency.

Our Impact at a Glance

Alongside COI-led efforts, Applied Cares helped drive momentum across the globe in the communities where we live and work:

• Applied Cares Donations: $235K
• Applied Cares Volunteer Hours (YTD): 3,800+
• October Month of Giving Volunteer Time: 300+ hours
• October Month of Giving Donations: $9.2K
• Nonprofits Supported: 62

Together, we’ve demonstrated—once again—that giving back is part of who we are. And as we look ahead to the remainder of the year, we will continue to uplift our communities, strengthen our partnerships, and support causes that matter to our people.

Continuing to Celebrate and Grow Our Workplace

Regardless of the time of year, we're proud to celebrate Team Applied and showcase the moments that help foster a workplace culture that fosters diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We look forward to another year of growing our advocacy efforts and fostering more connections across Applied Systems. Check out our Life at Applied section of the blog to see how we honor culture.