Toni Vanwinkle is a senior director for the Digital Workplace Experience at Adobe. (Photo courtesy of AdobeCareers.
In 2019, the Digital Workplace Group named Toni "Digital Workplace Leader of the Year" in recognition of her inspirational and innovative leadership.
Currently, Toni leads Adobe's Digital Workplace Experience organization under the office of the chief information officer (CIO). She is focused on keeping Adobe employees collaborative and productive from anywhere.
In addition, Toni always makes time for mentoring and community service.
She founded Adobe's Black Employee Network and serves as the site council leader at Adobe's Headquarters in San Jose. In this role, she is an employee ambassador leading a Site Council whose mission is to amplify Adobe's culture and connect employees to the communities where they live and work.
How I got involved in the diversity and inclusion (D&I) field within technology
"I got involved in D&I after being approached by one of our human resources (HR) executives about becoming the executive sponsor for an affinity group at Adobe. Before responding, I asked one of my mentors who was an employee network sponsor at another tech company in the Bay Area. He was so excited. He said that the D&I work he was involved in was the most rewarding work of his career. Shortly after, I founded Adobe’s Black Employee Network. It was a leap of faith. I knew I had a lot to learn. So I did my research by attending classes, reading books, HR research papers, D&I articles, listening to Ted Talks, and watching documentaries. There was a consistent theme across all this information: a lack of role models for those who were pursuing careers in tech. I stood in the truth of what I experienced my entire career. I was often the only woman and almost always that only person of color in the room. From that point on, my mission was to help give employees, students, partners, and peers a voice and a sense of belonging at Adobe."
People who inspire and motivate me
"I’m inspired by those who stand up for positive change even when circumstances are not in their favor. I’m inspired by people like Toni Morrison, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Robert F. Smith. These are examples of people who have changed the narrative for all people by being role models and creating pathways for those that look like them or experienced struggles that seem insurmountable. These people and so many more, both famous and ordinary, change lives not just for the benefit of the few, but for the life and legacy of many. On a daily basis, I’m motivated by the opportunity to solve problems, create opportunities, and develop leaders at work, home, in the communities I serve."
The D&I space 5-10 years from now
"In the next 5 to 10 years, I see D&I as an expanding field focused on creating community and connection around the world. Organizations will begin to see diversity as an asset and inclusion as a tool to motive and inspire their most valuable asset, people."
Toni earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow, and literally fought to earn her Black Belt in Tai Kwon Do.
As we celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth and look at the empowering women before us, we’re also looking to the future. Here are our takeaways from speaking with five young women about gender balance and the future of work: https://t.co/M4jvocx2Lr #AdobeLife #AdobeForAll pic.twitter.com/da2GIuQlSZ
— Adobe Careers (@AdobeCareers) March 12, 2019
