Allyship is more than a concept—it’s a commitment. It’s about standing beside others, listening deeply, and using our voices to uplift marginalized communities. As we turn the calendar to a new month, we enter into a celebration of Allyship April. Over the course of this month, Clouderans will engage in conversations and activities to show support, advocate for, and understand the experiences of others.
As part of our celebration of allyship, we sat down with Otho Lyon, vice president of customer experience, to learn a bit more about his journey back to Cloudera, what allyship means to him, and how he puts words into action in his own life.
Here’s what Otho had to say.
Can You Tell Us a Bit About Your Journey with Cloudera?
My journey with Cloudera has certainly been unique. I was here for seven years before leaving for another role. But after a year and a half away I made the decision to leave that company, ultimately ending up back at Cloudera. An important part of that decision came down to my own skillset and the kind of work I am most passionate about. I’ve always known what my superpower was—people. I love connecting with others and helping to solve challenges for our customers. Cloudera is where I’ve always found the most opportunity to flex those people skills – I’m able to help our organization grow by delivering the best possible experience for our customers and partners.
But it’s about much more than just the work here, there are real people behind the customers we serve. And whether it’s a healthcare or financial services client, the use cases we are involved in have a major impact on people’s lives. Having the opportunity to get back to Cloudera has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m excited for what the future has in store.
Shifting to Allyship April, What Do You Think Makes This Topic So Important?
In my opinion, Allyship is the fabric that keeps our society functioning. We need that support and understanding of one another in order to grow and work together. We all have differences and recognizing those is critically important. There are certainly a variety of definitions, but true allyship comes down to two things: listening to others and taking meaningful action. Making a point to utilize your voice and advocate for equality and inclusion for those who might be marginalized is so important.
To go a level deeper, a critical component of allyship is leading by example—can you go further than just talking about being an ally? Can you ‘walk the walk’, so to speak. My dad used to tell me “You talk a good talk, but the walk is long.” That’s something I’ve kept in my mind throughout my life. The real work comes when you put yourself out there and support the people around you. It’s a mindset where you are always thinking about how you can put those sentiments of equality, inclusion, and advocacy into action.
How Do You See Allyship in Action at Cloudera?
As someone who was at Cloudera, left briefly, and then returned, I think I have a really unique perspective on this. Allyship is something I have always seen as a core part of the way we operate at Cloudera. Coming back to Cloudera, it’s been abundantly clear that the emphasis on allyship and the commitment to fostering a supportive work environment has remained constant.
It’s something that I’ve consistently seen with our executive leadership too. Everyone is totally bought in, which really helps set the tone for the way we all work together. There’s a top-down approach here that is deeply aligned with the ’lead by example’ aspect of allyship I mentioned earlier.
How Do You Put Allyship Into Action in Your Own Life?
This is something that’s deeply personal for me. And as I mentioned earlier, it’s so important to get beyond just talking about allyship and start really bringing it to life. Whenever I find myself out in the world, I always make it a point to be conscious of how I treat other people and ensure I’m coming to every interaction with respect and a sense of fairness. I also work hard to maintain a highly diverse circle of friends and connections to keep myself balanced.
I also do a lot of mentoring with the next generation of professionals, helping prepare them for the working world. I love to have conversations with younger generations and really help them flex that muscle of having face to face interactions. Within my own personal life, my family and I also spend time giving back in our community whether that’s through volunteering or just a small act of kindness to someone in need.
For anyone wondering what they need to do to be a better ally, there’s plenty of opportunities out there—being a good ally doesn’t have to feel like rocket science. Volunteer, help out, just get involved in your community or at your workplace. I would also say don’t be afraid to be bold and stand for what you believe in, that gives you a really strong foundation to build off of when growing as an ally.
Learn more about what Cloudera is doing to take action and support allyship.
