Inclusion is incredibly important to the culture we create here at Recharge — it means the world to us that every single member of our team feels safe, supported and celebrated to be exactly who they are.
Over the month of June, we asked our Rechargers what #PrideAtRecharge meant to them and shared these insights on our Instagram. June might be known to many as Pride Month but at Recharge, Pride is never contained to just one month — we’re proud to have Rechargers from all walks of life who feel safe, supported and celebrated to be their authentic selves each and every day. It is what makes us #TeamRecharge.
Here’s what Team Recharge had to say:
Ross, Brand Lead
1. Tell us a bit about yourself! Who are you and what do you do at Recharge?
Hi, I’m Ross, I’ve been with Recharge almost 2 years now after moving to Amsterdam from London with my partner in 2019. At Recharge I am responsible for our brand strategy, design, communication and localisation.
2. What does Pride mean to you?
Pride is many things too many people. For me Pride simply is about being proud of who I am, wearing my heart on my sleeve and embracing all walks of life around me. It is not just a period of time that takes place as the Summer starts to creep in, it is part of the normal I see we should all be living in, in this day and age.
3. When we talk about Pride at Recharge how does this make you feel?
When I joined Recharge one thing I was truly looking for in a new company was great people to work with, a thought that often when you look for a new role you can sometimes overlook. It makes me incredibly proud to say that in joining Recharge I have been able to work with brilliant, welcoming people who each equally wear their heart on their sleeves and like me truly embrace people from all walks of life, no questions asked.
Ravian, Product & Campaign Copywriter
1. Tell us a bit about yourself! Who are you and what do you do at Recharge?
I’m Ravian, and I’ve worked for Recharge for almost a year now. I’m the copywriter for product pages and campaigns.
2. What does Pride mean to you?
To me, pride means the ability to be who you are, love who you want to and to feel good about it. In other words: it means resisting anyone who believes they can decide who you are. Of course, it’s also a party. A celebration where the LGBTQIA+ takes over the streets and shows the normies what love (also) looks like. Well, that’s the idea anyway.
3. When we talk about Pride at Recharge how does this make you feel?
Pure cosiness, if that makes any sense. I’ve always felt totally safe and happy knowing that I can be who I am, warts and weird humour and all without anyone telling me to be ‘normal’. It’s bliss, and I’m totally taking it for granted.
Angelo, Customer Operations Director
1. Tell us a bit about yourself! Who are you and what do you do at Recharge?
I am Angelo; Angel with a final O like when I spell my name at Starbucks (yes, I drink a lot of coffee☕ ). I have been living in Amsterdam for 5 years but left Italy 13 years ago already. At Recharge.com I lead, together with a fantastic team, the Customer Care and Voice of the Customer and Feedback Loop programs. I am the one always putting our customers and their stories at the centre of the frame, so that everything we do brings actual value to them. When I daily step into the Recharge world, I have the ambition of making customers lives faster, safer and simpler. Among other things I am also a tai-chi practitioner, obsessed with plants, a decent juggler and a good procrastinator… The next thing I want to study is storytelling techniques (I have been saying this for a while).
2. What does Pride mean to you?
To feel free to be myself. With my own beliefs and values, weaknesses and strengths; with my way of being. And to stick to my inner self no matter where I am. For example, feeling the freedom of stepping into our Recharge world just the way I am. I feel I am valued for my skills and I am supported to overcome my challenges and hard times… and I am definitively proud of being part of Recharge and of our team with the progress we deliver. Pride also means being active and being an activist. I stand up for my values and I make sure to advocate them, listen to others and embrace their perspectives to both build on them and build a collective across diversities. Easier to be said than done, of course! 😇
3. When we talk about Pride at Recharge, how does this make you feel?
Pride at Recharge means I can be myself and I trust everybody does the same respecting each other. I think about the diversity and multiplicity within our group as well as the bonding. We have a lot of different frames and backgrounds, however we support each other collectively as one through all our rollercoaster days. Of course in my role, together with the team, we strive to make sure we understand customers as much as possible in their uniqueness. Our customers have different profiles, with their own needs and goals. How do we make sure we can become The Trusted Brand for each one of them? How do we get behind the metrics and our laptops, daring to face the colourful scenario we serve?
1. Tell us a bit about yourself! Who are you and what do you do at Recharge?
Hi, I am Jeroen, I’ve been with Recharge almost 3 years now. I am the Category & Buying Director at Recharge. My team is responsible for getting the most relevant assortment for our customers in our shops.
2. What does Pride mean to you?
To me, pride means that you can be who you are and love who you want. That sounds like the most normal thing in the world to a lot of people. But unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone. And that is exactly why pride is so important. The Stonewall riots are a painful history lesson. We made steps forward since then. But unfortunately, steps back are also taken every day. In the world, in Europe — look at Hungary — but unfortunately also here in Amsterdam. I love the parade and parties during Pride Month. For a week LGBTQIA+ is the standard. Everything is colourful. It’s the one week a year that that people assume you are gay, instead of straight. That’s funny, but is also good for some awareness for the other 51 weeks.
3. When we talk about Pride at Recharge how does this make you feel?
I am proud to work at Recharge. A huge part of my working day consists of talking with colleagues, suppliers and partners. I could not imagine what it would be like if I could not be 100% myself with them. Many different people work at Recharge, from many different backgrounds. We learn from each other. Respect each other. But most of all we have a lot of fun together.
Melinda, Campaign Lead
1.Tell us a bit about yourself! Who are you and what do you do at Recharge?
I’m Melinda, the Campaign Lead at Recharge. I joined 10 months ago and I’ve worked on dozens of campaigns in collaboration with our brand partners, launched our app and now preparing many exciting projects that will be introduced for our customers in the upcoming months.
2. What does Pride mean to you?
I’ve always supported equality & human rights but this year Pride got more important than ever for me: I live in Amsterdam but I’m Hungarian. If you follow the latest political news from my home country you’ll understand why I need to be vocal and raise awareness. To me, this becomes very personal as I see first-hand the challenges not only my friends face but even more so the wider LGBTQ community. It is our duty to make them feel free, be proud of their original, true selves without being judged, discriminated or attacked!
3. When we talk about Pride at Recharge how does this make you feel?
It makes me hopeful about the future: I’m really happy that I can be part of such an open-minded company with an incredibly diverse team. I hope that more and more companies following this standard of inclusivity and freedom.
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Want to join this team of talented go-getters who celebrate diversity, inclusivity and authenticity? We want you, too! Head to our careers page to kickstart the adventure of a lifetime with a team that is as unique as you are.