Be Yourself and Connect Through Employee Networks

Come to Booz Allen and be you. It’s a cornerstone of Booz Allen’s employee value proposition and the “BE3 Promise”: Be you, be Booz Allen, and be empowered. 

Digital Strategist Mahdi Blaine experienced this promise firsthand when he joined Booz Allen’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Network, part of the firm’s employee-led Multicultural Business Resource Group (BRG). 

Blaine puts his background in finance, digital research methods, and digital project management to use every day. But the MENA Network was interested in another side of his knowledge and experience. 

Lead Engineer Alex Jaja, co-chair of the MENA Network, reached out to Blaine about leading a brown bag session ahead of MENA Heritage Month, celebrated annually in April. The topic: Blaine’s master’s thesis from New York University about Moroccan policy in the Western Sahara. 

Blaine was thrilled by the opportunity. “The MENA Network has been very welcoming and allowed me to headline my own event the moment I got involved with the group.” 

For Jaja, the offer was a natural fit. “Multicultural BRGs are designed to acknowledge all of what an employee brings to Booz Allen and to harness the power of our collective ingenuity.” 

Booz Allen’s five BRGs include the Women’s BRG; the Military and Veterans BRG; the Global Disabilities BRG; GLOBE+, the firm’s LGBTQ+ BRG; and the Multicultural BRG, which includes the firm’s African American, Asian Pacific American, Latin American, MENA, and Native American networks. Each BRG provides an inclusive and welcoming environment and empowers the firm’s employees and their allies by advocating for their professional development, growth, and visibility. 

“Opportunities like this are a great way for MENA Network members to hear and learn from one another in an inclusive environment and for employees to develop new skills, grow as leaders, and make meaningful connections,” Jaja said. 

In addition to his session, Blaine has found opportunities to grow his data science and cloud experience. “Within my admin team, I’ve gotten to put my writing skills to use, helping author a whitepaper for the firm on our 5G/XR capabilities,” he said. He is now supporting the firm’s work with the Department of Veteran Affairs supporting its Veterans Experience Office (VEO).

Blaine praised Booz Allen’s many channels for remote collaboration. “I’ve been able to work with people in distant corners of the firm,” he said. These connections have extended into his recreational interests as well. 

“It’s amazing how the firm’s infrastructure allows for interests like history, culture, and food and bring so many diverse segments of the firm together,” he said. “These opportunities have definitely made my work-life balance more dynamic.” 

Read about the Booz Allen BE3 Promise and how the firm is a place where you can bring your full self to work.