A little more than a year ago, Cisco announced our next big ambition: 40 Communities. The 10-year initiative is audacious by design: to work in communities where we can be genuinely embedded, listen to local leaders to understand what's working and where needs are greatest, and focus our efforts where Cisco can add meaningful value.  We engage, support, and invest deeply in these places, using Cisco's technology, resources, and partnerships to address complex challenges and co-create and deliver solutions that build toward a future where everyone can thrive.

In our first year, we designated Western North Carolina as our inaugural site in the devastating wake of Hurricane Helene, as communities grappled with isolation and the importance of connectivity and trusted local networks came sharply into focus. Mumbai followed as our second site - and first international market - building on Cisco's 30-year history of partnership and purpose-driven innovation in India. While these communities differ in significant ways, our work has surfaced powerful shared insights about building partnerships shaped by local knowledge, rooted in proximity, and designed for lasting impact.

Listening first: Letting communities lead

Cisco's Erin Connor (center left) joins a group of Cisco Crisis Response volunteers during a Habitat for Humanity build in Western North Carolina.

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, isolating small mountain communities and disrupting vital lines of connection. Cisco's Crisis Response team mobilized to restore emergency connectivity to frontline responders, and by December, Western North Carolina became our first 40 Communities site. Those early weeks illustrated something important about what effective partnership looks like in practice: the local community already understood the needs and how best to meet them - our most effective contribution was to listen.

Erin Connor, Director of Cisco Crisis Response, describes this "listen first" approach as foundational to the work. "We have to start by really listening - by trying to understand what's already happening, who the local actors are, and what work is already being done," she reflects. "Approaching this with some humility and really listening to understand the priorities is essential."

 

 

 

"We're not the experts here; the communities know their needs best. When we listen first, we can show up as real partners and catalyze work that's already in motion"
- Erin Connor, Director of Cisco Crisis Response

That same posture guided our work in Mumbai. Rather than arriving with predefined solutions, we convened a workshop that brought together local thought leaders, academic institutions, nonprofit partners, and corporate peers to clarify community priorities and where Cisco's capabilities could add the most value. Their insights shaped everything, from which focus areas to prioritize - like closing digital skills gaps, supporting innovation and early-stage entrepreneurs, and building cyber resilience - to how we'd co-create solutions with our partners.

Across both communities, listening has grounded our work in local knowledge and lived experience, allowing us to shape initiatives in genuine partnership with the people they're meant to serve.

Proximity matters: Building trust over time

Cisco's Christian Bigsby (center right) at the groundbreaking for a new housing community being built by the Chief Cares Foundation in Western North Carolina.

From the outset, we knew that building trust would be central to the partnerships underpinning 40 Communities. But how does a company like Cisco work with a community to build and nurture that trust? The answer that has emerged during Year One is proximity - embedding ourselves in the communities where we work and being extremely intentional about how we show up and stay engaged.

Christian Bigsby, Senior Vice President of Workplace Resources at Cisco and North Carolina resident, has seen firsthand how proximity builds trust in Western North Carolina. "Being proximate means showing up in three ways. First, there's initial triage, working directly with people on the ground. Second, we commit resources to show we're here for the long term. Third, we sustain that energy and participation. You need all three to build trust and be an effective partner."

Proximity has similarly been central in Mumbai, where Cisco has operated for three decades - not just as a business, but as a partner in social impact. Through 40 Communities, we're strengthening longstanding partnerships while cultivating new ones to remain responsive to evolving needs. In India, 30 years of proximity have laid a strong foundation of trust - our task now is to remain intentional about how we show up, listen, learn, and adapt as the work unfolds.

"At the end of the day, we're not seeking to be tourists in these places. These are places where we work, where we live. We are committed to these communities because we're a part of them."
- Christian Bigsby, Senior Vice President of Workplace Resources

Staying focused: Serving as a catalyst for lasting change

Cisco's Brian Tippens and Harish Krishnan attend a 40 Communities event in Mumbai, India.

Listening and proximity reinforced another lesson from Year One: focus matters. When we concentrate on areas where Cisco's technology and expertise add the most value - connectivity, workforce development, support for startups and small businesses, and digital resilience - we can serve as a catalyst for community-led, sustainable change.

Harish Krishnan, Managing Director & Chief Policy Officer of Cisco India & ASEAN, describes how in Mumbai, India's own digital ambitions converge naturally with this kind of focused partnership. "India's digital journey is reaching new heights, and through 40 Communities Mumbai, we see immense potential to align with the government's vision for a Digital India and serve as a true force multiplier," he says. "By staying sharply focused on priorities like digital skills, small business support, and cybersecurity, we can leverage Cisco's core strengths to accelerate India's digital transformation."

 

"This focus enables us to deliver meaningful, scalable outcomes that foster entrepreneurship, strengthen cyber resilience, and equip people with the skills and tools they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy."
-Harish Krishnan, Managing Director & Chief Policy Officer of Cisco India & ASEAN

Brian Tippens, Senior Vice President and Chief Social Impact & Inclusion Officer, describes how this principle has held true across both communities. "In both Western North Carolina and Mumbai, our partners know where the needs are, and they help us channel our resources for maximum impact," he says. "Listening and co-creating with our partners helps us feel confident that we're developing these solutions with the needs of the communities in mind and driving systemic, sustainable change."

 "No matter where we're working, the foundational principles are the same. Listening and proximity help us understand how Cisco can add value and be a force multiplier for genuine impact."
- Brian Tippens, Senior Vice President and Chief Social Impact & Inclusion Officer

Our commitment to engage, support, and invest in 40 Communities remains audacious. One year in, we've built a strong foundation that will allow us to deepen our work in our first two communities while thoughtfully expanding to new ones. Driving meaningful change in a rapidly changing world will require iteration and adaptation, but these principles - listening first, getting proximate, and staying focused - will serve as our north star in the years and communities to come.