Yuri Yim on storytelling and the Asian at UiPath people unity council

A strong corporate culture makes sure that every team member can comfortably embrace their true selves. We're all different, and it's important to treat diversity as a strength, as innovation thrives when many different insights come to the table and merge into something new. Therefore, we invest in our people and empower them to unite and disrupt with intent through UiPath people unity councils (PUCs).

The Asian at UiPath PUC is a dedicated space where Asian-identifying employees are appreciated, heard, and empowered to maximize their personal and professional potential. Its mission is to foster a sense of belonging and unity among Asian employees and their allies by building a supporting and inclusive community that celebrates everyone's unique backgrounds and experiences. They're doing this by hosting culture forums, trivia nights, executive roundtables, and monthly meetings.

We had the pleasure of having a chat with Yuri Yim, our Social Media Support Specialist. She's Korean-American and actively involved in the Asian at UiPath PUC. In her free time, Yuri loves to go to the movies and live entertainment, and to browse through bookstores, fashion showrooms, and galleries. She also loves winding down on weekdays by cooking and baking for herself and others — "it's become one of my love languages over the past few years", she says. Since she moved to New York a year ago, she's been in awe of all the parks, the tree-lined streets, and the sheer amount of flower varieties there.

"I love walking my dogs through different neighborhoods, and the scenery has inspired me to learn more about anthology and ikebana, or the art of Japanese flower arrangement", she adds. Her furbabies are real cuties, and they even have their own little shoes! Another interesting fact about Yuri is that she recently started learning electric guitar.

The beginnings

"I was always drawn to storytelling", she states. Yuri read a lot as a kid, and she fell in love with magazines as a teenager. When she was in high school, a friend convinced her to get into multimedia blogging — "I started writing every single day, and I loved that there were tie-ins with music, photography, and design".

She studied Communications at the University of Southern California, because it spanned many of her interests: new media, pop culture and art, politics and social justice, and of course, writing. "I could never narrow down what I wanted to study or pursue", she adds. However, looking back, she acknowledges that the pandemic helped her a bit, because it limited her options and forced her to value every opportunity she got. Yuri graduated a few months into the lockdown, when there was a challenging time to be on the market, especially if you were looking for early career opportunities. "I was relentless about applying everywhere, and after maybe half a year of unemployment, I landed my first full-time paid job offer", she says.

Luckily, it was in one of her dream industries: fashion, working with a fashion communications agency in West Hollywood. On one side, her role involved building relationships with stylists, celebrities, and influencers. On the other side, it involved managing several of the agency's brands' social media presence. Yuri created strategies and campaigns, wrote, produced content shoots, built partnerships, and more. "Before this experience, I had never considered a career in social media. But I realized that it could be the intersection of many of my creative interests!", she concludes.

After about a year, she felt the need for a change: "I wanted to move to New York City, and I wanted to work in-house, so I could focus on one story to tell over time". She applied for a couple of jobs in the entertainment industry. On a whim, she also applied for her current role at UiPath, as it matched her experience, and it was based in NYC. "I had no intention of switching industries, but as I kept meeting with UiPathers throughout the interview process, I truly believed that UiPath would give me the most support and freedom to experiment", she adds.

Being part of the Asian at UiPath PUC

"I was raised to be unwaveringly confident in who I am, and that includes my heritage as a Korean-American", she states. Yuri had the fortunate and rare pleasure of growing up in a diverse city, with a prominent Asian population. And it made it easier for her to accept and embrace that aspect of her identity early on. "That has undoubtedly afforded me the mental capacity and confidence to move through this world — to focus on exploring other branches of my identity and interests, thrive against the odds in certain academic and professional settings, and pursue my passions", she adds.

Starting a new career was one thing; moving across the country to do it was another. Either way, there were plenty of things that made the transition less scary, and less lonely: a great company culture, friendly colleagues, and the Asian at UiPath PUC.

Referring to the Asian at UiPath PUC, Yuri feels "lucky to be able to experience community and solidarity not only in my personal life, but in my own career as well". Having a dedicated space to meet with colleagues of similar backgrounds, and an open forum to discuss topics feels very special in her view. "It's comforting to know that everyone there is rooting for you to develop as a leader, a professional, and a human. And I'm excited to do the same for others!", Yuri emphasizes.

The PUC recently held its first in-person gathering in our New York City and Bellevue offices. And it was focused on a cornerstone of culture that anyone can get behind: food. They served up delicious Asian cuisine like pad thai, egg rolls, curry, and drinks like soju, sake, and Japanese beer. They also had a comedian come in and perform a set tailored to their unique experiences. "It was a hilarious, personal, and approachable way to share our culture with our peers, and bond over our upbringings, families, traditions, and more", Yuri remembers.

UiPath people unity councils (PUCs) are our take on employee resource groups. They're voluntary, people-led councils that provide a safe space where members share brave conversations, network, and find comfort in community. Members share a common identity, whether it is gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, lifestyle, or life experiences, that connects them to their community of interest.