ABOUT

Inspired by The Estée Lauder Companies’ (ELC) Breast Cancer Campaign, which was founded in 1992 by the late Evelyn H. Lauder, Tech Day of Pink is an initiative dedicated to mobilizing the global tech community to help create a breast cancer-free world. Tech Day of Pink was founded in 2017 by Michael W. Smith, Chief Information Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies. Its purpose is to unite technologists and IT professionals worldwide around breast cancer awareness, education, and fundraising. Tech Day of Pink rallies ELC IT employees, partners and the broader tech industry to amplify ELC’s Breast Cancer Campaign call-to-action and maximize their collective impact in the fight against breast cancer.

Tech Day of Pink takes place annually on the second Thursday of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month). This year’s Tech Day of Pink will take place Thursday, October 14, 2021. There will be lead-up events and activities throughout September and October.

On Tech Day of Pink, we invite technologists and IT professionals to post a picture of themselves wearing pink or a Pink Ribbon on social media and share what the Pink Ribbon means to them with the hashtags: #TechInPink2021, #TimeToEndBreastCancer, and #ELCdonates. ELC also encourages the industry to leverage their technology expertise for good by participating in the first-ever virtual ELC Tech Day of Pink Hackathon and helping to develop tech solutions that aid in the fight against breast cancer. For more ways to participate, visit the Participate section of this site.

“Imagine how much closer we can get to ending breast cancer if our tech community rallied together to do what we do best. Together, we can channel innovative technology solutions towards making an even greater impact in this fight.”
-ELC CIO, Michael Smith

WHY

Breast cancer affects us all. Every 15 seconds, somewhere in the world, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.¹ Almost everyone knows at least one person who has been impacted by breast cancer - or has heard those words themselves. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and is increasing, particularly in developing countries where the majority of cases are diagnosed in late stages.² It is the second most common cancer overall³ and impacts a wide range of people regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status or lifestyle. Men are also touched by the disease. In fact, their lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 833.⁴

¹GLOBOCAN, 2018
²World Health Organization, 2019
³GLOBOCAN, 2018 via World Cancer Research Fund
⁴ACS, 2019

WHEN

Thursday, October 14^th, 2021

PARTICIPATE

Join the Tech Day of Pink initiative and mobilize/inspire your peers in the IT and tech community to educate, spread awareness and fundraise in the fight against breast cancer. Here are some thought-starter ideas on how you and your organization can get involved:

PINKGRAMS HASHTAG CHALLENGE

Wear pink on Thursday, October 14^th, 2021 to raise awareness of breast cancer and ultimately raise funds for breast cancer. Post photos of you and your teams wearing pink or a pink ribbon (you can also draw a pink ribbon on your hand) and share what the pink ribbon means to you on social media. You can also write a post dedicated to breast cancer survivors, fighters, and heroes.

Don’t forget to use this year’s hashtags: #TechInPink2021, #TimeToEndBreastCancer, and #ELCdonates.

The best part? These public posts can play a role in contributing funds in the fight against breast cancer. CIOs across the globe have committed to making donations for each post with the hashtag #TechInPink2020 on October 8^th in public Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter feeds.

Additionally, for every public, in-feed Instagram or Facebook post during the month of October featuring both #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates together, @esteelaudercompanies will donate $25 to @bcrfcure up to $100,000. Make sure to use all 3 hashtags to make the biggest impact possible!

Feel free to use the posting templates, which you can find under the “Templates” section. For more information about PinkGrams, click here.

DONATE

Breakthroughs in breast cancer treatment and prevention come from research and education initiatives. With your support, we will be even closer to creating a breast cancer-free world. Click here to contribute to The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign, which has raised more than $89 million to support global research, education, with more than $73 million funding in medical research grants through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. We appreciate you taking the time to make a difference. This specific link will attribute your company and Tech Day of Pink to the donation.

T-SHIRTS

In support of The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign, when a Tech Day of Pink 2020 custom designed T-shirt is purchased from 9/14/20 to 9/22/20, 30% of the purchase price of each shirt will be donated directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF). BCRF is dedicated to advancing the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer. You can view the 2020 shirt design here.

HACKATHON

Participate as a team member during the first-ever virtual ELC Tech Day of Pink Hackathon, which focuses on developing innovative technology solutions that aid in the fight against breast cancer – whether that’s raising awareness of the disease, driving prevention and treatment, and/or helping to raise funds for breast cancer research. All ideas for how to create a breast cancer-free world are welcome. Click here to register.

SHARE YOUR VOICE

We want to hear your story and why Tech Day of Pink is important to you. To find out how we can amplify your voice, please contact our Tech Day of Pink team: Glenn Kalokira ([email protected]) and Catherine Nguyen ([email protected]).

OTHER WAYS TO PARTICIPATE

These are only ideas and suggestions. We want you to make this your own and celebrate Tech Day of Pink in a way that fits with your culture and organization. Here are some ideas that our corporate partners have committed to for Tech Day of Pink 2020:

Host virtual “pink” events and fundraising efforts for breast cancer research to drive awareness and bring your teams together.
Turn your company logo pink for the day or throughout October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Reach out to your partners, suppliers and network of tech leaders to encourage them to participate.

TECH DAY OF PINK PAST EVENTS

The following events were hosted virtually in celebration of Tech Day of Pink 2020.

PARTNER EVENTS

Partner Session: Salesforce’s B-Well Together
Kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a discussion about prevention, detection, and Tech Day of Pink. Hosts: Jane Lauder, EVP of Enterprise Marketing and Chief Data Officer at ELC; and Michael W. Smith, Chief Information Officer at The Estee Lauder Companies.
View the recordings here.
Tech Executive Breast Cancer Survivor Panel
Please join this exciting kick-off event for an inspiring conversation with top tier tech executives and breast cancer survivors. They will be sharing their personal stories, messages of hope, and key takeaways for the audience. You don't want to miss this!
Partner Event: HCL’s Feminspiration Session
‘Feminspiration’ is a platform facilitated by the HCL Women Connect Affinity Network. This session will be an opportunity to be inspired by female stories and discuss the impact of breast cancer. Speakers: Lynda Pak, SVP of Global Brands and Corporate Functions Technology at ELC; Kerry O’Donnell, Executive Director of Global Comms/Public Affairs/GCCS/ID Technology at ELC; and Sowmya Gottipati, Vice President of EL Brand Technology at ELC.
Partner Event: Wipro’s Tech Day of Pink Discussion
Wipro and the Silicon Valley Organization join The Estée Lauder Companies to discuss early detection, science, and advancements in modern medicine. Speakers: Michael W. Smith, Chief Information Officer at The Estee Lauder Companies; Shauna Emerson-O’Neill, VP of Vendor Management Strategy and Delivery, Innovation, Technology, and Shared Services at TD; and Dr. Laura J. Esserman, MD, MBA, Director of Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center at the University of California. Visit Wipro’s microsite for more information.

VIRTUAL EVENTS

ELC Virtual Hackathon - Please visit the hackathon website for more information on the challenge and our 2020 winners.
Tech Day of Pink fireside chat - As part of the Hackathon Kickoff, this 30-minute chat features medical and healthcare professionals who will speak on how technology can affect the future of the breast cancer fight.
Technology for Good: IT Executive Panel -
This panel is an opportunity for leaders to share ideas on how the IT community can move Breast Cancer research, awareness, and prevention forward with technology and what is being done to promote corporate social responsibility through technology overall. Moderated by Jean-Michel Kientz, SVP of Interconnected Retail Technologies. Panelists are: Andy Rhodes, CIO of Unicef; Bruce Cullen, Head of Enterprise Technology and IT Security at Mylan; Tim Swope, CISO of Catholic Health Services; and Sarah Angel-Johnson, CIO of Year Up.

Pink Yoga - ELC’s global IT teams host two international pink yoga events based in Spain!
Survivor Panel - A panel of breast cancer survivors and fighters gather to share their stories and messages of inspiration.
Virtual Hackathon Awards Ceremony - The culmination of the Virtual Hackathon! Please join in viewing the final presentations and awards ceremony to hear about the innovative solutions that the global technology community created in the past two weeks.
View highlights here.

TEMPLATES

Feel free to use these templates for posting on your public social media channels.

To promote Tech Day of Pink: “Tech Day of Pink unites technologists and IT professionals worldwide around breast cancer awareness, education, and fundraising. Find out more here: [link to www.TechDayOfPink.com]"
To promote the Tech Day of Pink Hashtag Challenge: “Tech Day of Pink unites technologists worldwide around breast cancer awareness, education and fundraising. <COMPANY NAME> is proud to be a part of this fight against breast cancer. Join the movement Thursday, October 14^th by posting a picture of yourself wearing pink or showing a Pink Ribbon and sharing what it means to you on your social channels!
Don’t forget to use the hashtags: #TechInPink2020, #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates. For every public, in-feed Instagram or Facebook post during the month of October featuring both #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates together, @esteelaudercompanies will donate $25 to @bcrfcure up to $100,000."
To promote the Hackathon: “How would you like to develop a technology solution that promotes or enhances the general welfare of millions of women around the world? ELC’s Virtual Hackathon is your chance to make a difference by putting your technology skills to the test to support the fight against breast cancer!! Register by September 24^th: www.elchackathon.com"
OR
“Turn your hacking skills pink this year and register for our ELC Virtual Hackathon! Join a global community of innovators and technologists looking to develop technology solutions to create a breast cancer-free world. Taking place entirely online, this is a great chance to expand your network of peers, use your technical problem-solving skills, have fun and win prizes! Sign up before September 24^th here: www.elchackathon.com“

FAQ

1. Who can get involved in Tech Day of Pink?

Anyone can get involved in Tech Day of Pink. We are reaching out to companies, medical professionals, and CIOs to participate in Tech Day of Pink and the first virtual ELC Tech Day of Pink Hackathon.

2. What events and activities will be involved in this year’s Tech Day of Pink by The Estée Lauder Companies?

The events and activities coordinated by our IT team has three elements: internal events, external partnerships, and our ELC Virtual Hackathon. Internally, our Global IT Teams will host the following events:

Custom Shirt Design Contest, with participants from all over the world
T-Shirt Sales, by North America
International Yoga Sessions, hosted by our teams in the United Kingdom, Latin America, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia Pacific regions
Breast Cancer Discussion Panels with Survivors and Medical Professionals, hosted by North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific teams
Cozy Pink Blanket Sales, by Latin America
Bingo, hosted by United Kingdom
Raffle, hosted by United Kingdom, Europe/Middle East/Africa

Internally, our IT teams will partner with advisors from the healthcare and oncology industries to present virtual educational panels. In order to raise funds that will go towards the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), we will be selling Tech Day of Pink 2020 T-shirts and encouraging our employees to donate using ELC’s matching program, Good Works.

3. Why should my company get involved?

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women (about 12%) and 1 in 833 men.¹ Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and is increasing, particularly in developing countries where the majority of cases are diagnosed in late stages.² We believe that a key to combatting the disease is raising awareness of breast cancer and helping prevent at-risk behavior. By participating in Tech Day of Pink, you can help raise awareness of this deadly disease by encouraging people to visit their doctors for early detection. This also helps raise money for breast cancer research. By participating in the hackathon, we can brainstorm and build out ideas for raising awareness, prevention, and treatment of breast cancer.

¹Breastcancer.org
²World Health Organization, 2019

4. What is the connection between Tech Day of Pink and The Estée Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Campaign?

Tech Day of Pink was inspired by the efforts of ELC’s Breast Cancer Campaign. You can learn more at www.ELCompanies.com/BreastCancerCampaign.

5. I’m interested in partnering with ELC on a Tech Day of Pink event. How do I go about this? Is there somewhere we should report back on our plans?

Thank you in advance for your interest. Any events and activities should be shared with Tech Day of Pink’s External Engagement team, Glenn Kalokira ([email protected]) and Catherine Nguyen ([email protected]), in order to provide our support if needed and track how Tech Day of Pink has impacted the fight against breast cancer.

6. What has been the impact of Tech Day in Pink to-date and what companies have participated?

Since its inception, our Tech Day of Pink efforts have raised over $150,000. Thousands have participated in our Tech Day of Pink social media awareness program, all thanks to our close partnership and collaboration with our external partners. We have had support from dozens of CIOs and C-suite executives across the globe. Our corporate partners to date include Amazon, ASK, Cognizant, Dell, Info-Tech, Microsoft, MicroStrategy, Salesforce, SAP, TEK Systems, and Wipro. The Estée Lauder Companies continues to challenge the broader tech community to band together and take Tech Day of Pink to new heights, as the combination of technology and increased awareness accelerates research, early detection, and treatment of breast cancer.

7. Who can I contact if I have questions?

Please email the Tech Day of Pink External Engagement team. Glenn Kalokira ([email protected]) and Catherine Nguyen ([email protected]). Glenn and Catherine are happy to get on a call with you to discuss how you would like to participate in Tech Day of Pink and provide any additional support.

#TechInPink2021

#TimeToEndBreastCancer

#ELCdonates

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