Whether she’s leading her team at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota or seeking to build bridges of understanding between Asian Indians and other community groups, Nash Shaikh says she looks to her own diverse background in order to inspire change in our communities.

“My background has helped me immensely,” says Nash, a manager in human resources systems and operations at Blue Cross. “It has taught me how to be bold and humble, outspoken and empathetic, and to be competitive yet knowing how to face failure.”

In addition to her six years at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Nash has also held several leadership roles with the India Association of Minnesota (IAM). She currently serves as the organization’s president. We recently sat down with Nash to hear more about her background and her passion for inspiring change.

Background, commitment to diversity strengthens leadership

Nash credits her cultural background, years of experience in human resources and her family for driving her to find new ways to be better and grow. A leader in diversity and inclusion, Nash has received many honors, including an award for her work empowering women in the Indian community.

Leading change within both Blue Cross and throughout Minnesota, Nash says she looks to support and empower the diverse communities she is part of by enhancing, learning, valuing and celebrating everyone and our differences. She looks to be a source of inspiration for generations to come. Nash firmly believes and advocates in not just diversity, equity and inclusion but also creating a sense of belonging for all.

“If diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance and belonging is dancing with them,” says Nash.

Inspiring change at Blue Cross & India Association of Minnesota

“I was drawn to join IAM because it serves the community,” says Nash. “Being a part of its growth by representing it at multiple platforms, events and opportunities motivates me to continue to work to build a strong and cohesive community of Asian Indians in the state of Minnesota.”

Nash says she loves the work she does at Blue Cross and IAM because both have a strong focus on community and culture. At Blue Cross, Nash uses her Volunteer Paid Time Off to give back to the community, chairs the Asian Circle Associate Resource Group, which works to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and integrates diversity, equity and inclusion into all HR systems and operations. At IAM, she works to promote cultural understanding and heritage, and provides a charitable hand to causes in Minnesota and in India.

Connecting her work life to her nonprofit roles has also been successful for Nash. Through thoughtful relationships and continued support, she has managed to get Blue Cross representation at events like Connect India, Connect Asia, IndiaFest and more.

Nash highly recommends everyone join an organization outside of their regular work to see how they can contribute to helping improve the lives of others. Of course, she encourages everyone to consider joining or supporting India Association of Minnesota.

“Being a leader in the community is a huge commitment and will require time away from family and friends,” says Nash. “But when you firmly believe in what you do and how you can impact the lives of those around you, you become a better person, leader and member of the community.”

Blue Cross values diversity, equity and inclusion

As a workplace, Blue Cross has dedicated significant time and resources to advance equity in the workplace. In 2019, several policies and practices were updated to better recognize diversity and support inclusion. Some of these changes included:

• Observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a company-designated holiday;
• Enhancing bereavement policy to broaden the scope to include those significant people in our associates’ lives and increasing time off to respect cultural customs;
• Establishing prayer/meditation rooms conveniently located on the Blue Cross campus;
• Introducing a Parental Leave policy so all new parents can take time away from work to bond with their newest family member(s); and
• Adding domestic partner coverage to medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage.

Changes like these have helped foster a culture of inclusion and belonging at Blue Cross, where everyone is encouraged to share their thoughts and know they are valued. In a recent annual workplace survey, Blue Cross associates recognized a commitment to diversity as one of its top strengths as an organization.

Nash has been given a platform to share her thoughts on how to improve our internal HR processes, as well as planting the seed for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion council at Blue Cross, which garnered overwhelming support from Angel Uddin, director of diversity & inclusion, and from Dr. Craig Samitt, president and CEO.

“I feel very appreciated at Blue Cross and motivated to bring my ideas forward,” says Nash.