Social Responsibility With Heart:
Joining Forces for Good
By Melissa Sheehan

At Nutanix, we proudly uphold our core values, commonly referred to as ‘the four H’s’: Hungry, Humble, Honest, with Heart. These values are more than just words on our desktops and office walls; they are embodied by our global team through our words, actions, and collaborations—within Nutanix and with our customers, partners, and local communities.
We recently spoke with George Davis (he/him), Nutanix’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager to discuss how ‘with Heart’ is exemplified through our .heart program that he leads. We discussed Nutanix’s growing partnership with charity: water–a nonprofit dedicated to providing clean drinking water to communities worldwide–and one of our top causes supported here at Nutanix.
Join us as we explore George’s career journey, the meaning of social impact at Nutanix, the origins of our charity: water investment, our impact so far, and how to get involved.
Please introduce yourself.
“My name is George Davis. My current role is global Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, where I lead our .heart program.”
You’ve had a unique career journey within Nutanix. Can you tell us about your path to your current role?
“Before joining Nutanix, my professional experience was mainly in the nonprofit world where I worked with communities that are often underrepresented and underserved.
I joined Nutanix in 2019 as a member of the Talent Acquisition team. In the years since, I’ve grown into a number of different roles within the company across many areas of our business.
A few months into my time at Nutanix, I met a mentor within the company. She advised me on career development opportunities and encouraged me to apply for an internal role on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging team. I landed the role and enjoyed working with our Nutanix L.I.F.E. groups (employee resource groups).
That role eventually led me to another opportunity within the company that focused on our .heart Corporate Social Responsibility program. I applied and got the role. It was exciting to get back to my roots working with meaningful causes.”
Can you share a bit about your current role?
“I have the best job at Nutanix!
I help employees support causes that are important to them through financial support and volunteerism, while also supporting some amazing nonprofit organizations through our philanthropy efforts. This includes support through grants we write, engaging and informative programming for our employees, and knowing the grant funds support causes that are important to Nutanix as a company.
I oversee the Nutanix Advancing Women in Technology scholarship program focused on increasing the representation of women in technology. To date, the program has awarded over $350K to 70+ computer science and engineering students who have a passion for technology and improving representation within tech.”
How have you grown during your time at Nutanix?
“I’ve grown in so many ways. One that comes to mind is building my public speaking skills. I’ve had the chance to speak at our company town hall meeting, .NEXT conference, and internal employee events for our sales team. I’ve become more comfortable speaking to a large audience and building my personal brand.
The environment at Nutanix is very collaborative. I’m also grateful for exposure to working directly with leadership and our employees around the world.
Finally, I’ve been able to flex my strategic skills in building a social impact strategy that aligns with our company strategy, mission and vision. It’s been a wild, rewarding and challenging journey so far!”
Tell us about the .heart program.
“Nutanix .heart is our social impact program. It was founded in 2016 and supports innovative, mission driven causes that are making a big impact on communities globally.
The program enables our employees and our company to make a positive impact on the world. Our employees give back to causes that are meaningful to them–through volunteering, donations, and taking advantage of our matched giving and paid volunteer time off employee benefits.
Our social impact strategy centers around innovation in education, healthcare and wellness, and climate change. We leverage our brand, products, and resources to foster solutions to complex social problems while also contributing to the growth and prosperity of Nutanix.
Nutanix and our employees support a range of causes, including food insecurity, children’s rights, education and technology inequity, health services, environmental conservation, veterans, and animal welfare to name a few.”
One of our nonprofit partners that we’ve been working with a lot recently is charity: water. Tell us about charity: water and why it’s important for Nutanix to partner with them.
“charity: water is a nonprofit organization that brings clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries. Since 2006, charity: water has funded 152,000+ water projects around the world to help more than 18.4 million people get access to clean water, hygiene, and improved sanitation.
It was an easy decision for Nutanix to partner with charity: water. The work they’re doing closely aligns with our social impact pillars–innovation in health and wellness, education, and climate change. Clean drinking water is a basic human need. By funding sustainable water projects for communities in need, there are a slew of benefits, including making education more accessible to women and children.”

George Davis and Nutanix colleagues at our 2024 .heart Fun Run benefiting charity: water
How did our partnership with charity: water begin?
“We initiated our partnership in 2023. Mike Phelan, our SVP of Field Engineering at Nutanix, championed the cause and made our partnership a reality for the broader company.

In charity: water, we found an opportunity to have a multigenerational impact. Giving back is an expression of our gratitude, and these two things are key to building and maintaining relationships that have a positive impact on society.
In 2023, we hosted giving activities for employees at two internal events–Sales Kick Off and Global Tech Summit (events for our Sales and Technical Sales communities within Nutanix). We introduced employees to charity: water through interactive experiences, and created opportunities for employees to support charity: water through donations and volunteering their time.
For example, we hosted a Water Walk where employees experienced what it's like to carry 40 pounds of water while walking amongst photos of people who are in communities that charity: water serves. It allowed employees to feel and imagine just a small portion of the experience of the communities in need around the world. It was an emotional and impactful experience to connect employees to the cause.”
Why is access to clean water important?
“Over 700 million people in the world live without clean water. The majority live in isolated rural areas and spend hours every day walking to collect water. This keeps kids out of school, takes up precious time that parents could be using to earn money, and sometimes results in people getting sick when the water isn’t clean.
Access to clean water plays a big role in shaping the wellbeing of communities in need, with some common benefits like reducing disease, improving access to food, growing local economies, advancing education for kids, and empowering women.”

George Davis participating at our Water Walk event

Clean drinking water in Rwanda
How do we gauge the impact of our involvement with charity: water?
“charity: water has a unique model where 100% of public donations go directly to funding clean water projects. Their transparent operating model gives us a clear understanding of the impact of our donations.
To date, Nutanix and our employees have collectively donated over $100,000 to charity: water. Together, we’ve funded 9 water projects in Mozambique and Rwanda. This includes rebuilding infrastructure for failing wells as well as new projects. Once completed, the projects will bring clean water to an estimated 2500 people.”
What does the future hold for Nutanix and charity: water?
“Our partnership has grown since we began working with charity: water in 2023. In 2024, we became an ‘official’ charity: water partner after raising $100,000 in donations through a variety of initiatives. In March 2024, we hosted our third charity: water activation for employees–a Fun Run to raise funds for charity: water at an event for Nutanix sales employees.
We’ve got more planned and have lots of good things on the horizon that we’re finalizing to announce in the months ahead. We’re excited about what the future holds.”
Where can people learn more and find out how to get involved?
“Here are some resources to check out:
- Nutanix .heart corporate social responsibility program
- charity: water
- Nutanix and charity: water giving page”
Thank you to George for sharing his story.
Our Nutanix .heart program and our growing partnership with charity: water exemplifies the power of collaboration in driving positive change. Together, through initiatives like these, we are making strides towards a better world for all. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to George, charity: water, and our Nutanix employees for their unwavering dedication to making a difference.


Community members in Rwanda who benefit from access to clean water
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