At 1Password, our Jewish 'Bits Employee Community Group exists to create space for Jewish employees and curious allies alike to connect, learn, and show up authentically. For Jewish Heritage Month this May, we wanted to spotlight Nicole Smith, Staff Project Manager and lead of our Jewish 'Bits ECG.

In her four years at 1Password, Nicole has been someone people turn to when the work gets complicated, because she builds trust that makes honest conversations possible. That same instinct to lead with curiosity and create space for real connection shows up across everything she does, from leading complex, cross-functional work to fostering community that enriches how we all experience 1Password together.

We sat down with Nicole to talk about what drives her, the projects she's most proud of, and what she hopes her colleagues take a moment to appreciate in honor of Jewish Heritage Month this year.

As a Staff Project Manager for our CX organization, you're known for bringing clarity to complex, cross-functional work - helping teams stay aligned and move effectively so they can show up for customers. What is it about that kind of work that energizes you?

The people I get to work with every single day are what energize me! Cross-functional work involves navigating a lot of competing priorities and moving pieces, and that complexity can create a lot of noise. My job is to cut through it, not by having all the answers, but by building enough trust with the people around me that we can be honest about what's working and what isn't. 

When people trust you, they tell you the truth, and when you have the truth, you can actually move forward together. When a working group aligns and shifts into driving forward together with purpose, it's powerful. When my colleagues feel supported in the work we’re doing, we show up better for each other, and that ultimately creates the best experience possible for our customers. 

What's a moment or project at 1Password that you're especially proud of - something where you could really see the difference your work made for the team

Our migration from our previous Customer Relationship Management software to implementing a new tool for everyone at 1Password is a project I'm especially proud of. It involved over ten months of deeply cross-functional, complex work, and we went live in March 2026. 

The thing I'm most proud of isn't the go-live itself, but how the team showed up together to get there. There were moments where things could have gone sideways, and what propelled us to the finish line together was trust. Our team was honest about known risks, they flagged problems early, they backed each other up, and that's what winning together looks like when the stakes are high. I know the work we did as a team made a difference for not only our Customer Experience folks, but the customers we interact with on a daily basis. 

You also serve as a mentor in our CX mentorship program. What inspires you to invest in others' growth, and what do you hope the people you mentor feel when they're in your corner?

I've been extremely fortunate to have some incredible managers, mentors, and colleagues in my corner who saw something in me before I saw it in myself. Once you've been on the receiving end of that kind of investment, you feel empowered to pay it forward. When I'm mentoring, I try to be a good listener first, while also being honest. As a mentor, I'm going to tell you what I actually think and ask my mentee the hard questions. I’m going to show up for the moments that don't feel great or might feel like a challenge, because that makes the accomplishments and wins even better to celebrate. I want the people I mentor to leave our conversations trusting and feeling more confident in themselves because they know they have someone who is there to support them.

In addition to your work in CX, you lead our Jewish ‘Bits Employee Community Group. What does that leadership role involve, and how do you approach building a space that feels welcoming both to Jewish employees and to allies who want to learn?

At its core, our Jewish 'Bits Community Group is about connection. We create space for Jewish employees to share culture, identity, and history with one another. That sometimes looks like hosting an educational panel and conversation, a holiday gathering, or starting a Slack thread where someone shares something personal and meaningful. 

We're equally committed to being a space where allies and curious colleagues feel genuinely welcome. Building that kind of trust where people can come with questions and without fear of getting it wrong is something I take seriously. Jewish identity is layered and rich and sometimes complicated, and my approach is to lead with honesty, make room for real conversations, and make it clear that everyone's curiosity is welcome here.

As a leader for the ECG, you've been involved in many meaningful moments - including the opportunity to moderate a conversation with Holocaust survivor Mariette Doduck. How has leading within this community deepened your connection to your Jewish heritage and identity?

In 2025, I moderated a conversation with Mariette Doduck, a Holocaust survivor who has spent decades sharing her testimony, and it was one of the most profound experiences of my professional life. Hearing her story and sitting in that very real, challenging conversation gave me a deep appreciation for the Jewish people who have come before me, and that stays with me. Leading Jewish 'Bits has made me more intentional about what I carry forward as a Jewish person, and about what it means to hold space for others to do the same. My connection to my heritage has deepened in ways I didn't expect, and there's something about being responsible for that space that shifts how you carry your own identity. Jewish Heritage Month honors history, culture, and the richness of Jewish identity. What does this month mean to you personally, and what would you want your colleagues at 1Password to take a moment to appreciate or learn about?

Jewish Heritage Month is a dedicated time to celebrate history, culture, and the richness of Jewish identity. Jewish heritage is at times complex and deeply personal to those who carry it, and this month is a reminder to appreciate the depth of what it holds. 

My invitation to colleagues is to get curious, to ask a question, start a conversation, and lean into what they don't yet know. Jewish identity is not a monolith, it's a tapestry of cultures, histories, languages, and lived experiences, and there is so much to discover. Engage with the community and conversations that Jewish 'Bits created this month, and in the conversations they'll create throughout the rest of the year, and you might be surprised by what resonates, and by what you didn't already know.

– Through her leadership, Nicole demonstrates that fostering genuine trust and leading with honesty are the keys to accomplishing impactful work - from aligning complex working groups and empowering mentees, to cultivating a truly authentic community space.

As we celebrate Jewish Heritage Month, we encourage you to embrace Nicole’s call to action: lead with curiosity, ask questions, and lean into the unfamiliar. Jewish heritage remains a rich collection of diverse cultures and shared histories, and there is no better moment than now to explore it.

Want to learn more about life at 1Password and our people and culture? Explore our careers page. https://1password.com/careers