Selisse FBWelcome to the 2016 Out & Equal Workplace Summit!

I am so proud to be celebrating Out & Equal’s 20th Anniversary with each of you in Orlando this week. We have a fabulous Summit planned for you. This week is bursting with opportunities for learning, empowerment, networking, and visibility.

And while we’re here to celebrate 20 years of workplace equality, we are also here in Orlando to grieve and to heal together after the Pulse tragedy.

This unique moment in history calls for us to hold multiple truths at the same time. We are here to celebrate And we are here to grieve; we are here to plan for the future And we are here to reflect on the past; we are here to build new community And we are here to remember the community we’ve lost.  Out & Equal’s work has long been about the Power of And.

As we join together with nearly 4,000 people from over 35 countries around the world in Orlando, I am reminded that Love Will Always Win. We are witnessing the resilience and love of our community through the hundreds of workshop presenters at this year’s Summit who have donated their time and resources to help us all get better at this work, through our many volunteers who make this week possible, and through the generosity and commitment of our 112 corporate sponsors at this year’s Summit.

Thank you to the Out & Equal Board of Directors, whose dedication has been a light of hope and inspiration for me each year. Thanks to all the Regional Affiliate leaders who expand Out & Equal’s reach into cities and states across the country. Thank you to our talented and fearless staff who have put such care and love into making this Summit come alive. And thank you for being here and for making a difference one workplace and one cubicle at a time!

Welcome to Summit!

Selisse Berry

Founder & CEO