& We Rise. Together. Forward. Now.

& We Rise.
Together. Forward. Now.

Now is the moment to innovate and reinvigorate our commitments and work. The unique challenges – and opportunities – in front of us compel us to throw out our old playbooks of workplace belonging and inclusion.

It’s time to adapt, now.

For thirty years, Out & Equal has convened thousands of global changemakers, working at hundreds of the world’s leading businesses to effect smart, business-driven change. Every time our vast global community is tested, we emerge stronger, full stop.

We dig deep in our own resolve, we fortify our resilience in community, and we get strategic. Summit is our flagship event, but our work supporting hundreds of businesses is year-round.

This year, we are thrilled to launch a new, comprehensive approach to supporting our Partner organizations and the millions of employees within them, to grow and reap the rewards of their business of belonging.

Current Landscape: Unique Challenges, Emerging Opportunities

In the decades of business momentum to create inclusive workplaces, public policy initiatives have never presented the roadblocks that have emerged over the last year. Historic moves to sanction and limit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the private sector hit fast and hard.

Vague language in executive orders coupled with threats of investigations sent some organizations to make the mistake of “pre-compliance,” a risky endeavor of implementing changes to longstanding inclusion initiatives in the absence of actual regulations and even as the courts halt the encroachment of government regulations on normal business activities. A network of online activists claim victory over several businesses’ run-of-the-mill changes to inclusion language and infrastructure. Fact patterns point to long-running cycles of evolution in the field – having nothing to do with outside agitators – and further, no major policies have been rolled back across major businesses. But the noise in the system has been loud.

Couple these dynamics with geo-political upheaval and economic uncertainty and we are faced with a multitude of new challenges.

Not even one of these challenges has changed the fundamental, time-tested truth that inclusion and belonging is not just good for business, it’s essential for growth and durability. Those businesses that embrace the opportunities in this space today, will be set up for nimbleness and growth tomorrow.

Market Norms

The majority of Fortune 500-ranked businesses have LGBTQ+ inclusion built into their broader talent strategies, with a majority having non-discrimination policies, equal benefits, and support of employee resource groups.
Any business not onboard with these basics, is lagging competitors and a landscape that is overall trending towards equality for the LGBTQ+ community.

Next Gen Workforce

Gen Z will make up 1-in-3 workers by 2030. This is the most LGBTQ+-identified generation ever as measured by general surveys, with approximately 1-in-5 identifying as LGBTQ+.
A majority of Gen Zers (86%) are more likely to stay at a company that supports inclusion, with 61% of Gen Z say they would never apply to an employer that doesn’t support inclusion.

Consumer Market and Performance

LGBTQ+ market power is real: Merrill Lynch highlights $1.4 trillion in U.S. LGBTQ+ consumer spending.
Risks of Retreat, research from Summit mainstage speaker Kenji Yoshino, The Meltzer Center, and Catalyst spotlights:
- 77% of C-suite leaders link DEI to improved financial performance, while 81% associate it with stronger customer loyalty.
- 69% of consumers are more likely to buy from companies that actively support DEI, rising to 78% among Gen Z and 74% among women.
- One in three respondents report they’d stop buying from companies that reduce or eliminate DEI efforts.

Global Changes in LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Allyship

From Tokyo to Bangalore to Mexico City, the world’s interconnected consumer and talent markets are all gravitating to LGBTQ+ inclusion as a fundamental part of doing business.
Legal progress across most geo-political spheres means more LGBTQ+ people fully engaged in their communities and workplaces – along with their friends, colleagues, family, and others, allies.

Framework for Durable Change and Innovation

Every business we support is like a house, needing to be built to code and to weather the elements. And what makes concrete and wood a home? The culture work of inhouse belonging. Further still, a home is never in isolation but is part of a broader community.

Every Out & Equal Partner benefits from our ability to support them with specific verticals for every major stakeholder group, role, and need, from structure and strategy to culture work to global adaptation.

Law, Policy & Research

Curated for executives, senior leaders, and experts, this vertical supports businesses’ structure and enterprise-wide strategy, with a new focus on the intersection of business and public policy. Like a planner, our experts identify the tried-and-true materials for durability; needed changes for codes and regulations; forecasting potential challenges (erosion, etc.); and, ongoing inspections of strength and stress tests.

Learning & Development

Engaging educational experiences bring individual contributors, leaders, and executives together to develop the skills and insights to build cultures of belonging, transforming a simple structure into a welcoming home in which an increasingly diverse workforce is equipped to thrive.

Global Impact

Reaching a cross-section of roles within multinational and regional businesses, our Global Impact vertical supports ecessary dialogue and learning the needs of your global business neighbors, getting tips and advice; and, mutual support on best practices and innovation.

Meeting the Moment: Your Guide in the Partner Hub

Beginning in 2026, all of our global Partners will now have year-round access to our Partner Hub and Suites of Support. These Suites offer informed, usable guidance for every stakeholder group in your organization, from executives grappling with public policy shifts to ERG members and individual team leaders wanting to better their skills and knowledge for impact.

Suites of Support

Public Policy X Business Strategy
Inclusion 2.0
ERGs Ready for Impact
Next-Gen Readiness
People/Leadership
Global Markets and Talent

Every suite includes on-demand learning resources, thought leadership and real time news analysis, in-person and virtual live convenings with peers and experts, and cutting-edge research. In addition, you can add Advisory Services, tailored learning, and more to your annual partnership. The Out & Equal Programs team includes leading experts in the field with decades of success partnering with businesses. Our thousands of global workplaces are made for this moment. Out & Equal will be with you every step of the journey.