There are three sessions on Tuesday. Click on a session to view the workshops in each.
SESSION 1: 9:00 – 10:00 AM
SESSION 2: 1:30 – 3 PM
SESSION 3: 3:30 – 5 PM
SESSION 1 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Transmen and Transmasculine Employees: Having your Voices Heard | Track: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming
Transmen from various professions, generations and stages in their transitions share their experiences of being out and transitioning in the workplace from their unique point of view. They will try to answer the question “Where are all the Transmen?” by discussing the risks and challenges of being out vs going “stealth”, finding their champions at work and what the future looks like from their vantage point.
Speakers: Sam Slate (Dell), Alexander Hastings (US Army), Erik Chen (George Washington University), Cyrus Golestan (Trans in the Wild), Alex Dropp (Bank of America)
Beyond HQ – Fostering Corporate LGBTQ+ Culture to Satellite Locations | Track: General
The journey to workplace inclusion has been long but successful for many companies. Corporate offices have gender-neutral bathrooms and proudly march in Pride. But auxiliary locations do not enjoy the same strides. Factors like local culture, lack of resources or misunderstanding by onsite leaders, hold back satellite locations from implementing the inclusive culture enjoyed by co-workers at headquarters.
In this engaging session, you will hear stories from companies mastering this challenge. Panelists include Wil Lewis, D&I Executive, Bank of America; Kevin Bleye, Procter & Gamble Senior Supply Chain Leader and GABLE Global Affinity Team Leader; and Rae Stuart, Site Diversity Focal / Boeing – Heath, Ohio. They will share hurdles, best practices and strategies for effectively establishing, fostering and advancing inclusive cultures at auxiliary facilities. The panel is moderated by Ash Beckham.
Speakers: Ash Beckham (Ash Beckham), Wil Lewis (Bank of America), Pamela (Rae) Stuart (The Boeing Company), Kevin Bleyle (Proctor and Gamble)
HP presents a Search Inside Yourself (SIY) workshop facilitated by Craig Souza, Certified Teacher™ with the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI). | Track: General
Born at Google and now taught worldwide, SIY is based on neuroscience and teaches mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills that lead to sustained peak performance, strong collaboration and effective leadership. SIY’s focus on empathy and leading with compassion supports inclusion while also increasing self-awareness, communication and resilience to help create positive emotional and mental states and a strong, inspiring leadership presence. The workshop focuses on mindfulness (being present), self-awareness (understanding thoughts, emotions and habits), and empathy (awareness of others). The skills you’ll learn will help you:
● Enhance well-being, resilience and stress management.
● Improve performance, collaboration and empathy.
● Increase effectiveness and decision-making capacity.
● Cultivate innovative, creative thinking.
Speakers: Craig Souza (HP)
Inclusivity through Allyship & Intersectionality | Tracks: Intersectionality; Allies
Fostering Inclusivity at work is paramount to creating an environment that attracts top talent and drives better results. Creating an inclusive culture is a constant evolution, a result of countless decisions we all make each day. This dialogue among leading LGBTQ+ Rights groups and experienced leaders will explore ways that we can all better support an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace leveraging intersectionality and allyship for LGBTQ+ people and Allies to best work together and support each other.
Speakers: Barak Ir (Capital One), Kaleen Love (Capital One), Justin Nelson (National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce), Carlos Uriarte (Capital One), Ben Needham (Human Rights Campaign)
Channels of Influence: Global Corporate Advocacy | Tracks: Global; Corporate-Community Partnerships
Companies are increasingly under pressure from activists, employees and consumers to act in the public sphere to advance LGBT+ rights where they operate. In response, there are a growing number of examples of corporate advocacy. However, often companies don’t know the best course of action to take, especially in challenging countries.
This session will explore the new Channels of Influence Framework, produced by Open For Business and the UN. The framework identifies five Channels that companies can use to promote LGBT+ inclusive societies, in a responsible and effect way. You’ll hear how companies are doing this in challenging markets, such as East Africa and Southeast Asia, and how the framework can be implemented in your company.
Speakers: Drew Keller (Open For Business), Kwendo Joshua (SAP), Fabrice C Houdart (United Nations), CJ Lin (Brunswick Group)
Your Authentic Self-A DIY way to Engage Remote Employees | Track: General
Challenged with trying to reach a nationwide audience on a shoestring budget? Trying to engage individuals who are many different places on the spectrum of support? Not sure where to start? We had the same problem. Come hear how we developed, marketed and distributed a simple, sharable, powerful tool to address this and how you can replicate this at your organization.
Speakers: Jacob Clark (Altria), Julia Marshel (Altria)
ERGs – Starting Up and Expanding Out | Tracks: ERG / BRG; Global
Pride@SAP is seeing tremendous growth throughout North America. The current co-leads deliberate and methodical in working with colleagues around growth at local offices, providing concentration on local issues while aligning with global goals. This chapter development allows the entire North American region to work as a well-oiled, connected machine. This session emphasizes ways to scale growth in order to meet the needs of various stakeholders including the global D&I officers, regional office needs, and individual colleagues. We’ll share best practices developed in starting a new chapters, emphasizing the importance of protecting the unique personality and localization needs of each region. A start-up toolkit will be shared with the attendees.
Speakers: Chad Minnick (SAP Concur), Rachel Ho (SAP), David Horwitz (SAP)
Measuring Success: LGBTQ Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace | Tracks: Talent Acquisition and Retention; Professional Development & Executive Leadership
Many diversity initiatives track recruitment, retention, promotion, and distribution metrics across the organization. For LGBTQ employees, this may be a challenge from both a process and a system perspective. Are there processes in place to allow LGBTQ employees to self-identify in confidence? Does this put the organization or the employee at risk? How are the costs to implement justified (what is the business case)? Do HR systems allow for tracking LGBTQ identification in parallel to other diversity classifications (intersectionality)? This panel discussion will focus on current best practices and challenges that panel members have faced with respect to tracking LGBTQ employees with the goal of enabling positive diversity and inclusion results.
Speakers: Philip Layton (Exelon), Beck Bailey (Human Rights Campaign)
Lights! Camera! Inclusion… | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; Leveraging Narratives
Being truly authentic and showing vulnerability can often be risky in the workplace. Aetna employees are doing just that with the company‚ Our Story video series. First launched in 2018 by featuring coming out stories from PRIDE ERG members, the series has expanded to feature various dimensions of diversity and has become one of the highest viewed and most positively commented on communications in our 165-year company history. It’s all about sharing who we are as individuals to recognize our collective community and embracing the realness in all of us.
Join us in this highly interactive session as we share Our Story and gain ideas of how you can make your own story of intersectionality within your organization.
Speakers: Matt Keys (Aetna), Jenn Un (Aetna)
Thank you for being a friend: Leveraging connections with other ERGs to promote equality | Tracks: ERG / BRG; Allies
When ERGs work together, they forge stronger ties between individuals that can benefit the larger organization and the community. This panel discussion will cover strategies and tactics for ERGs partnering to achieve business impact, offer comfort in times of tragedy, serve the community and build closer social ties.
Speakers: Paul von Wupperfeld (Texas Instruments), Eric Hackett (Texas Instruments), Amna Hasnain (Texas Instruments), Norma Jasson (Texas Instruments), Lou Salazar (Texas Instruments)
Struggling with inclusion program planning? Consider a well-being framework | Track: ERG / BRG
Searching for a strategy to boost your BRG/ERG and inclusion program lineup and planning? Do your programs help colleagues achieve their full potential? Does your programming support your company‚ goals for improving employee’s quality of life? Consider a multi-dimensional and holistic approach based on well-being dimensions. In this interactive session, we examine program planning approaches that address the whole person. Participants will leave the session with a framework to plan programs by including well-being dimensions: physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual and occupational. During the session, we will also share examples of our experience planning programs that support employee quality of life.
Speakers: Jeff Strater (Deloitte), Jared Greco (Deloitte), Ben Vera (Deloitte), Austin Endo (Deloitte)
Leading from the Bottom Up as Young, Queer Professionals | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; ERG / BRG
Join our empowering and interactive workshop as we discuss how to drive inclusion within an organization by leading from the bottom up! Our presenters will speak to their own experience in forming highly successful LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group chapters from low in the corporate totem pole. This workshop will dive into an interactive discussion where the audience will work together to come up with a playbook of strategies to champion LGBTQIA+ inclusion and successfully start their own ERG for LGBTQIA+ individuals in a corporate environment.
Speakers: Tilden Chima (Oracle), Pat Duplessis (Oracle), Justin Mark Kilner (Oracle), Jenna Ruth Barrett (Oracle), Lindsay Alexa Sergi (Oracle)
Supreme Review: Expectations Of Supreme Court’s Hearing Key LGBT Cases | Track: Law & Public Policy
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear three LGBT workplace discrimination cases during its term starting October 2019. Through these three cases, the Court will address the questions of whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination (i) against transgender individuals due to their transgender status or as sex-stereotyping and/or (ii) because of an individual’s sexual orientation. During this panel discussion, attorneys who practice in the area of LGBTQ+ discrimination will talk about the background and circumstances leading to the Supreme Court’s review of these critical cases, what we expect to see with that review, and the practical impact of these cases.
Speakers: Ryan Derry (Paul Hastings), Adam Romero (Williams Institute), Andrew Flores (American University)
Scrummy D&I: Using Agile Principles to Drive Diversity & Inclusion | Tracks: ERG / BRG; Professional Development & Executive Leadership
Agile software development, invented in the 1990’s and defined the by “Manifesto for Agile Software Development” in 2001, is now the method by which modern software development is accomplished. Many of the tenants of Agile can be utilized outside of the software development field. Jen Henderson, Senior Vice President of Data for Corporate and Institutional Banking at PNC Bank, describes and illustrates how Agile principles such as “Satisfying customers through early and continuous delivery of valuable work”, “Recognizing that the best work emerges from self-organized teams” and “Harnessing change for a competitive advantage” can be utilized to achieve excellence in your HR initiatives and ERG/BRG groups to reach D&I goals.
Speakers: Jennifer Henderson (PNC Bank)
Dare to be Yourself! | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Transgender & Gender Nonconforming
Dare to be yourself. Is it BRAVERY? Or Is it Clarity of VISION?
When a person makes a decision to be their true authentic self. You naturally go through a periods of questioning ourselves, huge levels of self reflection and ultimately strong decision making.
But what is is that gets you to arrive at that decision. Many post the announcement capturing this as “Bravery” But is it truly this? Is it truly a brave thing to do? Is it truly something one should be scared of? Or is it simply clarity of vision?
What are the things that get you to arrive at this decision! Where the word “Bravery” is no longer visible to you. Tips and tricks to successful transition.
Speakers: Charley Woodward (Vmware, Inc. and VMware)
Political Diversity and Intersectionality In LGBT Communities: Advancing LGBT Acceptance! | Tracks: Intersectionality; Allies
When we think of the public image of the LGBT community, it often is most associated with one end of the political spectrum. However, those of us who are LGBT come from all walks of life, and consequently from all across the political spectrum. Also, our family and friends are from all across the political spectrum. One way we limit ourselves is by ignoring a large swath of the population by pre-judging their support for their friends, spouses, children, and other family members. We can counter this and advance LGBT acceptance in areas where we never would have imagined.
Speakers: Kendra M. Williams (Northrop Grumman), Gary Wojcik (Northrop Grumman), Matthew McCary (Northrop Grumman), Rebekah Noyes (Northrop Grumman)
SESSION 2 | 1:30 – 3 PM
Progressing LGBT+ Inclusion Globally, Practical Steps and Organizational Collaboration | Tracks: Global; Workplace Policies & Benefits
Research noted three models for LGBT+ inclusion: When in Rome, Embassy and Advocacy. Join us for new research led by NYU Kenji Yoshino, EY, Microsoft and Dow that provides insights and case studies from around the globe on how organizations can take practical steps to move from one model to the next. Leveraging the UN Standards on LGBTI equality and the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality, effort focused on LGBTI social/economic inclusion working in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, we will showcase global collaboration of the business sector alongside civil society organizations. Learn how to join us in collectively using the research and our collaboration to implement inclusive practices and advocate for LGBTI equality, wherever our people are working.
Speakers: Chris Crespo (EY), Dan Bross (Partnership for LGBTI Equality), Beth Brooke-Marciniak (EY), Jason Walkerden (Microsoft)
The Cost of Non-Inclusion‚ How to Boost your Business with a Strong Ally Program | Track: Allies
Building a robust Ally program can be hard work and requires engagement at all levels in your organization. The commitment to foster a safe and inclusive environment for LGBT+ teammates starts at the top. Join Bank of America for a dynamic session exploring not only the internal benefits of our Ally Program, including attracting and retaining LGBT+ talent, but also external business practices among clients and third parties. We will share ideas about how to leverage training, technology, gamification, and leadership buy-in to activate and engage every Ally and Out at Work (OAW) employee at your organization. Join us to hear tips and best practices to help you build and grow an impactful and successful Ally Program for your employees.
Speakers: Kristian Wedolowski (Bank of America), Zeina Barkawi (Bank of America)
Stepping Out on Faith: The Empathy Project | Tracks: Advanced ERG / BRG; Intersectionality
LGBTQ+ and faith-based groups often are pitted against each other in contemporary political and social narratives. This bleeds into the workplace in a variety of ways in that faith is used as a point of departure both in a religious and secular sense. Target Pride+ ERG, in partnership with its faith-based employee networks, have found that developing and fostering a culture of empathy creates opportunities to develop space to engage in conversations that connect unlikely constituencies.
During this session, members of Target Pride+ ERG will share their learnings and strategies which guides their plan to create programming that not only recognizes where dimensions of differences exists, but celebrates where intersection occurs and contributes to a safe, nurturing and inclusive culture
Speakers: Alexis Kantor (Target)
Just the Way You Are @ Work Intersectionality 101 | Tracks: Intersectionality; ERG / BRG
Struggling with programming about Intersectionality in you organization? This session will prepare you to create and run learning sessions. Participants will walk away with a Program in a Box to be customized to their company culture.
Speakers: Alison Shea (State Street)
13th LGBTQ Community Survey: Key Findings, Marketing Insights and Outreach | Track: LGBTQ Marketing
CMI’s LGBTQ Community Survey is the longest-running (13 years), largest (45,000+ participants), most representative (150+ countries) and diverse (LGBTQ+) study of its kind. Gain practical insights about the demographics, purchases, interests and motivations of the community, across the spectrum of LGBTQ demographics.
Speakers: Thomas Roth (Community Marketing & Insights), David Paisley (Community Marketing & Insights)
Where My People Go? Addressing Mental Health and Workplace Productivity | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; Intersectionality
Mental health challenges affect over 300 million people and is the #1 disability in the world. In this interactive workshop, we will talk through the impact of this invisible epidemic on workplace productivity and empower you with a framework to raise awareness and support those experiencing mental health challenges.
Speakers: Clif Mathews (Deloitte), Chris Lombardi (Four Winds Interactive)
Taking A Stand on Transgender Issues | Tracks: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming; Corporate-Community Partnerships
More companies are speaking out now on ethics and values issues that could make their customers uncomfortable. The statements companies make are under the microscope every move generating angst from one consumer segment and praise from another. Learn about the most pressing issues facing transgender people and how your brand can authentically engage and support our community.
From Ben & Jerry founders arrest at the U.S. Capitol and support of YesOn3 in Massachusetts to Lush Cosmetic definitive support for trans rights in every store in North America, join a frank conversation with those on the front lines engaging around these issues. Panelists will speak about transgender rights unpacking their greatest moments of success and what they learned along the way.
Speakers: Mara Keisling (National Center for Transgender Equality), Carleen Pickard (Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics), Chris Miller (Ben & Jerry’s)
Are All Travelers Created Equal? LGBTQ Employee Travels | Tracks: Workplace Policies & Benefits; Global
The ever changing global landscape including varying laws and shifting social attitudes present security, health and emotional implications for business travelers. Not all travel is created equal – these risks can be more pronounced based on different traveler profiles. This panel will take a look at how LGBTQ travel has evolved, key risks and mitigation steps, and discuss what organizations can do to support your LGBTQ workforce today and moving forward. You will learn what leading companies are doing to foster inclusion within travel policies, understand available resources and guidelines and obtain actionable takeaways to incorporate into your workplace.
Speakers: Erika Weisbrod (International SOS), Cheryl Lander (Oracle), Jack Suwanlert (Marriott), Francine Crisostomo (Visa)
Intersectionality – Parenting Kids while Climbing Corporate Ladders | Tracks: Intersectionality; Professional Development & Executive Leadership
This workshop will focus on corporate perspectives on building and raising families while advocating for yourself in a corporate setting and leveraging employer resources. Presenters will explore their unique experiences and corporate cultures. They will share benefits, strategies and employee resource group tools that help to maintain progress in their careers while prioritizing their families. Five unique journies to family creation, 3 corporate cultures and 4 geographical experiences will be shared. Participants will take questions and provide insights in the unique experience and intersectionality of parenting.
Speakers: Adriana Platt (Intel), Brad Buland (Intel), Michael DeAngelis (Intel), Kimberley Messer (IBM), Lindsay Cofield-Solie (J.P. Morgan Chase), Alison Fink (Chase)
Translating BRG Leadership Experience to Career Aspirations | Tracks: Professional Development & Executive Leadership; Advanced ERG / BRG
Increasingly companies recognize the value that Business Resource Groups provide to their employees, the business, customers, and communities. While this business value has been realized through impacts across the employee life-cycle (attracting and recruiting talent, professional development, engagement, and retention), product development and innovation, customer service and marketing, and corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, often BRG leaders struggle with how to translate their BRG leadership into their own career and professional development, aspirations, and specifically, their resume. During this session, BRG leaders will share their experiences and effective practices for leveraging BRG leadership and learnings to successfully propel a career.
Speakers: Luzerne McAllister (Pepsico), Adam Bernard (General Motors), Victoria Redd (Genworth), John LaVeck (Wells Fargo), Tamara L Peterson (Wells Fargo)
The Power of Visibility and How It Connects to Belonging | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Belonging & Culture
How do you know you belong? It starts with seeing others who look like you in spaces that are familiar to you. When we know belong we can bring our authentic selves and muster the courage to be vulnerable and share our story which enables others to know they belong too. In this workshop we will explore best practices for sharing your story in the workplace in a safe, respectful and authentic way that promotes belonging.
Speakers: Kate Fisher (Oracle), Sam Slate (Dell)
Taking Back Control: Tools for Effectively Navigating LGBTQ+/Religious Identities | Tracks: Intersectionality; Allies
The intersection of religion with sexual orientation and gender identity/expression is often a place of conflict and hurt for many LGBTQ+ people and allies. The assumption that the confluence of identities will always end up in conflict often drives interactions and assumptions, although evidence shows significant growth in acceptance from many people of faith. In this session, we look at experience vs. change trends to understand where opportunity for connection lies, discuss strategies for workplace efforts focused on building connections to people of faith, and share powerful skills for navigating conflict when it happens. Participants will apply these skills to real-world scenarios to develop and sharpen their ability to connect, transform, and build acceptance at work.
Speakers: Leslie Funk (Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding), Jean-Marie Navetta (PFLAG National / Straight for Equality)
Battle for Diversity: Why You Don’t Have (Enough) LGBTQ+ Talent | Track: Talent Acquisition & Retention
Workshop on strategies and good practices to attract and retain more diverse talent into your teams/company, focusing on invisible characteristics like gender and sexual orientation, and how to turn other departments into helpful allies to promote diversity. We’ll try to answer questions like:
- Are quotas for hiring (e.g. for gender) good to diversify your people?
- Are you/your company focusing your efforts and resources properly? (what’s the value and engagement of the activities you’ve done so far?)
- Are you attracting more diversity or just keeping what you have already? Are you actually keeping it?
- Does management at your company really know how to cater diversity?
- How do people inside/outside your company really perceive your company as a diverse and safe space?
Speakers: Sergio Diaz Jubera (Oracle), Sara Castelo Ruesgas (Oracle)
The Generational Wisdom Exchange | Tracks: Intersectionality; Belonging & Culture
The Generational Exchange is an hands-on workshop that explores commonalities between people across different LGBTQA+ generations. This session begins by understanding broad themes that each generation identifies with in the LGBTQA+ space, and through an interactive game of sorting examines how common issues in todays world affects all of us, regardless of when we were born and raised.
Speakers: Isabelle Garcia (Qualcomm) David Whittaker (Qualcomm Technologies Inc.), Noreen Kinsler (Qualcomm)
The Art of Inclusive Leadership | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; Allies
Nearly anyone can be a good leader. But can you be extraordinary?
In this session, learn how to master the Art of Inclusive Leadership. By turning the lens inward first, we can fully explore our own unconscious biases and exclusionary practices. Our ability to personify the inclusion we are striving for is critical to our personal success and the success of our companies. Only then can we truly lead.
In this entertaining and provocative talk, Ash will explore the Pillars of Inclusive Leadership. With wildly funny and poignant stories, and a tough yet deeply compassionate stance, Ash elevates her audience beyond empathy into the realm of personal discovery, and challenges every listener to take personal responsibility for creating a much bigger societal shift.
Speakers: Ash Beckham (Ash Beckham)
Safety and Security for LGBTQI Employees in the Global Context | Tracks: Global; Advanced ERG / BRG
Safety is of the most importance for staff in global enterprises. This is especially true for LGBTQI professionals who frequently work in environments where their sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity places them at risk of being victims of harassment, violence, and even imprisonment. Corporate pre-travel security information tends to focus on risks associated to heterosexual and cisgender folks, inadvertently ignoring the risks for of individuals with marginalized profiles. Join us as we explore the challenges that queer people face overseas as they navigate their intersectional identities in high risk environments, while learning more about how ERGs can partner with their corporate security management teams to create inclusive resources and support.
Speakers: Adrian Gonzalez (Chemonics International), Poulami Banerji (Chemonics International), James Legerme (Chemonics International), Christina Johnson (Chemonics International)
Strength in Numbers: Using Predictive Analytics to Advance Equity, Diversity & Inclusion | Talent Acquisition & Retention; Workplace Policies & Benefits
While organizations invest a plethora of resources into D&I initiatives, few companies successfully measure their effectiveness and progress over time. This session will provide an overview of ways organizations can leverage data and predictive analytics to optimize their D&I efforts – from collecting data through engagement surveys and self-identification, to identifying areas for improvement in the employee lifecycle (e.g., recruitment, retention, promotions, etc.), and developing strategies with an intersectional lens. Specifically, we will delve into case study results that explore differences across demographics of interest including gender identity, sexual orientation, and race.
Speakers: Mohammad Abdul-Rahim (Marsh & McLennan and Mercer), Michelle Corman, Ph.D. (Mercer)
People of Color Roundtable (Closed) [Closed to media]| Track: Intersectionality
This roundtable will provide a space for POC attendees at Summit to discuss the specific challenges they face in the workplace. This session is open only to those who self-identify as people of color.
SESSION 3 | 3:30 – 5 PM
LGBTQ Rights: From Stonewall to the Equality Act | Track: General
The 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall uprising is a benchmark that has given the LGBTQ movement a moment to reflect on the achievements of the past, but has put emphasis on the long road ahead. There is still widespread discrimination, exclusion and ignorance when it comes to the perceptions surrounding gender identity. We will examine parallels to the civil rights movement as a means to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Our panelists will dissect issues and attitudes that form public opinion showing a favorable appetite toward LGBTQ equality. Following the panel, NBC News and MSNBC will sponsor a networking reception for attendees to trade ideas and information to assist each other on the path to LGBTQ recognition.
Speakers: Yvette Miley (Comcast NBCUniversal), Brooke Sopelsa (Comcast NBCUniversal), Peter Williams (NBC News and MSNBC), Kendis Gibson (NBC News and MSNBC)
What Would You Do? Advanced Ally Responses to Tough Scenarios | Tracks: Allies; Belonging & Culture
Research shows that while overwhelming majorities of people in the US identify as allies, many have never taken action to demonstrate their support for their LGBTQ+ colleagues, family members, or friends. And while the best allies around know that important to model the behavior they hope to see in others, sometimes even the most dedicated ally can run in to situations where they’re not sure how to react or what to do. Learn how to lead with confidence, compassion, and style in this interactive, scenario based, learning session focused on how to build your advanced ally skills and be a powerful changemaker.
Speakers: Jamie Henkel (PFLAG National), Brian K Bond (PFLAG National)
eBRGs Making an Impact Outside the Firm | Tracks: Advanced ERG / BRG; Law & Public Policy
This panel discussion will explore three stories in which a corporation eBRG has played a lead role in influencing the business and the external marketplace. Specifically, a facilitated discussion between Freddie Mac, Zillow Group, and Under Armour will highlight examples where eBRGs can build strategic partnerships internally, understand the external market, and lead positive change that promotes LGBTQI+ inclusion. Attendees will leave with ideas and lessons that can be applied in their own organizations.
Speakers: Angie Wilen (Freddie Mac), Barry Parsons (Freddie Mac), Chris Mielke (Zillow Group), Perry Williams (Under Armour)
Checking the White Box | Tracks: Intersectionality; Belonging & Culture
Do you feel guilty for being White in spaces of diversity and inclusion or leading an ERG? In this workshop we’ll have an honest dialogue about what it means to be a white LGBTQ person leading an ERG. Let’s talk about moving past guilt and into action!
Speakers: Jamie Fujinaka (Allstate), Shamaill Ross (Allstate), Tami Gorodetzer (Allstate)
Queer Culture Project: Six LGBTQ Trends & Why They Matter | Tracks: LGBTQ Marketing; Bisexual+ / Queer
Target 10’s Queer Culture Project illuminates six key trends within the social and political zeitgeist of the LGBTQ community influencing the general market. These trends are explored in a presentation brought to life with examples from media, news, and pop culture, and identifies some of the influencers driving these conversations. Expert discussion and Q&A will follow.
Speakers: Matt Wagner (Target 10), Matt Tumminello (Target 10), Ana Ceppi (NBCU), Ari Ceppi
Leveraging Intersectionality to Enhance LGBTQ Inclusion | Tracks: Intersectionality; Allies
At HP, we are reinventing the standard for diversity and inclusion. We strive to be innovative and find new ways to increase engagement in our Pride employee network and for LGBTQ inclusion overall. Join us for a short presentation and lively panel discussion on ways to Leverage Intersectionality to Enhance LGBTQ Inclusion. A panel of experienced leaders (HP and non-HP) will share their insights, experiences and wisdom about intersectional strategies, initiatives, and the structures necessary to drive a truly inclusive work environment. You will leave with concrete examples of programs and practices that make a difference for LGBTQ engagement and inclusion, including executive buy in, increasing support and membership in Pride employee networks, and more.
Speakers: Lesley Slaton Brown (HP), Mike Jordan (HP), Ash Beckham (Ash Beckham)
Implementing and Leveraging Self- ID in a Changing World | Tracks: Talent Acquisition & Retention; Global
Join EY and Johnson & Johnson to explore the power LGBT+ self-identification (self ID) can have as a method for driving change. Using best practice examples from the US and abroad, it will provide insight into not just the impact and benefits LGBT+ self ID can have, but also the practical approaches to and challenges of introducing LGBT+ self ID in the current climate. We will explore ways to self-ID, wording of questions, access to information, use of data and examples for overcoming challenges. Bring your challenges for an interactive discussion about breaking down barriers and getting LGBT+ counted.
Speakers: Chris Crespo (EY), Jeanne Bennett (Johnson & Johnson, Nick Cernese (EY)
AARP is an Ally: Research on The Unique Needs and Experiences of Older LGBT People | Track: General
AARP will introduce research focusing on work and retirement issues faced by older LGBT residents from the 2017 Staying Ahead of the Curve Survey of Adults Age 45 and Older. The presentation will provide an in-depth look at LGBT workers ages 45-74, their reasons for working, perceived job security, differential treatment received because of age, their ideal work scenario, and the challenges they face including retirement. Differences by race/ethnicity, education, age and income will be explored. The presentation will also provide participants with a glimpse of additional research on older LGBT that AARP is currently conducting as well as how AARP is advocating for older LGBT people.
Speakers: Cassandra Cantave Burton (AARP), Dr Nii-Quartelai Quartey, Ph.D (AARP), Chrissy Fehskens (AARP Foundation), Dr. Ikeranda Smith (AARP Community Partner)
How Allies Can Help LGBTQ Communities in Asia | Tracks: Global; Allies
Want to build LGBTQ communities in Asia? Do you work for you a global company with a significant employee population in Asia? Allies can help build LGBTQ communities in Asia. This interactive panel discusses the key role allies played in the new chapters of pride Employee Resource Groups (ERG) in Singapore, Japan, and India. Because Asian citizens have little or no LGBTQ rights, a frequent path for communities is for closeted people to come out as allies first. In this way, building an ally community is key. Allies can also give the critical mass needed to create a viable ERG and may contribute important skills to an ERG.
Speakers: Cynthia Chin-Lee (Oracle), Midori Kawamukai (Oracle Japan), Geraldine Tay (Oracle), Yoshiko Nakano (Oracle)
SUCCESSFUL TOGETHER: Partnership of Business and Transgender Employees | Tracks: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming; Allies
The partnership between companies and employees is a best practice that not only improves morale and retention, it also drives the bottom line. Boeing representatives will discuss how it developed its Transgender Guidelines and partnered with its transgender employees to enhance the process with community insights and recommendations. Boeing has positive name branding with the Transgender Community and many employees have researched the support provided to transgender employees to ensure thy will they will be a part of a culture that is welcoming and affirming. In this workshop Boeing will be sharing an overview of the transgender process, perspectives from HR and transgender employees to help others understand this partnership is a win-win for business, employees and diversity and inclusion.
Speakers: Michael Villanueva (Boeing), Trinity Downing (Boeing), Adair Gearhart (Boeing), Giselle Stewart (Boeing)
Tapping the Trans Talent Pipeline: Keys to Equitable Hiring | Tracks: Talent Acquisition & Retention;Transgender & Gender Nonconforming
The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) indicated that trans people experience unemployment at a rate three times that of the general population, with trans people of color experiencing even higher rates. Transgender people often face hardships in employment because many businesses from small retailers to corporations lack knowledge on the best practices for avoiding discrimination in the hiring process. This presentation gives professionals concrete takeaways, so they can begin to reimagine their hiring process and tap the trans talent pipeline.
Speakers: Alexander Roberts (National Center For Transgender Equality), Ashley T Brundage (Empowering Differences)
Overcoming your Imposter | Track: Professional Development & Executive Leadership
The workshop is designed to help junior and mid-level professionals the awareness and strategies to overcome Imposter Syndrome (the inner dialogue/feeling like you aren’t smart enough, don’t fit in, etc). The workshop touches on the behavioral psychology of imposter syndrome, walks through the different types of personas that imposter syndrome can take, and helps audience members identify exactly what steps to take to help them gain confidence and succeed.
Speakers: Lea Berry (Deloitte)
Compassionate Leadership: Leading All-In from the Heart. | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; Professional Development & Executive Leadership
This session focuses on cultivating a culture of compassion and empathy in the workplace by exploring how we communicate, how we listen and how we connect with each other. When we remember we are dealing with human beings that walk through the door everyday in the workplace craving connection, we can better drive engagement, happiness and a positive work environment. Diversity and inclusion is about much more than just acceptance. It’s about compassion and love for humanity. The research behind how this plays out in the workplace is eye-opening and how it plays out is the difference between turn-over, call outs and productivity.
This will be similar to but not EXACTLY like last year so all are welcome. Refreshers are good!
Speakers: Jennifer L Croneberger, MS (JLCG, LLC)
Intervening With Intention to Create a Culture of Respect | Tracks: Allies; Government
Our goal is to create and contribute to a healthy and respectful work environment in which all employees can thrive. The first step in addressing harassment, bullying and micro-aggressions that undercut this goal is to understand and assess the “red dots”-observable behaviors that could cue you, as a bystander, to intervene. Think about behaviors that may cross your personal line. A choice someone makes to undermine a colleague, touch a co-worker without their permission, or ask about their sex life. The second step is identifying barriers that keep us from acting. The third step is generating “green dots”-safe, effective and realistic solutions. Step four is proactively making the environment better for all.
Speakers: Elizabeth Vogt (CIA), Alberto Lorenzo (Alteristic, Inc), LaVonne A Pepe (Alteristic, Inc)
Creating Possibilities: An Emotional Intelligence and Self-Discovery Workshop | Track: General
This is an interactive workshop that exposes common blinders and fears that limit our possibilities and offers a principle-driven way to apply the power of emotions in productive rather than the familiar dramatic ways. The workshop discusses a range of self-awareness concepts through monologue and fun interactive small group exercises. The exercises will explore behaviors such as instinctive withholdings of opinions and self, how to create intentional spaces, the power of vulnerability in neutralizing fear, the role of language in shaping our sense of self, and a framework for distinguishing productive and unproductive expressions of emotions. Emotions are recast as powerful tools from which strength can be drawn, and closes with an inspirational call to use anger, sadness, joy, and fear — the most powerful one of all — to create productive change.
Speakers: Ginger Chien (AT&T)
Mapping Your Journey to Workplace Inclusion | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; General
Journey Mapping is a key methodology within the Design Thinking toolbox. It’s a process used to help make sense of complex inputs and experiences, and a tool to help bring clarity to the ambiguous. As Designers, we often use Journey Mapping as a tool for reflection, storytelling, and sensemaking.
This workshop will introduce participants to the process of Journey Mapping as a way to articulate individual experiences related to LGBTQ workplace inclusion. Participants will be guided through a series of exercises in which they will be prompted to journal or sketch key experiences from their past and present related to workplace inclusion (or lack thereof) as a tool to facilitate shared storytelling and community dialogue. No design experience necessary!
Speakers: Tate Ragland (Johnson & Johnson), Darlene Ollerenshaw (Johnson & Johnson)
They said WHAT? How to Navigate Through Offensive Conversations | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; Allies
It may be necessary to have difficult conversations that call out offensive language or even challenge deeply held beliefs. These conversations can often be uncomfortable and unwanted.
Corporations and businesses play a key role in supporting the LGBTQ communities. With a strong desire to learn, understand and respect individual differences within the workplace, we can build real and raw relationships along with environments that promote employee satisfaction and retention.
Learn from Consumers Energy, Whirlpool and Herman Miller on how they empower their employees to:
- Gain the confidence to start tough conversations
- Tips to have real discussions that stretch beliefs and grow respect
- Put what you learn into action by working through real scenarios that have happened in the workplace
Speakers: Allison Matthew (Consumers Energy), Randy Maples (Whirlpool), Erin Brown (Whirlpool), Courtney Simmons (Herman Miller), Christopher D Rohde (Consumers Energy)
Accenture: How to foster transgender inclusion on a global scale | Tracks: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming; Global
During this session best practices will be shared on how to move from the policies on paper to create an inclusive environment in the workplace. Also the presenters will address how to advance transgender inclusion and belonging across the globe. During the session the audience will be asked to participate and provide ideas or suggestions to help us all to be more inclusive towards our transgender and gender diverse colleagues.
Speakers: Javier Leonor (Accenture), Grace Coventry (Accenture), James Jurgensen (Accenture)
The Politics of Pride and Corporate Sponsorship | Track: LGBTQ Marketing
As corporations and businesses of all sizes increase their support of and outreach to the LGBTQIA+ community and become increasingly visible in LGBTQIA+ spaces, there has been an growing level of attention and debate about the nature, impact and consequences of this trend. The conversation – and controversy – has been the loudest related to corporate presence at Pride events in the U.S. and around the world. Most notably, the recent WorldPride in New York City, which coincided with the 50 anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion, created an international platform for media – and community – attention and debate. How can corporations – and the organizations they support – work together to maximize the impact of their partnerships? How can we better communicate the need, benefits and nuanced elements of the ways corporations have helped move the LGBTQIA+ movement forward? Join Pride staff, communications experts and marketing specialists for a conversation about this increasingly heated debate and ways to create dialogue and discussion that fully address the many issues ERGs, LGBTQIA+ organizations and companies face when partnering for Pride and other programs and events.
Speakers: Cathy Renna