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Workshops: Wednesday, October 16th

There are three sessions on Tuesday. Click on a session to view the workshops in each.

SESSION 4: 8:30 – 9:30 AM

SESSION 5: 10AM – 11:30AM

SESSION 6: 3PM – 4:30PM

ROUNDTABLE HOUR: 5:30PM – 6:30PM


SESSION 4 | 8:30 – 9:30 AM

Hearts & Minds in Four Minutes | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Transgender & Gender Nonconforming

Can a four minute video open the hearts and minds of people who might not fully embrace the transgender community? Can it help people begin to understand what it might feel like to be transgender?  Join us to watch this four minute video and see for yourself.  A discussion with Samantha Brank (aka Samantha Lux) will follow where participants can discuss how they too can use their voices or social media to change the narrative. This session is intended for anyone and everyone interested in gaining a view into the world of a woman in the transgender community and the power of social media.

Speakers: Samantha I. Brank (Student, UMass Amherst)

I Am Out (of Here)! | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Professional Development & Executive Leadership

What happens when an LGBTQ+ leader needs a break? Working for LGBTQ+ equality is inspiring and rewarding. It can also be disheartening and exhausting. Every leader finds themselves needing a break at some point, but how do you know when to walk away? Is taking a break the same as quitting? And does it mean you are a bad advocate? If you’ve asked yourself these questions, come hear the stories of two leaders who grappled with concerns of leaving it all behind and risking losing ground on years of LGBTQ+ progress, but did it anyway. Mahri and Kevin will share lessons learned on navigating this process, continuing your passionate advocacy from wherever you are, and coming back stronger than ever. (15minute talk)

Speakers: Mahri Monson (US EPA), Kevin Minoli (Alston & Bird)

 

I Got You Babe: Three Decades of Love and Activism | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Intersectionality

Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld have been engaged in the achievement of LGBTQ equality for almost three decades: in politics, the workplace and their church. They have also been an out and proud couple. They will share their journey and experiences. (15minute talk)

Speakers: Paul von Wupperfeld (Texas Instruments), Andy Smith (Texas Instruments)

 

Leadership Lens: Sustaining a culture of equality for LGBTQ+ people | Track: General

Freddie Mac is committed to a culture of inclusion and diversity and has been recognized as a Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign. Hear from two Freddie Mac leaders, Jacqueline Welch, CHRO and CDO, and Debby Jenkins, Head of Multifamily Business, as they share Freddie Mac’s journey of inclusive engagement for LGBTQ+ people. You’ll learn how the tone from the top drives real sustainable and meaningful culture change.

Speakers: Jacqueline M. Welch (Freddie Mac), Debby Jenkins (Freddie Mac)

 

Parenting with Pride – Supporting Modern Families | Tracks: Intersectionality; Workplace Policies & Benefits

Join J.P. Morgan Chase as we discuss modern family building in the United States and Europe through advanced reproductive therapies, adoption, and surrogacy, and how our company has expanded our corporate support to match the complex and evolving needs of LGBT+ families.

Speakers: Lindsay Cofield-Solie (J.P. Morgan Chase), Sally Auld (J.P. Morgan Chase), Adam Morris (J.P. Morgan Chase), Sean Livingston (J.P. Morgan Chase), Loic Choquet (J.P. Morgan Chase)

 

Managing Safety and Security for LGBT+ Staff Around the World | Tracks: Global; Law & Public Policy

The World Bank’s LGBT+ employee resource group, GLOBE, wants to share its experience and expertise in handling security issues for LGBT+ staff. We will review recent developments in mobilizing corporate security and how we are increasing awareness of staff, both on the overall LGBT+ legal and social environment and on specific flashpoints of heightened security risks.

Speakers: Juan Carlos Izaguirre (World Bank), Jack Suwanlert (Marriott), Samantha Steenkamp-Farrell (World Bank)

 

Building Rural Pride – Merging Pockets of Influence for Greater Change | Tracks: Advanced ERG / BRG; Law & Public Policy

Whirlpool will review an ongoing, close-to-home, case study where the Whirlpool Pride ERG steering committee members are independently leading discussions and actionable proposals on how to incrementally improve the acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in a small town in rural, Southwest Michigan. Though the case study will be specific to the corporate town and company, and the tools taken away will be actionable in any situation.

You will learn how to leverage existing local progressive groups to build community acceptance and visibility of LGBTQ+ citizens, increase attendance/participation for your ERG community events, and ultimately bolster talent retention by creating a welcoming, affirming environment for diverse employees to live.

Speakers: Erin Brown (Whirlpool), Meagan VanderVelde (Whirlpool), Tim Buszka (Whirlpool), Gregory R Fulmer (Whirlpool)

 

oneERG: Leveraging the Power of Intersectionality to Grow ERGs | Tracks: ERG / BRG; Intersectionality

Today’s business landscape is a war for talent. Recruitment and retention are key business objectives that are undermined by new employees failing to find a sense of community and belonging. This presentation will outline the Raytheon ERG structure and how the oneERG initiative addresses this issue. The oneERG initiative is a series of panels, lectures, and workshops on intersectional topics. Through leadership engagement, edification of all ERGs, and a promotion plan that is designed to reach a broad audience, we show a raised awareness, growing ERG memberships, and an inclusive culture that is rooted in a strong sense of community.

Speakers: David Elder (Raytheon)

 

“Do I Belong Here? ERG Leaders Craft Uber Transition Guidelines | Tracks: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming; ERG / BRG

In the summer of 2018 Uber embarked on authoring their first-ever Gender Transition Guidelines; which would ultimately provide guidance for employees considering a gender transition, their peers, managers, HR professionals, families, children, and friends. Nine months later, they launched those resources globally. This presentation will cover that journey; exposing the twists, turns, leaks, and hustle it took for an idea to become a globally public resource.

Speakers: Lana Goehring (Uber), Kori Piotrowski (Uber), Shruti Kannan (Uber), Chad Benjamin Potter (Uber)

 

Treading Colors: Building Out Your BRG/ERG Through Pride Participation | Tracks: ERG / BRG; Corporate-Community Partnerships

Are you a new BRG/ERG looking to get involved in a Pride event in your area? Are you an existing BRG/ERG looking to expand your Pride efforts into multiple cities? Pride planning or any large event planning isn’t easy but we’ve learned a few tips over the years to help navigate the waters. It starts with an idea, passion and corporate support to make it happen; especially when you decide to execute on 16 different Pride events in 16 different cities in a 2-month period. Come listen to how Columbus, OH headquartered company, Huntington National Bank, has engaged corporate leadership and built a supportive leadership team to support and sustain Pride events in multiple cities/states that reached over 2 million lives in 2018 alone. It wasn’t easy but we’ve built it with our Pride Playbook and haven’t looked back since

Speakers: Liz Hornikel (Huntington National Bank), Troy Alvarado (Huntington National Bank), Johnathan Northup (Huntington National Bank)

 

Intersex in the Workplace: What You Need to Know | Tracks: Corporate-Community Partnerships; Intersectionality

LGBT”I”: What does “Intersex” mean and how you can become a supportive employer, colleague and/or ally. Learn about the intersex community’s unique issues as well as similarities with the broader queer community. Concrete steps on how to be more intersex inclusive in your policies and practices will be examined in this interactive session. Join Kimberly Zieselman, intersex woman, lawyer and Exectutive Director of interACT the world’s largest intersex advocacy organization and Debbie Cohen, interACT Board member and General Electic Technical Sales Specialist and Leader of Global Operations for the GLBTA Alliance. The “I” doesn’t stand for “Invisible” – come learn more!

Speakers: Kimberly Zieselman (interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth), Debbie Cohen (General Electric)

 

Time and Talent: Blending Skills and Volunteering to Create Impact | Tracks: Corporate-Community Partnerships; Allies

Your company loves to give back. You have yearly events to paint houses or clean parks. You offer grants. You know you are making a difference, but want to offer more so what’s next? You can offer more one-time events or funds, but how do you make a real impact on your community, while also opening up opportunities to engage in a meaningful way that includes your entire team’s diverse skills and passions? Seems impossible, right? It’s not. In this session, we will discuss how you can use skills-based volunteering events to leverage your teams, and the skills they’ve mastered, to make an incredible impact on your local community in just a few short hours.

Speakers: Alexis Kantor (Target)

 

Real Life ERG Rebranding – You Can Do It Too! | Tracks: LGBTQ Marketing; Advanced ERG / BRG

When employees and prospects see your company’s LGBTQ+ / Allies Employee Resource Group (ERG) name and logo, are they motivated to learn more, join, and advocate? Do they know what it stands for? Is it time you considered bringing new energy and motivational embodiment to the branding of your ERG? Cardinal Health, a Fortune 14 company, recently applied strategic marketing techniques to launch a full rebranding of its LGBTQ+ / Allies ERG. In this session, participants will learn and apply best practice approaches to rebranding through a 60-minute presentation/workshop format. Key session learnings: a) Target audience definition, b) inclusive process to collect insights, c) creative design techniques, and d) multi-channel rebranding campaign for internal and external use.

Speakers: Emily Gallo (Cardinal Health), Steve Mason (Cardinal Health), Anthony Meyer (Cardinal Health), Rebecca Frye (Cardinal Health)

 

How to Create Corporate-Community Partnership that Changes Local LGBTQ Realities | Tracks: Corporate-Community Partnerships; Intersectionality

In order to boost initiatives that assist and stimulate visibility, security, and respect to LGBTQ people in Brazil, two companies launched the LGBT+ Pride (LGBT+ Orgulho) call notice, intended to search for projects that encourage LGBT+ people’s power of transformation across Brazil. The entrants’ number was much higher than expected, proving the tool’s outreach in a big and multicultural territory.

In all, it was 301 enrolled projects, with the final eight being selected to receive a subsidy related to LGBTQ groups’ professional development and community leadership. The winners reflect multiple Brazilian realities, spread over the Northern, Northeastern, Central-Western and Southern regions, and are exposed to multiple sociopolitical vulnerabilities.

Speakers: Helen Faquinetti Costa (Itaú Unibanco), Mr. João Torres (Mais Diversidade)

 

Coming Out Stories: Connecting All Employees to the LGBTQ Experience | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; ERG / BRG

You know that one of the most effective ways to drive LGBTQ acceptance and inclusion is getting to know someone who is LGBTQ. But you also know that only ~10% of the population is LGBTQ and 52% of those choose to be closeted at work. How can you stretch your relatively small out LGBTQ population across your increasingly remote workforce?

We cracked that nut at Altria by publishing employee stories in a book. Coming Out Stories volumes 1 and 2 were published as an online book, printed book (1000+ copies) and as podcast interviews (300+ downloads per podcast).

Come take a deep dive into how we did it and create a plan to publish a version for your workplace.

Speakers: Julia Marshel (Altria)

 

Executive Champions-How to Make Them Work with (and For) You | Tracks: ERG / BRG; Allies

Join Senior Executives from the Central Intelligence Agency as they discuss how they leverage their networks, global experiences, and diverse skills to drive change on behalf of CIA’s ERGs. The discussion will focus on the most productive ways for ERGs to recruit, retain and interact with Executive Champions. Examples and success stories of leveraging executive champions will also be shared.

Speakers: Betsy Davis (CIA); Jennifer Youngblood (CIA), Nicole Ash (CIA), Steve Hirsch (CIA)

 

Buckle Up – The Rough Legal Fight Ahead of Us | Tracks: Law & Public Policy; Advanced ERG / BRG

This informative and relevant event will enable you to gain your company’s support for the legal battles to come. With its decade plus of legal advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community and their LGBTQ customers, MassMutual will convene legal influencers to share what’s to come in the battleground of equality, and how you can influence your employer to help in the fight. Participants will hear from legal experts on the challenges facing the LGBTQ community and actionable steps they can take, along with their companies, to support the fight for equality. This open workshop is intended for exectuvies, ERG leaders, and legal/equality advocates within your company.

Speakers: Bernadette Harrigan (MassMutual), Jennifer Levi (GLAD), Sarah Warbelow (HRC), Bonnie Pierson-Murphy (IBM)

 

Inclusion & Recruiting University Students, Do They Know or Care? | Tracks: Talent Acquisition & Retention; LGBTQ Marketing

Inclusive company practices have been on the rise for years to many employees’ awareness. However, many new hires fresh from university often have not heard of employee resource groups let alone what the inclusive practices are of their new company. Through effective surveying, this presentation delves into university students’ awareness on inclusive company practices, how important those policies are when selecting their future company, and how companies can better market and communicate to students how inclusive their company is.

Speakers: Evan Craig Manuel (Dow Chemical Company), Tooba Fiaz (Dow Chemical Company), Gaston Galvao (Hewlett-Packard)

 

Working to Help a Country That Hates You: Transgender Ban | Tracks: Transgender & Gender NonConforming; Government

Forrest Gump once said “Now for some reason I fit in the army like one of them round pegs.” For those of us who are in the military, or support those in the military, this resonates strongly. Our desire to help protect our country is a driving force, and it gives us purpose. The hours are long, the challenges many, but we all believe in the mission and take our piece of that mission very seriously. The current ban on transgender service members is a unique challenge for those who are transgender and support the military or government.

Speakers: Andi Wofford, MBA (Northrop Grumman), Christine Bland (Lockheed Martin), Abbey Allen (Northrop Grumman)

 

Closing the Gap Between ERGs and D&I | Tracks: Advanced ERG / BRG; General

A frank and honest discussion about the accountability and roles of ERG Leaders and their D&I Program office. Many companies have a challenge with aligning support (and accountability) of their D&I program office with that of ERGs, leaving many ERG Leaders frustrated and uninspired. Join us for a lively discussion on how to close this support gap by sharing your experiences and insights for bolstering D&I program office engagement with ERGs.

Speakers: Justin Knepper (Bank of the West)

 


SESSION 5 | 10AM – 11:30AM


EMERGE: The Moment that Sparked an Inclusion Movement at Dow | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; ERG / BRG

Dow’s first ever All Employee Resource Group (ERG) Conference was a highly interactive event, focused on building a culture of inclusion and emerging the role of ERGs as true business partners and change agents. This event brought together more than 500 employees from 30 countries and diverse job roles. EMERGE was the start of a movement to bring out the best in Dow’s people to help achieve the Company’s ambition to become the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable material science company in the world. In this talk, Alveda will share how a single event inspired a cultural transformation and empowered employees across the organization to increase engagement in ERGs and enable business success.(15minute talk)

Speakers: Alveda J Williams, PhD (Dow Chemical Company)

 

25 years of eQuality at Qualcomm | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; ERG / BRG

Qualcomm’s ERG turned 25 this year. This presentation gives the history of how the ERG started, how far we have come, how we partner with our external community and where we go from here. (15minute talk)

Speakers: Noreen Kinsler (Qualcomm)

 

The Equality Act: Keeping America Open for Business | Tracks: Law & Public Policy; Corporate-Community Partnerships

When Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI-01) first introduced the Equality Act in 2015, only three companies stood in support of the bill that would grant LGBTQ+ Americans full equality under the law. Rep. Cicilline reintroduced the Equality Act this year backed with the support of over 200 companies, industry and trade associations, and non-profit organizations.

The overwhelming majority of America’s leading businesses have already started addressing workplace fairness for LGBTQ+ employees business when employees can bring the whole, true selves to work everyone wins. Join us to learn from the business, nonprofit and industry activists leading the charge to make equality and inclusion a reality in America and the crucial role business and industry play in this historic debate.

Speakers: Seth A Guidry (Dow), Louis A Vega (Dow), Meredith Singer (IBM), Patrick Hedren (National Association of Manufacturers)

 

1000 Allies in 12 months: Launching an International Ally Program | Tracks: Allies; Global

Eli Lilly and Company has launched a successful Global LGBTQ+ Ally Program in over 20 countries, gaining over 1,000 ally sign-ups in 12 months from launch. This interactive session explores how to get started with a highly practical step-by-step modular approach that responds to ally feedback.

We will discuss how to engage new countries in a way that is culturally sensitive, strategies that worked, and some that didn’t. We will examine the importance of executive sponsors and engaged operational leaders, how it’s possible to make dramatic progress with a small budget, the importance of a strategy to keep allies engaged once they sign up, and the power of ally visibility. Above all else, we emphasize keeping it simple for allies.

Speakers: Betsy Stiegelmeyer (Eli Lilly), Stuart Gittings (Eli Lilly)

 

Planning for Success: Best Practices for Realizing Your BRG Goals | Tracks: Advanced ERG / BRG; Professional Development & Executive Leadership 

So much to do, so little time. Sound familiar? Learn how to define what success looks like for your ERG/BRG and how to build a path to get there. Join this interactive workshop to develop or refine your group’s north star, prioritize what matters most, and develop a plan to achieve it. We will discuss the importance of critical planning components such as a well-defined mission, vision, priorities and best practices for collaborating to build a plan for success. If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.

Speakers: Bryan Hope (VMware), Amanda Neil (VMware), Deepa DJ Joshi (VMware), Megan Payne (VMware)

 

A Pixar Story: From PixMos to PixPride [Closed to media]| Track: General

At Pixar, storytelling is our everything, and, oh, do we have a story for you. Long before we were an active Studio Resource Group called PixPride, we were a social group called PixMos. Our evolution from a small tight-knit social group of 30 to a team of 180 focused on action and engagement across the studio was exciting and not without its challenges. Join a panel of four members of PixPride, the Pixar LGBTQ+ ERG, and hear a little bit about our story.

Speakers: Jacob Kaplan (Pixar), Danielle Feinberg (Pixar), Searit Huluf (Pixar), Jim Roderick (Pixar), Matt Camello (Pixar)

 

PRIDE! Best Practices for Companies of All Shapes and Sizes | Tracks: LGBTQ Marketing; ERG / BRG

Annual Pride Parades & Festivals are excellent places for a company to activate locally to large numbers of LGBT consumers. But what is the value for a company to showcase products and services to LGBT consumers if they don’t believe the company really cares about the community? Conversely, how can you showcase yourself as an employer of choice and engage your employees when consumer messaging is absent or unprofessionally executed? In this interactive session, learn how Comcast NBCUniversal brings it together to execute holistic Pride Parade and Festival entries that lift brands and corporate profiles. Hear from different regions and business units on conquering geographical and budgeting challenges to create a pride event where one size does not fit all.

Speakers: Derek Tarcza (NBCUniversal), Mike Pirone (NBCUniversal), Kristin Wygal (NBC Entertainment)

 

Baby Steps to Big (Self-ID) Data | Track: Workplace Policies & Benefits

In this session, we share our multi-year journey to self-ID in a multinational company. Drawing on the perspectives of three members of Intel’s Out and Ally Leadership Council, we explain our motivations and the process we used to advocate for and successfully implement self-ID options in Workday, even amidst heightened data regulations in Europe and a turbulent US political environment. At Intel, data drives decisions. In order to ensure our LGBT+ community was included in the broader diversity strategy, we needed to produce evidence of our community to formulate targeted strategies and influence change at the highest level. We hope that our experience will help other companies who are considering taking this journey with advice and reflections to avoid the roadblocks and speedbumps that we faced.

Speakers: Michelle Plapp (Intel), Adri Platt (Intel), Melissa Gregg (Intel)

 

Beyond Transition: Needs of Post-Transition and Non-Transitioning Trans Employees | Tracks: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming; Workplace Policies & Benefits

Many companies have been implementing trans-supportive policies and benefits for 15 years or more to make their workplaces more welcoming and supportive for transgender employees. The focus of many efforts is on the pre-transition and transitioning employee, and the unique needs/situations that can occur during a gender transition. It is working, as more companies than ever before boast a perfect CEI score of 100. However, are those companies truly meeting the needs of the employees they have or who will be on-boarding in the future?

What about those same employees 5, 10, or more years down the road? The transition support network they enjoyed is gone, and they are now aging in our workplaces. Many realized that they have unique needs that have never been considered before that may not be covered by existing benefits as designed and support as implemented. In fact, many may actually be denied needed medical care.

What about non-transitioning employees, who may not identify with the traditional gender binary? By 2025, 75% of the American workforce will be millennials, and a significant percentage of that group consider themselves non-binary. How can workplaces support them?

This workshop focuses on those trans employees, and how the traditional Transition-Focused approach to trans-inclusion is no longer sufficient.

Speakers: Donna Rose (American Airlines), Dr. Jamison Green (Transgender Strategies Consulting, LLC)

 

New Bottom Line: The ROI of Connecting DEI to CSR | Track: General

There are a variety of reasons that companies invest in both internal and external facing DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) efforts, one of which is perceived business value. But what if we could demonstrate that there is 10x more ROI (Return On Investment) than your company’s leadership assumes?

This interactive workshop will uncover the eight pools of value that DEI can unlock (Talent, Sales, Market Access, Innovation, Risk, Brand/Reputation, Stock Performance, Value Chain) and show how companies can embed DEI in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility, inclusive of HR, political advocacy, philanthropy, volunteerism, catalyzing the value chain, and embedding purpose in core business practices) to amplify impact.

Participants will leave equipped to make a more robust DEI/CSR business case when they return.

Speakers: Phillip Clawson (CSR Lab), Jennifer Brown (Jennifer Brown Consulting), Gwen Migita (Caesars Entertainment)

 

Transgender Travel Woes: Navigating Global Culture while Traveling for Business | Tracks: Global; Transgender & Gender Nonconforming

Traveling pre/post transition can be an especially anxious and intimidating experience. So many factors go into traveling while transgender, from gender markers, legal names, ID photos, Visas, Security searches/patdowns, Customs and Border Protection, Credit Cards, and Public Transit. Through this discussion, we’re going to talk about real life challenges transgender people face and the best practices to prevent travel confrontations for business or pleasure.

For this discussion, we have three transgender ladies with extensive international travel experience. Andi will anchor the discussions with topics, experience, and tips while Shane and Michelle add their experiences and advice in each subject area. Videos and pictures will be used as tools throughout the presentation.

Speakers: Andi Wofford, MBA (Northrop Grumman), Shane Mills (Dell), Michelle Samudio (Dell)

 

LGBT+ Financial Literacy, Family Planning, & Employer Benefit Trends in the Workplace | Track: General 

In this fun and interactive workshop, we will explore life priorities, its financial impact, which leads to goal setting, and the creation of an investment strategy to help pursue those goals, and of course, making course corrections along the way. We’ll discuss facts, trends, and helpful tips on financial wellness that LGBT+ employees should be mindful of when preparing for this key life step. Attendees will come away with an understanding of how they can champion their company to take action and put themselves in a stronger financial position until then.

Speakers: Mariam Adams (Bank of America), Karen Larbalestrier (Bank of America), Michelle Fullerton (Bank of America)

 

Reclaiming Transgender Narratives: A New Approach for Supporting Workplace Gender-Diversity | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Transgender & Gender Nonconforming 

Who wants to talk about pronouns or bathrooms? The answer, no one really. Trans narratives in the workplace tend to focus on singular issues rather than individual experiences. What is cisgender? What is transgender? The experience of gender is as nuanced as every one of us. Each experiences a unique place on the gender spectrum not fully described by a binary model of gender. For significant workplace dialogue around this to take place, we must understand the gender continuum as nuanced, from the ground up. In this talk we’ll discuss more wholistic ways to represent the transgender experience. We would like to share the experiences of four individuals navigating life and workplace culture outside of a cisgender identity.

Speakers: Bridget Carsten (Intel), Marissa w du Bois (Intel), Miki Demeter (Intel), Kathleen Mcgrievy (Intel)

 

Ending AIDS – Engaging your ERG in the Strategy | Tracks: Corporate-Community Partnerships; Advanced ERG / BRG

LBGTQ+ individuals continue to represent the highest rates of new HIV infections in the US. This workshop will address the current state of HIV in the US, explore national and local strategies to end HIV, define current medical interventions including PEP, PrEP, and the U=U campaign. There will be an exploration of the role stigma, homophobia and transphobia.  Videos and other on-line resources will be introduced as tools for ERGs to utilize internally and externally to play an active role in their local communities.

This workshop will challenge its audience to share best practices, identify unmet needs, seek out opportunities and commit to the work necessary to attain the goal of an AIDS-Free Generation

Speakers: Joseph Leahy (Johnson & Johnson / Janssen Infectious Diseases), Natalie Sanchez (UCLA), Carl Baloney (AIDS United), Robert Maullon (Johnson & Johnson), Shaun Ringler (Johnson & Johnson)

 

Rainbow Warriors: Breaking Down Stereotypes with LGBTQ+ Veterans & Allies | Tracks: Intersectionality; Government

What is it like to be LGBTQ+ and serve your country? How can you successfully transition from military life to civilian life while also being LGBTQ+? How can you bring together the two communities that mean so much to you, but are often stereotyped as being opposite? In this session, panelists will share their experiences, reflect on their learnings, discuss how they navigated obstacles and offer advice to LGBTQ+ Veterans and Veteran Allies on breaking down stereotypes.

Speakers: Lindsey Archila (Liberty Mutual Insurance), Jennifer Kern (Liberty Mutual Insurance), Braxton Sisco (Liberty Mutual Insurance)

 

“Yes, and”! Improv for Leaders | Tracks: Professional Development & Executive Leadership; Belonging & Culture

Led by a Warner Bros. Business Affairs executive with over 10 years of improvisation experience with Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, Impro Theatre/LA Theatresports, and Studio ACT, this hands-on (and fun!) workshop explores how improv techniques can make you a fearless public speaker, a better negotiator, a stronger storyteller, an expert networker, a nimble problem solver, and a happier person. Through a variety of interactive games and exercises, you will learn the core narrative improv philosophies of yes and storytelling, and engagement, and see how they can help transform your personal and professional lives for the better.

Speakers: Paul Marchegiani (Warner Bros.)

 

Create an Inclusive Workplace Through Storytelling | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; ERG / BRG 

By giving employees a platform to share their diverse stories, companies can give a personal touch to equity & inclusion initiatives, show employees that their voices truly are valued, and that they can bring their whole selves to work. Join us and hear the stories that have driven a culture of inclusion at T-Mobile, a company awarded with Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality several years in a row, and walk away with best practices on how to leverage storytelling across your business.

Speakers: Anneke Blair (T-Mobile), Jen Palmer (T-Mobile), Ryan Rarick (T-Mobile), Marissa Mancini (T-Mobile), Sky Silva (T-Mobile)

 

Rainbow Railroad: What Role Can We play in Protecting Persecuted LGBTQI Around the World? | Tracks: Corporate-Community Partnerships; Global 

70 countries have anti-homosexuality laws, and many more have other laws that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In 10 countries, same-sex intimacy can be punishable by death. In too many countries, LGBTQI people are routinely arrested, denied basic human rights, and are being brutally attacked, tortured or even murdered.

Rainbow Railroad exists to help these people get out of danger to safety. In the spirit of and with homage to the Underground Railroad, the mission of Rainbow Railroad is to help LGBTQI people as they seek safe haven from state-enabled violence, murder or persecution.
Join Allstate as we share more about their mission and how your organization can help impact the human rights of LGBTQI people globally.

Rainbow Railroad

Speakers: Philip Wong (Rainbow RailRoad)

 

Come Aboard – The Adventures of Belonging | Track: Talent Acquisition & Retention

The purpose of this session is to talk talent! Its a follow-up from the Philly roundtable discussions on attracting diverse talent. We want candidates and employees to bring your authentic individualism to work. We encourage them to Be Bold and talk about what bringing their whole self to work means to them. We challenge them to Be Brave and talk about the challenges they face and what needs to be done to drive change. Lastly, we invite them to Belong to a culture that not only accepts, but advocates with action regarding talented and qualified LGBT candidates.

Speakers: Krystal Mills (PNC)

 

 Get Bi With a Little Help From My Friends | Tracks: Bisexual + / Queer; Allies

Ever feel like you just don’t get bisexuality? We hear you. Join us for conversation around the struggles to understand bisexuality outside and inside the bi community. Hear stories of stigmas, stereotyping and general experience and share your stories. Wrap up with opportunity to create space to engage with the bi community and move the conversation forward in your organization.

Speakers: Tami Gorodetzer (Allstate), Jamie Fujinaka (Allstate), Shamaill Ross (Allstate)

 


SESSION 6 | 3PM – 4:30PM


The Power of Arguments in Supporting the LGBT+ Community | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Allies

What’s the point of arguing with someone? Most likely you will not change someone’s mind. Maybe you will. No matter the outcome of the argument with an opponent, you will likely have made your point clear, planted a seed of doubt about your opponent’s view in your opponents head, and impacted others who have overheard the discussions. That’s the power of arguments. The purpose of this abstract is to present the story of how one man has used the power of arguments to be a better ally, advocate, and activist for the LGBT+ community. (15minute talk)

Speakers: Clay Rumsey (Northrop Grumman)

 

Operationalizing Intersectionality at Work – Easier Said Than Done! | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Intersectionality

Inclusion is achieved when individuals perceive that they are valued and respected in the work group where they have a sense of belonging while maintaining their uniqueness. Cultivating belonging and uniqueness simultaneously in the workplace requires a delicate balance. Even for the most progressive corporate cultures this ideal remains elusive. So what will it take to get there? Many forward leaning organizations are rethinking traditional approaches to inclusion – thinking more intersectionally and broadening the traditional definitions of identity. That being said, applying an interesectional approach is easier said than done. Here are three things your organization can do today to apply an intersectional lens to your inclusion strategy, ensuring our employees feel valued, respected and heard. (15minute talk)

Speakers: Kimberley Messer (IBM), Maria Menendez (IBM)

 

A New View: Diversity by Way of Safety | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Belonging & Culture

Talking amongst ourselves is easy. Advocating for awareness, understanding, and equality outside of our circles of LGBTQ+ and allies is a bigger challenge. Come hear how one employee engages leaders beyond the group of “usual suspects,” and what the reception has been. This short talk causes leaders to challenge their own mindsets and consider how they lead their teams on a daily basis. (15minute talk)

Speakers: Bryce J Griffler (BAE Systems)

 

The Game-Changing Role of Public Business Voices for Equality | Tracks: Leveraging Narratives; Law & Public Policy

Businesses have long been leaders in LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace. In recent years, we’re seeing them take another step forward, engaging in public policy conversations and speaking up on legislation that would be harmful to the LGBTQ community, as well as supporting legislation that would extend opportunities to LGBTQ people. But these businesses aren’t going it alone. This presentation will tell the story of the development, growth, and pivotal role of business coalitions (state and national). Attendees will learn about how businesses engage with and benefit from coalitions, the work these coalitions are doing around the country, and what lies ahead in the business-led fight for equality and fair treatment. (15minute talk)

Speakers: Jessica Shortall, MBA (Freedom for All Americans / Texas Competes)

 

LGBTQ Civil Rights and Corporate America Find Common Cause | Tracks: Law & Public Policy; Corporate-Community Partnerships

On the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, it’s a critical time to look back at the journey. This round table discussion will explore how companies adapted to the emerging LGBTQ market and at other times took a leading role in moving progress forward. Leaders from a range of trailblazing companies will share the stories behind how they navigated a post-Stonewall LGBTQ marketplace and how they continue to learn and grow from an evolving LGBTQ community. These candid conversations will reflect how far we have come, and help illustrate the way forward for leading corporations.

Speakers: John Lake (Wells Fargo), Apoorva Gandhi (Marriott), Steven Johnson (American Airlines), Kimberley Messer (IBM), Bob Witeck (Witeck Communications, Inc.)

 

Decentralizing yourself: Building Your ERG Outside of Corporate Headquarters | Tracks: Advanced ERG / BRG; Global

Want to be empowered to build a successful ERG? Are you not sure how to do this outside of the comforts and security of corporate headquarters? Then this workshop is for you! Learn how Dell has empowered leaders to build chapters across the globe. Dell recognizes that chapter success is hinged upon local culture and communities to be successful. We will share stories and best practices of how Dell has moved away from focus on headquarter ERG leadership and why spreading the leadership and responsibilities across chapters is key for longevity. Local chapter leadership is key, while at the same time uniting on overall initiatives and goals in support of business initiatives

Speakers: Gabe Rodarte-Miller (Dell), Nicole L Gibson (Dell), Francis Lin (Dell), Angel Medina (Dell), Jennifer Wherle (Dell)

 

Being a Great Captain = Being a Great Leader | Track: General

At American our employees are the source of our success, with a clear connection between the quality of our team and the quality of the experience we can give our customers and team members. Our pilots play a key leadership role in this space as they interact with more team members and customers than any other employee. It’s important that flight deck to be a place of inclusion first so that leadership and tone spreads throughout the aircraft and operation. Learn how company efforts around inclusivity drive brand perception for any industry and explore with LGBT pilots Captain David J. Pettet and Captain Jan Anderson life in the cockpit at American. Whether your office is at 38,000 feet or the 38th floor of an office building, inclusion is fundamental for success.

Speakers: David James Pettet (American Airlines), Jan Anderson (American Airlines)

 

Forward Leap! How to Create your First LGBTQ+ Product | Tracks: LGBTQ Marketing; Advanced ERG / BRG

Want to learn how to influence your marketing and research and development group to partner with your ERG to create your first LGBTQ+ product? This is the workshop for you!

Speakers: Grant Averill (SC Johnson)

 

Strategically Leveraging the Authenticity in You | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; Allies

Join executives from Lockheed Martin who will engage in courageous conversations exploring intersections of race, gender, and culture in the workplace. This session will explore topics that act as barriers to advancing and retaining people of color.

We will explore authenticity as a leadership skill, and the varied ways in which defines what it means to be true to you. This workshop is a safe space for honest conversations and an assessment of your own authentic leadership style.

Lockheed Martin executives will share their journey to authentic leadership through examples of challenges and success. Learn how these leaders navigated setbacks while remaining true to their values and confident in their abilities in order to excel to a position of leadership.

Participants will be placed into working groups to have deeper discussions with Lockheed Martin leaders. These exchange sessions are designed for participants to share what is on their minds, discuss challenges faced by women of color in the workplace and to receive feedback from leaders based on their experiences. Participants will get guidance on developing bold goals inspired by action steps that they will commit to take to get to the next level.

Speakers: Mahsa Vossoughi (Lockheed Martin)

 

Bank of America: When Gender Doesn’t Fit in a Box | Tracks: Transgender & Gender Nonconfomring; Advanced ERG / BRG

Do you have employees whose gender expression and/or gender identity doesn’t fit neatly into a binary box? Has this presented challenges for them at work? Is your ERG equipped to advocate, educate and mentor, or even accept these teammates with open arms? What about the day-to-day challenges such as pronouns, names, systems, bathrooms, general courtesy and dress guidelines? We have used employees’ experiences to build a new internal training course focused on gender identity/expression in the workplace. We’ll share our development and rollout strategies and first-hand perspectives from non-binary employees.

We have global non-discrimination policies and a longstanding commitment to LGBT inclusion to build upon. We look forward to exchanging best practices and challenges with other companies.

Speakers: Crystal Howard-Doliber (Bank of America), Alex Dropp (Bank of America), Erin Roberts (Bank of America)

 

Authenticity in the Workplace (City vs. Rural) | Tracks: ERG / BRG; Allies

This panel focuses on the role that a company’s setting, both its geographical region (city or rural) and its environment (corporate or manufacturing), can play on an individual’s ability to be their authentic self in the workplace. The panelists, Toyota leaders and executives from various locations, departments, and plants, will share their own stories of bringing their whole selves to work and how it has impacted their careers. Panelists will also share Toyota’s best practices that have allowed them to be authentic in the workplace as members of the LGBTQ+ community or allies.

We have global non-discrimination policies and a longstanding commitment to LGBT inclusion to build upon. We look forward to exchanging best practices and challenges with other companies.

Speakers: Mark Boire (Toyota), Ellen Farrell (Toyota), Steve Carroll (Toyota), Justin Leach (Toyota), Julia Wada (Toyota)

 

Sparking Innovation: Leveraging Transgender Experiences and Expertise | Track: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming

Wells Fargo will showcase organizational best practices and innovative initiatives sparked by leveraging transgender experience and expertise. Wells Fargo will highlight the evolution in the business imperative for developing inclusive practices to support transgender employees and customers. Innovative practices include publishing a transitioning toolkit for employees and managers, producing guidelines for serving transgender customers, sponsoring a Transgender Advisory Council, establishing inclusive restroom/property design standards, and publishing gender expression resources. We’ll then spend some time highlighting the impact our actions have had domestically and internationally and share learnings with attendees about how to pursue similar engagement opportunities in their own organizations.

Speakers: Sasha Strock (Wells Fargo), Laine Ford (Wells Fargo), Ryan Rosa (Wells Fargo), Erica Monique Evans (Wells Fargo)

 

Empowering LGBTQ+ Inclusion at Edison: From Concept to Reality | Track: General

At Edison, we aspire to increase greater inclusion, by creating an environment that reflects our values, empowers our people and achieves a physically and psychologically safe culture of equity and belonging.

In today’s session, we will share with you our strategic plan for empowering LGBTQ+ Inclusion at Edison through external partnerships and collaboration with internal stakeholders; Human Resources, Lighthouse (LGBTQ & Allies ERG), Supplier Diversity and Community Engagement. We will socialize our Vision 2030 framework, 2019 strategic plans and the initial steps we are taking to garner early wins, build champions and accelerate the pace of change.

Speakers: Millie Nuezca Yee (Southern California Edison), Mark Clayton (Southern California Edison), Kristi Campbell (Southern California Edison), Melanie Edel, Ph.D. (Southern California Edison), Joycelyn Yue (Southern California Edison)

 

Including the L,G,B&T in Manufacturing Sites in Latin America | Track: Global

It is generally known that for multinational manufacturing companies, one of the biggest challenges is taking Diversity and Inclusion culture into production sites in all countries. In this workshop attendees will understand how a solid base of allies, committed leadership and strong synergy with other minority ERGs have been essential to generate an inclusion culture in Dow’s 14 manufacturing sites across Latin America. You will get to hear extraordinary testimonies from LGBT employees that have been empowered by their identity to reach their full potential at their operations roles; from gender transitioning to intersectionality at its fullest participants will leave empowered and with tangible tools to implement at their own sites.

Speakers: Thania Blanco (Dow), Camila Cervera (Dow), Tiago Betti (Dow)

 

D&I Perceptions in a Conservative Industry: an Agriculture Case Study | Track: General

Many conservative companies are hesitant to publicly show support for underrepresented communities. However, most of these same companies have strong internal D&I policies, so why is there a reluctance to take a public stance? The consensus within industry is that this hesitancy stems from a fear of customer backlash, but is that fear justified or just a presumption? When trying to address this question, the lack of relevant data, particularly related to the agricultural industry, was blatantly apparent. As a result, a process to address the information gap was developed with the hopes of generating data that will persuade companies to be more visible in their support for underrepresented communities, particularly the LGBTQ+ community.

Speakers: Jeremie Wade (John Deere), Mandy Bush (BASF), Dr. Kyle Jordan (BASF), Chris McCallin (BASF)

 

Case Study: Implementing Global LGBTQI+ Benefits at SAP | Tracks: Workplace Policies & Benefits; Global

Employee benefits have traditionally been designed to accommodate a predominantly heterosexual, cisgender, male workforce. As workplaces continue to evolve worldwide, employers are missing the opportunity to provide appropriate health coverage to some of their critical employee populations, adversely impacting their overall health and engagement. Industry standards are low, largely because companies have used industry benchmarks to meet the status quo for inclusion instead of looking for new, innovative policies that advance equality. With the goal of breaking barriers and fostering an inclusive global workforce, SAP engaged Mercer to devise a new go-forward strategy when it comes to inclusive benefits. Panel attendees will gain insight into SAP’s journey and Mercer’s expertise in the field, and will explore the strategies and challenges associated with implementing such benefits in countries with varying tiers of tolerance (LGBT+-Favorable, LGBT+-Tolerant, LGBT+-Banned).

Speakers: Diego Ramirez (Mercer), Johnna Seal (SAP), Miguel Castro (SAP), Chris McCarthy (Mercer)

 

Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken | Track: General

Belonging is what allows employees to feel like they can be their authentic selves without fear of different treatment or retribution, and it has a major impact on performance and retention. Diversity and inclusion still matter but they won’t matter if an organization doesn’t embrace belonging as part of the equation. A panel of CIA officers will discuss their experiences and how a sense of belonging is important in the workplace and impactful to mission.

Speakers: Stephen H (CIA), Elizabeth P (CIA), Christyn A (CIA), Kristin W (CIA), Christopher C (CIA)

 

TransForming Workplace Culture: Creating Space for Trans Community in Your Organization | Tracks: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming; Leveraging Narratives

According to the 2019 Corporate Equality Index, 83% of Fortune 500 companies prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. So, even in organizations with non-discrimination policies and LGBTQ+ BRGs -how is it that out, transgender and gender nonconforming individuals still feel unseen, or alone in their experience, in the workplace? In this session, we’ll explore: the importance of sharing personal stories and hosting panel conversations as a way to increase trans and nonbinary visibility; how training leaders helps drive trans and nonbinary inclusion; how companies can build trans and nonbinary inclusion modules into existing sensitivity trainings; what it means to be an active ally, and; the importance of implementing gender neutral language throughout an organization to create a truly inclusive environment.

Speakers: L Hallman (Deloitte), Adrian Ruskin (Deloitte), Max Kim (Deloitte), Peri Diane Jones (Deloitte)

 

Lead With Your BrandTM: Are You Coffee Or Are You Starbucks? | Track: Professional Development & Executive Leadership

Apple, Starbucks, & Nike. We all love brands. Lead With Your Brand!‚Ñ¢ is specially designed for diverse leaders and professionals to build winning, super-premium, personal brands using a real marketer’s toolkit. In this fun and interactive workshop, roll-up your sleeves and identify your career’s target audience, define your value proposition, and determine how to thoughtfully package yourself. Build a plan to stand out from the crowd by turning up the volume on your authentic self. By the end, you’ll be declaring I am NOT coffee! I’m Starbucks!

Speakers: Jayzen Patria

 

The Queering of Corporate America | Track: Law & Public Policy

Based on his 2019 book The Queering of Corporate America, this presentation by law professor Carlos A. Ball will provide historical perspectives on how and why big companies have gone from adversaries to crucial allies of the LGBTQ rights movement. In doing so, he will tell the story of how LGBTQ activists in the years following Stonewall successfully focused on corporate policies and conduct. Professor Ball will then connect the early years of queer activism aimed at corporations with the crucial role that companies have more recently played in the struggle for marriage equality and in defeating or weakening anti-LGBTQ laws such as transgender bathroom laws and measures that would allow religious-based discrimination against sexual minorities and transgender individuals.

Speakers: Carlos A. Ball (Rutgers Law School)

 

Non-Binary Roundtable | Tracks: Bisexual+ / Queer; Belonging & Culture

Roundtable discussion where there is open dialogue to discuss what it means to be non-binary in the workplace.

Speakers: Heather Pray (Northrop Grumman), D’Lanie Bockholt (Dell), Karen Nisley (Northrop Grumman), Emily Turner (Dell), Tristan Robertson (Collins Aerospace)

 

Accenture: Where are the LGBTIQ Women? | Track: Belonging & Culture

Speakers: Monica Boll (Accenture), Grace Coventry (Accenture)

 


ROUNDTABLE HOUR | 5:30PM – 6:30 PM


Engage Your OE Summit Emotions: A PFLAG-style Support Group [Closed to media]| Tracks: Allies; Belonging & Culture

The OE Summit can trigger deep emotions, enlightening us to new insights into our workplace and community lives as LGBTQ+ Individuals and Allies. These feelings may range from relief in finally finding acceptance, to disappointment at a lack of support at some time in the past.

Experienced Facilitators trained by PFLAG, the organization known as the extended family of the LGBTQ+ community will offer a Support Group meeting to help process the feelings unearthed by the sessions and speakers. We will provide a space for participants to share their identity, background and what brought them to the Summit. We will gather in groups of 10 to 20 to converse about our OE experience, and exchange understanding and support.

Speakers: Kristine Lessard (Oracle), Jim Dowrey (Googleplex), Trish Kent (PFLAG Northwest Washington DC), Beth Morrissey (Kleiman International Consultants, Inc.), Andy Oram (O’Reilly Media)

 

Parents Raise the Rainbow: Stories from LGBT+ families | Tracks: Belonging & Culture; Intersectionality

Being a parent is challenging. Being an LGBT+ parent shouldn’t have to be any harder. Attend this roundtable session to hear real stories from LGBT+ parents about how they started their family, how they helped their kids come out, and what they did to tackle challenges in the workplace. Each group will watch a short vlog made by a real parent for inspiration. Then the larger group will discuss strategies for navigating LGBT+ parenthood and ways employers can make a difference for LGBT+ families.

Speakers: Mohammad Abdul-Rahim (Marsh & McLennan Companies / Mercer), Sean Cruz (Mercer), Michelle Sanchez (Marsh & McLennan Companies), Michael Walker (Mercer)

 

Transmen and Transmasculine: Lets hear your voices! (Closed) [Closed to media]| Track: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming

This is a follow up session to Transmen and Transmasculine: Having your voices heard.
This closed-door session roundtable will discuss what it means to be a Transman at work. We will share thoughts on:

  • Why are Transman so invisible or not out at work (stealth).
  • The differences between starting a company post-transition and transitioning in your current role.
  • How can we have a bigger voice within our workplace and in our community.

Speakers: Alex Dropp (Bank of America)

 

Open Transgender Roundtable – Calling All Loves Ones | Tracks: Allies; Transgender & Gender Nonconforming

This roundtable discussion, led by a cisgender mother (Irene Brank) and transgender daughter (Samantha Lux) duo, will engage the audience in creating and sharing their own stories to drive change in the workplace. Learn how one 60-minute story changed history – from inspiring someone to be their true self, to including influencing transition practices, policies, benefits, and support structures for transgender people, to driving change across corporations. We will open with discussion around how the power of using our voices at work can drive change at a corporate level. Participants will be given the tools to start their own story and an opportunity to practice in the safety of this group of supporters and loved ones. This session is intended for people who have a transgender loved one, family member, partner, or are transgender themselves. Allies are welcome.

Speakers: Irene Brank (MassMutual), Samantha I. Brank (Student, UMass Amherst), Renee Degon (MassMutual)

 

Transgender Roundtable (Closed) [Closed to media]| Track: Transgender & Gender Nonconforming

This roundtable will provide a space for transgender attendees at Summit to discuss the specific challenges they face in the workplace. This session is open only to those who self-identify as transgender.

 

Workshops current as of July 25 and subject to change. For updated information, check the program app.


OUR VISION

Global workplaces where all people are equal, belong, and thrive.

OUR MISSION

Out & Equal is the global convener, thought leader and catalyst actively working to achieve workplaces of equality and belonging - supporting LGBTQ+ employees and leaders who thrive in their careers and lives and achieve greater impact on the world.