Ken Ohashi

1
CEO
Brooks Brothers

Ken is the first minority and openly gay CEO Brooks Brothers has had in its 200-year-old history as the oldest fashion retailer in the United States. Ken has overseen Brooks Brothers’ highly publicized acquisition and has transformed and repositioned the company to profitability in less than two years. An advocate for equity and the right to education, the company has a partnership with BRAVEN - an organization that helps first-generation and underrepresented students gain college readiness skills and land a solid first job. Brooks Brothers participates in study groups, mentoring, and funding new clothing for students. Brooks Brothers supports GLSEN, an organization that ensures that LGBTQ+ students can learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Ken is also a member of YPO, a worldwide organization for CEOs under 45, and is a member of the LGBTQA CEO network. Ken also works closely with the Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that provides national 24-hour, toll free confidential suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth and Family Equality Council, a non-profit organization that aims to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families. Ken lives in New York with his husband and two children.

Jan Siegmund

5
Chief Financial Officer
Cognizant

Since his first day at Cognizant, Jan has driven D&I efforts, particularly those focused on the LGBTQ+ community, and is now Executive Sponsor for the Embrace affinity group, the second largest affinity group at Cognizant. Embrace works to build an environment where all can reach their full potential, focusing on the LGBTQ+ community. Jan developed a Global Leadership Council and implemented a systematic plan to expand Embrace activities in India. He also served as a Board Director of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, and a Founding financial sponsor for the RiseOut Activist-in-Residence fellowship program at the center. The program sponsors two Black LGBTQ+ New Yorkers each year who are working on projects addressing discrimination issues for the Black LGBTQ+ community in the New York City area.

Suresh Raj

7
Global Chief Growth Officer
Virtue (VICE Media Group)

Suresh sits on the Global Management Team and directly engages leadership on addressing and tackling all matters of DE&I. As an Exec Sponsor on DE&I matters, Suresh provides senior counsel on DE&I matters covering Virtue employees globally and this includes promoting and celebrating global LGBT+ visibility throughout the year within the workforce and leadership, beyond Pride months. Collaborating closely with the talent teams to ensure focus on building a pipeline of diverse candidates including representation from LGBT+ individuals at all levels, from internships to senior leadership. Previous achievements include creating and curating a C-Suite level dinner series focused on 'Purpose' including LGBT+ issues, bringing together 13 world leading brands across finance, technology and healthcare which resulted in the founding of The Collective, a LGBT+ initiative. He is an advisory board member for Ruebik, DealEngine, Gay Times and Oliver Wyman - all of whom are focused on changing the landscape and success for minority communities including LGBT+.

Julie Harris

8
Chief Administrative Officer & Global Head of Operations, Asset & Wealth Management
JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Since 2017, Julie has been a member of J.P. Morgan's firmwide LGBT+ Executive Council, bringing senior leaders together to accelerate the firm's progress through intentional, coordinated efforts for LGBTQ+ employees. In 2021 she became the AWM LGBT+ Network's Executive Sponsor and launched the AWM LGBT+ affinity group. A recent profile by amNY and Politics NY honoring 'Power Women' featured her dedication to the LGBTQ+ community internally and externally, her thoughts on gender parity, support for women, and more. In addition, she has cycled raising funds and awareness to end HIV and AIDS, hosted a fireside chat on behalf of the Asset & Wealth Management LGBT+ Network, with a focus on fostering inclusive families, and was a board member and President of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.

Louis A. Vega

9
President, North America; Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy
Dow

Louis' holistic approach to inclusion and diversity in the workplace is best illustrated through his involvement with Dow's employee resource group for LGBT+ and ally employees, GLAD. As the group's global advisor, he has worked with chapters globally to promote a more inclusive workplace and community for all employees. Louis is a member of Dow's President's Inclusion Council, sponsors and leads Dow’s Social Justice Council, and serves as a member of The Company’s Operations Team. A leader and pivotal voice on business strategy, people development, and growth matters for Dow around the globe, Louis brings his passion for inclusion to all his discussions and involvements — from engagements with government and industry leaders to serving on the board of directors for multiple civil society groups. In addition, through his service on the boards of numerous other inclusion-focused organizations, he leverages his relationships within the business community and shares his strategic business counsel to promote a more equal world for all.

Cindy Noble

10
Chief People Officer
Compass Group

As the Chief People Officer of the tenth-largest company in the country, Cindy is a champion for D&I, fostering an environment where associates feel seen, heard, and respected, and where they feel empowered to show up as their authentic selves. Under her leadership, Compass Group launched its first-ever D&I survey, established initiatives confronting unintentional biases, and implemented training centered around “Why Pronouns Matter,” which speaks to LGBT+ inclusivity. In addition, pre-COVID, Cindy expanded Compass’ Pride Celebration from a single day to four days in four states to reach more associates and the communities we serve. Cindy's passion and commitment to diversity is reflected in Compass Group USA's consistent acknowledgement by outside organizations, including being named a Forbes Best Employer for Diversity four years in a row. Also, her service on external boards and committees, including Charlotte Center City, American Heart Association, and Jose Andres World Central Kitchen, focus on D&I issues.

Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

12
Chief Communications Officer
Publicis Health

A self-identified diversity triple threat (queer, immigrant, person of color), Kipp champions LGBTQ+ visibility across Publicis Health, where he serves as Chief Communications Officer and volunteers with a variety of internal business resource groups, including Égalité, Pan-Asian Alliance, and Publicis Parents. In 2022, Kipp was named among PR Week’s Pride in PR Leaders and The Propel 100’s Most Influential Health Communications Professionals in the World. Kipp has shared intersectional LGBTQ+ stories across Publicis through a variety of programs, including interviews and fireside chats with drag superstar Peppermint, trans dad Aydian Dowling, novelist Darnell L. Moore, and New York Times food writer Eric Kim. He was previously nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Excellence in Journalism for a series about being transgender in the workplace for DiversityInc; was invited by then-Vice President Joe Biden to speak about queer fatherhood at the White House; and has been featured with his family in campaigns for Human Rights Campaign and Dove Men+Care. He is co-editor for SAGE Encyclopedia’s LGBTQ business section and a freelance writer for Tiny Beans, What to Expect, and Baby Center, where he has written about queer parenting, LGBTQ+ adoption, raising a transgender child, and other LGBTQ+ issues.

Robyn Grew

14
President
Man Group

Robyn chairs the steering committee for Drive (Man Group’s global DEI network) and has general oversight and responsibility for DEI at the firm. She is the senior sponsor of Man Group’s LGBT+ network, Pride@Man, responsible for guiding its initiatives and leading its celebrations. In 2022, she spearheaded the inclusion of gender pronouns across WorkDay, Slack and email signatures at Man Group, enabling every employee to select the pronouns that work for them and to do so knowing we support and respect that choice. Robyn is a member of several industry groups, including the Diversity Project (Advisory Board member) and the AIMA council, where she is chair of the AIMA DE&I Inclusion Working Group. She speaks publicly on the topics of DEI and the importance of being an ally, and this includes at events hosted by Pride@Man, at industry conferences, and in the media. Robyn’s commitment to DEI has been recognised through notable industry recognition and awards lists, such as Investment Week, Financial News and LGBT Great.

Maggie Lower

16
Chief Marketing Officer
Hootsuite

Maggie Lower is a business leader who combines the art and science of marketing to drive exceptional results for global brands. As Hootsuite’s CMO, Lower has made a commitment to fostering a collaborative marketing approach, building innovative go-to-market models and leveraging transformational opportunities to create impactful experiences, increase sales pipelines and deliver services more efficiently. She is laser focused on identifying the best opportunities to transform Hootsuite’s digital, brand marketing, innovation and communications strategies to support the industry-leading social media management platform. This year, Lower was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors at Grindr, the largest LGBTQIA+ social networking app. She is also a Senior Board Advisor at Scoperta, Simon Data and DealEngine. Lower has won multiple awards as an LGBTQIA+ advocate including AdWeek’s 2022 Pride Stars Award and INvolve’s OUTstanding Role Model List four years in a row. She has also presented keynote speaking sessions in global conferences like SXSW, AdWorld, WebSummit, and Social Media Week. As a member of the Peer 150 Marketing Advisory Board, Lower has had the privilege of serving as an executive mentor for The US Marketing Academy to help develop and nurture top talent within the marketing, advertising, and communications industries.

George Cheeks

17
President and CEO, CBS; Chief Content Officer, News and Sports, Paramount+
CBS

As CEO of CBS, George has consistently driven the inclusion agenda and ensured its place as a central value across the organization. He is committed to increasing the meaningful representation and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community at the company and in its programming and content. George has put benchmarks in place to ensure the writers' rooms, the casting and even the marketing efforts represent a wide range of perspectives. Throughout his career, George has been nominated for and received awards such as the T. Howard Foundation Corporate Leadership Award, UJA's Content Leadership Award for professional and philanthropic leadership and Rosie's (O'Donnell) Theater Kids "Passing It On" Award.

Iris Farley

19
Vice President, Talent
Komatsu

Iris leads her company’s talent strategy, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and is focused on ensuring that Komatsu is an inclusive workplace for all, including those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Iris serves as the Executive Sponsor of the Komatsu Global Women's Network, advocating for inclusion of all gender identities in the group's mission and programming. She is a trained Gender Transition Leader for Komatsu, working with other transgender employees to ensure that they have the resources and support that they need to successfully transition at work. In 2022, she facilitated learning on gender diversity and LGBTQIA+ inclusion for over 200 employees, and has adapted that training to e-learning for use across the enterprise. She is also active in the development of Komatsu’s global Diversity and Inclusion strategy, and has been a primary contributor to the script for an educational video on LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Outside of work, Iris serves as the Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (IDEA) for the Northeast Illinois Council of the Boy Scouts of America. She is also an active supporter of organizations that advocate for LGBTQIA+ friendly legislation, and for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in her faith community.

TJ Lim

Managing Director, Head of Client Digital Strategy & Platforms
JP Morgan

At J.P. Morgan, TJ has been a leader within his division and across the firm in fostering LGBTQ+ representation and belonging. He was the interim co-chair of the divisional LGBT+ Network, where he led the group’s marquee Pride event – a fireside chat to discuss fostering affirming families. He also spearheaded a “virtual Pride march” for leaders to showcase their support. Across the firm, TJ mentors LGBTQ+ employees globally and supports recruiting efforts. Under his leadership, the firm continues to host LGBTQ+ pre-MBAs to learn more about a career in finance and at J.P. Morgan. TJ is a very public supporter of DE&I and has presented at the firm’s analyst and associate trainings. Additionally, TJ was chosen by his alma mater, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, to discuss inclusivity & diversity to the incoming class of MBAs. He has also presented at Binghamton University and mentors students there. TJ was also asked to speak at a panel to kick-off Advertising Week in New York. He sits on the board of ReachingOutMBA (ROMBA), an LGBT nonprofit. TJ also discusses LGBTQ+ topics and intersectionality in his capacity as a member of the Tech Council of Asia Society.

Wesley Bizzell

Senior Assistant General Counsel
Altria

Wesley is a co-founder of Altria’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group and currently serves as its vice chair. He has led numerous efforts that convinced Altria to make consequential changes to its policies and practices to ensure it is more welcoming for LGBT+ employees, including expanding adoption benefits, extending surrogacy and fertility benefits to cover same-sex couples, and launching a voluntary self-ID program for LGBTQ employees. He also has worked to highlight the diversity of the LGBT+ community, bringing to Altria speakers who challenge stereotypes and empowering employees to have conversations about difference. Through his efforts and advocacy, Altria has joined companies to oppose legislation targeting trans individuals, has publicly endorsed state and Federal non-discrimination bills, and has encouraged the passage of a federal statute protecting same-sex and interracial marriages. Wesley is a frequent author and speaker on inclusion and diversity within both the corporate and legal communities and has testified before multiple legislatures on the need to ban the LGBTQ+ panic defence. Externally, he serves as the immediate past president for the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, is a commissioner for the American Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Commission, and serves on the Advisory Council for the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Lisa A. Linsky

Partner
McDermott Will & Emery

Lisa is the Founder of McDermott Will & Emery's LGBTQ+ Diversity & Inclusion Committee and first partner-in charge of firmwide diversity. Leading McDermott's annual LGBTQ+ Workplace Awareness program for 16 years, she recently hosted a screening of and panel discussion on the documentary, 'Changing the Game,' which details three transgender high school athletes' challenges. Serving as outside counsel to the Mattachine Society of Washington, DC for more than a decade, she helped alter the way society and government institutions treat LGBTQ+ Americans. Lisa has mentored countless attorneys to advocate for LGBTQ+ civil rights, and in so doing, has demonstrated herself to be an Outstanding Role Model. In 2021, she was appointed to the American Bar Association's Litigation Section's Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Since 2014, Lisa has served as a member of the board of directors for the LGBTQ+ Community Center of NYC and was recently re-elected as a board officer. She was also a member of the LGBTQ+ Rights Committee of the New York City Bar Association for four years and served as a Lambda Legal Board Officer. Lisa has been recognized by numerous professional and community organizations for her commitment to advancing the full civil rights of LGBTQ+ people.

Mark Baker

Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs
Warner Music Group

Mark is a visible and vocal Role Model both within Warner Music Group (WMG) and beyond. He is the Executive Sponsor of Q the Music, WMG’s LGBT+ Employee Resource Group and is the LGBT+ representative on WMG’s global DEI Advisory Committee. His work includes strengthened partnerships with the HRC and the Victory Fund, adopting new gender transition guidelines, leading WMG and the music industry to weigh in against proposed anti-trans legislation in Tennessee and leading WMG’s participation in the HRC Corporate Equality Index. Additionally, has been listed among the top, out LGBT+ Music Executives by Billboard Magazine and is on the Board of the Warner Music Group/Blavanik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund, a $100 million fund established after the killing of George Floyd to support organizations working to promote criminal justice reform, support education particularly in the music industry, and drive narrative change through culture and the arts.

Bradford Pollard

Managing Director, Private Banker
Citi

As a Managing Director and Senior Private Banker at Citi Private Bank, Bradford is uniquely positioned to inspire other LGBTQ+ leaders, especially those in client-facing roles, to live authentically and drive progress. He also serves LGBTQ+ individuals with customized private banking solutions to expand and preserve their wealth legacy. In 2021, Bradford was asked to serve as North America Co-Chair for Citi’s Global Pride Affinity, the first person outside of the company’s NYC headquarters to ever serve in the role. In this position, he oversees 36 co-chairs, 18 business sponsors and 3,500+ employee members of the North America Pride Network chapters. He has been an instrumental figure in instituting Citi’s creation of an LGBTQ+ Leadership Development Program and the implementation of dialogues related to global inclusion. Bradford oversees the company’s North America LGBTQ+ reverse mentoring program with 250+ participants in addition to serving as a senior mentor. He leverages his voice to lead a variety of focus areas, including trans inclusion and legislative matters; most recently, he spear-headed Citi’s global public campaign for 2022 Transgender Day of Visibility. Bradford has fostered community impact on issues ranging from homelessness to educational fulfillment for LGBTQ+ students.

Erik Day

Senior Vice President, Global Small Business & Pride ERG Executive Chair
Dell Technologies

Erik is the Global Executive Sponsor for Pride, Dell Technologies' ERG for LGBTQIA+ Employees and Allies which has grown to over 7,000 members across more than 20 countries. Erik is also the Chair of the board for Out & Equal Workplace Advocates and was named to the board of The GenderCool Project, a non-profit educating the world on the positive experiences of Trans Youth. To help protect Trans kids, their families and the future of work, Erik and the ERG spent 2021 and 2022 partnering with Government Affairs and Corporate Communications to help stop the onslaught of Anti-LGBTQIA+ bills across the US and the World, including many testimonies in front of the Texas Legislation. Since the pandemic, Erik has led the ERG to be a center of joy for the company helping drive connection in a hybrid work environment from virtual events like Pride’s Got Talent, Lip Synch Battles, and Pride Content to in person events like the 20+ Pride Month events across the world. Erik has participated in over 15 panels, podcasts and speaking engagements this year focused on the importance of Diversity, Allyship and Inclusion to help companies thrive by ensuring their employees can bring their full authentic self to work.

Christie Smith

Global Lead, Talent & Organization
Accenture

Christie Smith is the global lead for Talent & Organization at Accenture, a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee, and an executive sponsor of Accenture's Global Pride Network. She was previously global vice president for inclusion and diversity at Apple. A voice for LGBTQ+ inclusion and an advocate for women in the workplace, she co-authored the 2021 'Better to Belong’ research report focused on creating inclusive work cultures. Christie is a sought-after speaker on leadership, strategy, I&D, people and change, and spoke about the future of work at the 2022 Lesbians Who Tech summit alongside Accenture CEO Julie Sweet. She also wrote the foreword to 2022’s Open for Business City Ratings 2022, an invaluable resource for businesses hoping to use their platform to advance LGBTQ+ equality globally. She is a regular media commentator and has featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes and CNN. She has also won several awards and was recognized by Fast Company's 2021 Queer 50 list. Christie received her doctorate in Clinical Social Work with a focus on industrial and organizational psychology from New York University.

Nick Graham

Global Head of Insights & Analytics
Mondelez International

Over the last two years, Nick has provided guidance to the Rainbow Council ERG as one of their executive-level sponsors. He has participated in a number of Pride Month leadership panel discussions, has sponsored internal deep dives on LGBTQ+ inclusion, and has represented Mondelēz International and its brands' work around LGBTQ+ issues. Nick is also one of the founding members of Out In Research, which champions LGBTQ+ diversity in the market research industry by building a community of LGBTQ+ researchers & allies and providing market researchers with resources on conducting research among the LGBTQ+ community. In his previous role at PepsiCo, leading insights & analytics for the US business, Nick ran multiple events and research projects designed to help their marketing community understand the LGBTQ+ community, including playing a pivotal role in helping Bubly sparkling water cement its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community through its GLAAD partnership and activations around Family Equality.

Ian Clarke

Former Vice President, Global Banking Corporate Sales
Financial Services

Formerly acting Deputy Head of Sales for six sectors, Head of Governance for HSBC's Pride ERG in NYC, Co-Head of World Pride ERG Comms 2019, serial speaker for the Women’s network and Co-Founder of three people committees globally, Ian was the most senior black LGBTQ+ banker for Europe’s largest bank in the Americas. He frequently attended external LGBTQ+ initiatives, marched in bank colors at World Pride Parade and represented HSBC at Open Finance - a multi-bank Wall Street forum on LGBTQ+ interests. In June 2021, Ian authored Project Speak Up, his landmark report cataloging the nature, costs, and solutions to oppressive systems across world financial services affecting the LGBTQ+ community, women, disabled people, young people, and people of color. Later in July 2021, Ian choreographed and co-hosted the bank's first ever live LGBTQ+ alternative stage talent show alongside the Chairman, reopening the first theatre on NYC’s Broadway following COVID. Following subsequent negotiations with senior leaders over his recommendations to help deliver new rights and opportunities for marginalized staff globally, he resigned his banking career the following month. With press reporting on his efforts in 16 languages across 120 countries, Ian’s singular actions delivered 5 D&I world records for meaningful change.

Scott Kenney

Chief Risk and Audit Executive
Moody’s Corporation

Scott is a member of Moody’s Executive Leadership team and is responsible for global risk management and audit across operations in 40+ countries. He is a longstanding member of the Global Diversity Council at Moody's, responsible for setting, monitoring, and achieving DE&I goals, setting policy, and establishing and maintaining a diverse culture throughout the organization. As Executive Sponsor of Moody’s Pride business resource group, Scott has exemplified the highest level of our corporate values and leads by example. His work has served as a blueprint for allyship and advocacy throughout our organization. Outside of Moody’s, Scott serves as an independent member of the Finance Committee and Co-Chair of the Audit Committee for onePULSE, established to create a sanctuary of hope and honor in the aftermath of the June 2016 tragedy at Pulse nightclub. He also serves as a Board Member, Executive Committee Member, Finance Committee Member, and Chair of the Audit Committee for the Hetrick Martin Institute, whose mission is to serve NYC's LGBTQ+ youth with the belief that all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment to achieve full potential.

Jamie Bannister

SVP Head of Strategy, Implementation & Delivery
HSBC

As Global Co-Chair of the HSBC Pride ERG, Jamie has championed efforts towards driving LGBTQ+ inclusive HR policy improvements for Same-Sex and Trans colleagues across the globe. Family-building benefits such as surrogacy, adoption and elective fertility preservation are being expanded in the US. Self-ID and pronoun fields were globally added to the HR employee repository, and name pronunciation was added to the HR directory. Jamie participated in OutWOMEN's 'Women in the Financial World' panel during Out Leadership's June 2022 Proudly Resilient series in NYC and in 2021 led a panel at Out & Equal’s Summit entitled 'HSBC - Families with Pride' to discuss different LGBTQ+ paths to family creation including fertility treatments, adoption, surrogacy, and best practices working with HR to create inclusive policy. She advocates for corporate activism, where HSBC USA signed HRC’s business statement on anti-LGBTQ State Legislation in 2021, an amicus brief in for the inclusion of sexual orientation in the Civil Rights Act in 2020, and the statement for Employment Non-Discrimination Act in 2019.

Craig Buchholz

Senior Vice President, Global Communications
General Motors

Craig Buchholz was named senior vice president, Global Communications, in April 2020. In this role, Buchholz is senior advisor to CEO Mary Barra, and is responsible for the company’s overall global communications strategy as it executes an unprecedented transformation to become a leader in mobility across electric vehicles, autonomous technology and connected services. Craig is a member of the Executive GM PLUS Board, the Company’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, providing critical guidance and informing its direction. He Founded the 'Coming Out' Mentorship Program that provides peer-to-peer mentorship for employees coming out in the workplace. He is also a member of the GM Inclusion Advisory Board promoting the inclusion of the LBGTQ+ community and shares regular communications to engage General Motors' LGBTQ+ employees through internal social media channels. Craig has supported the policy team in crafting the HRC business statement opposing anti-LBGTQ+ legislation and has engaged with the Senior Leadership Team to gain support and sign on to the 'Respect for Marriage' Act. Craig has participated in networking with executives and mentoring that provides counseling, career development, and coming out resources to employees. Buchholz has more than 20 years of experience in multiple disciplines of communications.

Shawna Baker

Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice
Cherokee Nation

As the first openly gay person to serve on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court and only the third woman to serve on the Court, Justice Baker raises awareness of the 2SLGBTQ+ community within her tribe and throughout Indian Country. Her visibility and active participation in a number of endeavors ensures a voice for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She serves as a member of Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr.’s Domestic Violence Task Force and as an advisor to Cherokee Nation Health Services’ Ending the HIV Epidemic Committee. Justice Baker also serves as an advisor to Indian Health Services and is aiding the Ending the HIV Epidemic Committee in the Northwest Portland (Oregon) Area. The Oklahoma Bar Association awarded Justice Baker with its Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Award in recognition of her work including an opinion she authored granting full rights of citizenship to Cherokee Freedmen descendants within the tribe, as well as, using gender non-binary language. She was named a 2022 Changemaker by New York University’s Alumni Association. Outside of Indian Country, Justice Baker serves as the University of Tulsa College of Law’s Distinguished Alumna in Residence and a Trustee for Oklahomans for Equality.

Dr. Margaret-Mary Wilson

Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President
UnitedHealth Group

Dr. Margaret-Mary Wilson is the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President at UnitedHealth Group. A prominent speaker, she has been featured in company-wide conversations about the LGBTQ+ experience and in external engagements across the country, where she shares her story and personal experience without reservation. Through speaking and sharing her insights, and by showing up authentically in all spaces, Margaret has helped elevate conversations and the momentum to enhance inclusion, diversity and health equity for all, including LGBTQ+ people, at UnitedHealth Group and beyond.

Amie Nolan-Needham

Assistant General Counsel – Manufacturing & HR
General Motors

Within General Motors, Amie has worked fiercely as an advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals and employees. She serves on the Executive Board of GM's LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, GM Plus. She also serves as an executive mentor to LGBTQ+ employees, holding quarterly mentoring sessions. As GM's Assistant General Counsel, she regularly advises GM's DE&I, Legal and Global Human Resources Groups on LGBTQ+ legal, political, and social issues, with a focus on equality AND equity. Through these leadership positions, Amie is uniquely situated to bring LGTBQ+ issues to the table and regularly does. She worked with internal senior leaders to help secure GM's sponsorship of the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom for All Americans 2022 Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Throughout her career, Amie has championed the rights of all underrepresented individuals and those who are marginalized. She uses her leadership positions to bring advocacy and awareness to diverse communities.

Hannah Yankelevich

Partner
McKinsey & Company

Hannah is McKinsey's Global Lead of LGBTQ+ recruiting at McKinsey & Company. They have actively served as a coach, mentor, and sponsor for numerous LGBTQ+ colleagues, providing support for areas such as career progression and inclusion in the workspace. Hannah has also led efforts to ensure the implementation and usage of pronouns and driving inclusive spaces in the office such as gender-neutral bathrooms. In addition, Hannah was an active member of the Reaching Out MBA Board of Directors, where they served as the first woman Board President in the organization's 20-year history. Hannah has also founded what is now known as the "Out Women in Business" Program, focused on LBT+ women's representation and progression in business and enabling success through scholarships for LGBTQ+ MBA students to 95+ business schools worldwide.

Eric Dube, PhD

President & CEO
Travere Therapeutics

As CEO of his company, Eric is currently co-Founder of OUTbio San Diego for LGBT+ biotech employees. He is responsible for the formation of the first Diversity Employee Resource Group at Travere in 2020. He highlights LGBTQ+ patient stories internally and externally. Diversity, inclusion and belonging measures are a corporate goal for him and his executive team since 2021. He worked with an external firm to assess policies and practices regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion in 2021 and was also on the board of AIDS United until 2022, with a core focus on health equity. He also helped found the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition to improve health equity within the rare disease community. He serves on the Board and Executive Committee at BIO and supports the industry workforce diversity initiatives, including how to engage LGBTQ+ employees best. He also speaks at panels addressing workforce diversity and the need for the life sciences industry to address health equity.

Adam Stanley

Transformation Executive and Board Director
Teach For America

Adam is currently helping transform services and programs of Teach for America, a national education non-profit, having retired as Chief Digital Officer at Cushman & Wakefield earlier this year. In addition to this critical impact work, Adam is a non-executive Director on the boards of GATX Corporation and Church Mutual Insurance, one of very few publicly out LGBT board members in the United States. While at Cushman, Adam served as executive sponsor of UNITY, the LGBTQIA+ network, where he helped drive the expansion from a United Kingdom based group to a global network including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries. He significantly supported the first submission to Human Resource Coalition's corporate equality index (HRC CEI) in which the company scored a perfect 100. He has spoken on numerous panels in the last year around diversity and specifically on being an out, black, gay executive and he regularly speaks within his industry and across other industries. He was recently featured in a joint study from a prominent Consultancy and leading recruiting firm on gay executives. Adam lives in Austin Texas, with his husband Timothy and their dog Aaliyah, where they help first-time homeowners purchase property as licensed Texas realtors.

Austin Chiang

Chief Medical Officer, Gastrointestinal
Medtronic

Openly sharing his own story through his multiple social media platforms and representing the community within the organization, he lend visibility to LGBTQ+ leadership as the first Chief Medical Officer for the gastrointestinal business at Medtronic, the global medical technology leader. Dr. Chiang has raised awareness LGBTQ+ health through education on social media as well as empowered LGBTQ+ leaders within his team. For his work, he was nominated for the GLAAD 'TikTok Advocate of the Year' award in 2021 and was featured as one of TikTok’s inaugural 25 LGBTQ+ Trailblazers of 2020. He has also worked closely with The Trevor Project on multiple social media campaigns to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ youth safety. In a Fierce Biotech interview featuring LGBTQ+ health tech leaders he reflects as a young leader, "There’s still a lot of work to be done, but if there’s any way I can potentially be of help to the next generation or others, I think that I want to pay it forward in that way.

Brenna Rauw

General Manager, Biomedical & Beauty
Modern Meadow

Brenna Rauw is the GM of Biomedical & Beauty for Modern Meadow, a purpose-driven synthetic biology and materials company on a mission to be a catalyst for the wellness of people and the planet. In her role, Brenna is leading development of protein-based biomedical technologies that would advance gender-affirming care. Brenna is the only openly lesbian and transgender leader on the senior management team and uses her position to drive authentic change and is a visible role model within the business. She was invited to represent senior leadership in grassroots efforts to advance and celebrate diversity and inclusiveness, and she was a speaker at the inaugural People Day in 2021 on the importance of words and inclusion. In her nonprofit efforts, Brenna served as Chair of XXcelerate, an organization supporting Oregon women entrepreneurs, director of the HBS Pride alumni board, which is advancing LGBTQ+ alumni connection and representation on corporate boards, and an advisor, mentor, and host committee awards member for StartOut, nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. She is a member of the BCG Pride Alumni Council and was speaker at Pride@BCG Conference in 2022. Brenna is also an investor in Plume, the first company offering online gender-affirming hormone therapy.

Antonious Porch

General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer
SoundCloud

Antonious was recently promoted as SoundCloud's first Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and also remains SoundCloud's General Counsel. As CDO, his focus is on building, refining, and, most importantly, driving the development of an integrated DEI strategy that is globally relevant and cross-functionally aligned to business outcomes with our Music, Engineering, Marketing and People teams. His expanded portfolio gives Antonious a powerful platform to role model professional success as an openly gay Black man. Further, it allows him to directly affect business strategy, recruiting and hiring decisions, employee performance, mentorship opportunities, diversity resource groups (DRGs) and company culture. Antonious also serves as Executive Sponsor of the SoundCloud Community Fund, our multi-million-dollar commitment to social justice and equality, as well as musical artists' mental health and wellbeing. He previously, served as Executive Champion of SoundCloud's "Clouds of Color" DRG for employees of color and allies, while also being an active presence within SoundCloud's "Queer Clouders" DRG for LGBT+ employees. Antonious also sits on the Board of GLAAD.

Emma Cahill

Global Marketing Director – Food Protection & Preservation
Kerry

Alongside her role as Global Marketing Director for Food Protection & Preservation at Kerry, and seat on the board of directors for Spinal Injuries Ireland, Emma is an active member of PRYSM, Kerry’s official LGBTQ+ group designed to prioritize learning about each other’s communities. She has been influential in driving LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion across the business through widely sharing her story of coming out at work and has been commended for her efforts in promoting inclusion through the recruitment process for her own team. As a senior leader within her organization, Emma is keenly aware of the power of representation and is an energetic advocate for LGBTQ+ and disability rights. Her aim is creating an environment where all colleagues feel empowered and confident to bring their full selves to work. She leverages her influence to drive education across all levels of the business. Emma frequently speaks on topics surrounding overcoming adversity with the aim of further driving the agenda of an inclusive workplace where everyone can bring their true selves to work. She looks forward to seeing more openly LGBTQ+ leaders at the helm of businesses in the future.

Nancy Schlichting

Director
Walgreens Boots Alliance

Nancy is an active speaker, advocate and champion for LGBTQ+ inclusion within business and beyond. She has written a book titled 'Unconventional Leadership' that focuses on leading inclusively and provides non-traditional insights for becoming a strong business leader. Nancy has used her platform to speak widely about her leadership journey, including being outed, passed over for a promotion due to her sexual orientation, and overcoming discrimination to become the CEO of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and a Director of for-profit and nonprofit boards. She has been inducted into the Healthcare Hall of Fame and was recently honored by the Detroit LGBT Chamber of Commerce with the Allan Gilmour Leadership Award.

Jess Ling

Senior Vice President, B2B Marketing
American Express

Jess is a committed advocate for inclusion and has leveraged her passion and expertise to drive real change throughout her career. Jess is a founding member of the PRIDE+ Executive (VP+) Network and Executive Sponsor for the PRIDE+ New York Chapter. As Executive Sponsor, Jess meets regularly with colleagues to provide thought leadership, and direction to the strategy to support LGBTQ+ inclusion amongst colleagues, customers, and the communities in which they work and live. In her capacity, Jess has participated in events featuring guests such as Carlos Menchaca, NYC Council member in celebration of National Coming Out Day and panel discussions like the Diversity Reboot Summit series: "Pride at Work" for PowerToFly. In addition to her commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, Jess is deeply invested in representing the power of intersectionality as a steering member of Amex’s Executive Women’s Network and as the executive sponsor of Colleague and Professional Development initiatives for the Asian Network at Amex.

R. Alan York

Partner
Reed Smith LLP

Alan is the global leader of Reed Smith’s PRISM, the firm’s LGBTQ+ business inclusion group. Over the last three years, he has brought about significant advancements within Reed Smith supporting the professional development, mentorship, and sponsorship of PRISM members, while also serving as an advocate for change, equity, and representation in his community. Under his leadership, PRISM has refined its focus to more intentionally connect LGBTQ+ lawyers and professional staff, to create a strong and sustainable pipeline of LGBTQ+ talent into the firm, to work with other marginalized communities to create intersectional programming, and to enhance employment policies and benefits directly impacting the LGBTQ+ community. Alan has made the promotion of LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion a critical and unwavering part of his practice. He is currently serving as a member of the National Leadership Council and leader of the Houston Leadership Committee for Lambda Legal, the US's most active and engaged legal organization fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ+ and HIV+ communities. He has also led efforts to bring to Texas the Name Change Project, a program of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund that provides pro bono legal services to individuals seeking name and gender marker changes.

Brook Colangelo

Chief Information Officer
Waters Corporation

Brook champions LGBTQ+ employees and works closely with DEI leaders within Waters to create and encourage the company to drive inclusion. Alongside his day job, Brook is the co-Founder and co-Chair of the Waters Pride Circle, an Employee Resource Group that supports the LGBTQ+ community and promotes inclusion as part of the broader Waters diversity and inclusion initiative. He has helped grow the Circle to over 100 LGBTQ+ and ally employees, implemented company changes, including the introduction of employee gender transition guidelines, ensured the availability of best-in-class benefits policies for LGBTQ+ employees and introduced gender-neutral bathrooms. In 2009, Brook became the first openly gay CIO of the White House and CIO for the President of the United States. In addition, Brook and his husband are actively involved with the Trevor Project, a non-profit focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth.

Sean Livingston

Managing Director
UBS

As Managing Director at UBS Private Wealth Management, Sean focuses on advising and helping founders and C-suite executives achieve their financial goals. Sean is based San Francisco with a career in wealth management spanning over 20 years. As an active member of UBS's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council for the Americas, Sean is focused on key initiatives such as increasing employee participation in "Self-ID," bolstering and improving hiring, retention and promotion policies for LGBTQ+ employees, and broadening the firm's LGBTQ+ mentorship program. Sean also serves as Co-Chair of PRIDE Americas, the firm’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, and in this capacity, has spearheaded an increase in its visibility and membership. Additionally, he serves on the firm’s Multicultural Investor Segment Financial Advisor Board. In 2022, Sean was named an Outstanding Voice for the LGBTQ+ community by the San Francisco Business Times. Sean is a Board Member of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and an Advisory Board Member of Friends of the Children Bay Area. An enthusiastic patron of the arts, he has served on the Boards of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and New Conservatory Theatre. Sean lives with his husband, two children, and their rescue dog in the Mission in San Francisco.

Gabrielle Novacek

Managing Director and Partner
Boston Consulting Group

Gabrielle served as the global leader for BCG's LGBT+ ERG, Pride@BCG for over a decade. Under her leadership, the firm's LGBT+ community expanded dramatically across its global footprint, and made significant advancements in LGBT+ support, benefits, and leadership representation. More recently, she was appointed DE&I fellow to BCG’s business innovation think tank, the Henderson Institute, and global leader of BCG's Equitable and Inclusive Business practice. In these roles she now owns overall responsibility for the advancement of BCG's global external DE&I agenda. This work has enabled BCG to extend its impact in advancing LGBT+ issues in the private sector, and has also lead to the publication of significant thought leadership on topics of LGBT+ inclusion. She was also appointed as both head of BCG Chicago and member of the firm’s North America Management teams, which was the first time a lesbian had ever held either an office leadership, or executive management role in the firm.

Chad Wallace

Executive Vice President, Global Head of Commercial Solutions
MasterCard

As Global Head of Commercial Solutions for Mastercard, Chad is active with the Pride Business Resource Group to ensure LGBTQ+ voices are heard and that Mastercard is an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ communities. He is a prominent public speaker by encouraging LGBTQ+ leadership and awareness within the Financial Services industry. He also sponsors Mastercard’s Pride activations in various cities around the globe allowing colleagues to come together in person and celebrate. In addition, he is engaged online and uses both internal and external platforms to advocate for LGBTQ+ people in businesses and beyond. Prior to his current role at Mastercard, Chad was Co-Chair of the Americas LGBTQ+ Community Engagement Committee. He has focused on supporting North and South American local charities and community services teams, spearheaded donations for LGBTQ+ covid relief fund, and Co-Chaired Americas LGBTQ+ Client Engagement Committee with a focus on creating an LGBTQ+ client network.

Patrick Lenihan

Vice President and head of Communications
Grindr

Patrick leads global communications and investor relations at Grindr, the world’s largest social network for gay, bi, trans, and queer people. As Grindr transitions to become a public company, Patrick is rewriting the company’s narrative to focus even more on standing up for the needs of the LGBTQ community. Internally at Grindr Patrick spearheaded the effort to hire the company’s public-company board of directors, possibly the most LGBTQ-diverse board in history; he also led a company-wide effort to articulate Grindr’s mission and its corporate values, the first of which is "Authentically Queer." Externally, Patrick uses his position as Grindr's chief spokesperson to build stronger relationships with LGBTQ institutions and creators, regularly championing partnerships around issues like board representation, smart sexual health (including Grindr’s effort to combat the global Monkeypox outbreak), and with non-profits such as Lambda Legal. Previously, Patrick was a communications leader at Google and Goldman Sachs where he led projects to increase the visibility of LGBTQ people and initiatives.