Celebrating 20 Pride Pioneers This Pride Month

Rashima Kwatra, International Advocacy Advisor, RFSL
Rashima Kwatra is a policy and advocacy specialist focused on gender equality, human rights, and sustainable development. Her experience spans policy development and advisory, communications, research, and strategic philanthropy at non-governmental organizations, foundations, and multilateral institutions in Asia, North America, and Europe. Currently, she serves as the International Advocacy Advisor for RFSL - The Swedish Federation for LGBTQI Persons’ Rights, where she leads engagement with the United Nations, governments, intergovernmental bodies, public and private sector actors, and spearheads capacity strengthening programs for activists from the Global South and East. She is from Bangkok, Thailand. How does Rashima think we can achieve change? "To achieve the radical social change we all hope for, we must address the systems of oppression that are often overlooked, fund and support LGBTQI organizations and leaders, and build wider communities of allyship and accountability."

Andie Goh, Principal, Ares
Andie is a Principal at Ares Management, where she focuses on Alternative Credit investments. She is responsible for the deployment of capital in asset-focused opportunities, investing across both the private and public markets. Andie co-founded and serves as Global Co-Chair for the Out at Ares Employee Resource Group. She is also the New York Co-Chair of Out Investors, a global organization founded with the mission to make the direct investing industry more welcoming for LGBTQ+ individuals. What's Andie's vision? "My vision is to create spaces and communities that are welcoming to LGBTQ+ individuals, where we can bring our full authentic selves to work and be ‘unapologetically us’."

Dr. Alexandra Phelan, Assistant Professor, Georgetown University
Dr. Alexandra Phelan is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University's Center for Global Health Science & Security. She works on pandemic and outbreak preparedness and response and is an internationally recognized expert in global health law. Dr Phelan advises international organizations and governments around the world on both public health and legal responses to outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics, including COVID-19, Ebola, Zika, and influenza. She holds an S.J.D. in international law and infectious diseases from Georgetown University Law Center, an LL.M. specializing in international law from the Australian National University, and a double degree B.Biomed.Sc./LL.B. and Dip.Lang.(Mandarin Chinese) from Monash University. What does it mean to celebrate Pride for Alexandra? "Celebrating Pride is part of building a world that embraces all of humanity, in all of our diversity."

Lisa Zane, Founder, Conscious Product Development
Lisa Zane is the Founder of Conscious Product Development. She is a product coach and consultant that specializes in taking early-stage startups from 0 to 1 and creating clarity amidst ambiguity. Her purpose is to help individuals and teams solve more meaningful problems and develop products that make people's lives measurably better - products that are more inclusive, holistic, ethical, accessible, and sustainable. Lisa shares: "I am a business owner, gay, a step-parent in a blended family, and living with an invisible disability (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome). The truth is, the world and most systems in it weren't designed for people like me. The future I envision is one where empathy is everywhere. It is one where people genuinely care about each other and make an active effort to understand and welcome different points of view. It is one where everyone can be freed to do the work to figure out who they truly are, and live every day as their authentic selves."

Sam Kennedy, Program Director, Mindr
‍Sam Kennedy (they/them) is a Program Director and the newest addition to the Mindr team! They are a former crisis counselor and anti-violence advocate turned corporate DEIB practitioner who balances strategy and humility to center the experiences of marginalized employees first and foremost, while producing measurable and scalable business outcomes. They lead with authenticity and intentionality to bridge social justice frameworks and operational praxis. What's Sam working towards? "I hope for (and work toward) a future where queer folks are celebrated for all of the ways in which we model resilience, perseverance, and authenticity. We are living proof of the magic that is possible when given the space to be unapologetically yourself."

Maeve DuVally, Managing Director of Corporate Communications, Goldman Sachs
Maeve DuVally is Managing Director, Corporate Communications at Goldman Sachs. Maeve joined Goldman Sachs in 2004 as a Vice President and was named Managing Director in 2010. Prior to joining the firm, Maeve worked in media relations at Merrill Lynch. Before that, she was a financial journalist and editor at Bridge News for nearly 15 years. Maeve serves on the advisory boards for the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship and the Association of Foreign Correspondents; and, the community board of Connecticut-based LGBTQ health provider Anchor Health Initiative. What does visibility mean to Maeve? "Visibility is being prominent both visually and verbally to provide hope and a way forward for those who are not ready or yet able to be their true selves."

Allyn Shaw, Global Information Security Chief Operating Officer, Bank of America
‍Allyn Shaw is the Global Information Security Chief Operating Officer at Bank of America, where he’s risen through the ranks for more than a dozen years. He’s also a passionate advocate for all aspects of diversity and inclusion – he’s the chair of the bank’s Global Technology and Operations (GT&O) LGBT Council, serves on the bank’s LGBT Executive Council, is the Forum executive for GT&O Supplier Diversity, and is affiliated with the Black Executive Leadership Council. This year he also became a board member of LGBT+ nonprofit Out and Equal. What's Allyn's vision for the LGBTQ+ community? "More LGBT+ people running for office (and winning), filling increased numbers of senior leader positions in large corporations and becoming entrepreneurs in their communities."

Hannah Welch, Senior Project Manager, Anomaly
Born and bred in Oklahoma, but always aiming to be in NYC and work in entertainment-  Hannah spent her earlier career at Viacom in the Integrated Marketing Department at Nickelodeon. Throughout her time there, she helped support new creative initiatives and oversaw 360 promotional campaigns for upcoming theatrical movies, new business opportunities, the Kids Choice Awards, and network programming with talent like JoJo Siwa. During Hannah’s time at Nick and in the midst of her mid-20's, she was finally able to accept her sexuality with the support of friends, family, and therapy. Currently, Hannah is at Anomaly where she’s the lead PM for the company's newest account, Dunkin’. Her goal is to continue to support LGBTQ incentives which is always top of mind whether in the workplace or in extracurricular positions. What is Pride month to Hannah? "Pride month is a reminder to be thankful for the people that got us here- the people who persevered and advocated. While we celebrate in the streets, it’s also important to remember we aren’t done. We, as a community, have the power to push for change, to create a more inclusive society for all marginalized people."

Pips Bunce, Director, Credit Suisse
‍Pips Bunce is a Director at Credit Suisse and has been working in the IT industry for over 25 years across range of different sectors. She has worked for a variety of firms including Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, UBS, British Telecom and the Bank of England. Pips is recognized as a leader and influencer in many fields of Diversity and Inclusion and through her work, has been recognized through several  prestigious awards including the Financial Times & HERoes Female champions of Women in Business, the FT & OUTStanding LGBT executive leader and the British LGBT Awards. She is a visible and vocal advocate for many forms of equality including gender identity, gender parity and gender equality. What does Pip want to see happen within the next 5 years when it comes to diversity? "I would love to see all firms embrace every single form of diversity in a holistic fashion and ensure that no type of diversity is excluded from the party."

Marion Bentata, Chief Administrative Officer for Global Technology Services, State Street
Marion Bentata (she/her) is Chief Administrative Officer for Global Technology Services at State Street. She acted as Co-Chair of the State Street’s UK Pride Network for a number of years and she is the founder of Women of Interbank, a women’s group within Interbank, the network of LGBTQ+ networks for financial services firms in the UK. As a role model, Marion regularly appears on panels with a view to be visible and raise awareness around the specific issues faced by the LGBTQ+ women’s community in the workplace and beyond.  Marion shares: "The LGBTQ+ community still remains fragmented and exclusionary. Instead, we should celebrate our community in all its diversity by putting the spotlight on intersectionality and all the richness that comes with it."

Blaise Brunda, Vice President, Houlihan Lokey
‍Blaise Brunda is a Vice President in Houlihan Lokey‘s Financial Valuation and Advisory (FVA) practice based in Los Angeles. He is responsible for internal reporting and analytics across all nine service lines within FVA. He also oversees a number of strategic and operational initiatives and works closely with the Firm’s corporate departments. Prior to joining Houlihan Lokey, Blaise spent five years at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in various managerial roles. He received his Bachelor’s of Science from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. Blaise shares: "Having a LGBTQ+ inclusive environment at work has allowed me to authentically engaged with my colleagues and fosters better productivity across the organization."

Damon Guidry, Event Strategist, Adobe
Damon Guidry is an Event Strategist on the Global Workplace Experience team at Adobe, a software company based in San Jose, California. During his 8-year tenure at Adobe he has led numerous internal event programs, including the company’s employee engagement at Pride marches in the US, Canada, and the UK, and its milestone 35th Anniversary celebration for 5,000 attendees at Levi’s Stadium. A passionate event professional, Damon believes that it his job to help create experiences that spark ongoing transformation to enhance workplace culture. He strives to leave a legacy of an evolving and inclusive workplace community that has room for everyone. What happens when you give people freedom? “Every time you give people the freedom to be who they really are, their creativity is unleashed, our community is strengthened, and our world gets much more joyful.”

Brendan Riley, Partner, Brunswick Group
For over a decade, Brendan Riley (he / him) has advised global organizations during pivotal moments, including crises, high-stakes financial situations, and industry-transforming transactions. A passionate believer in the power of diversity and inclusion, and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Brendan has worked with numerous clients to help them authentically communicate their values related to DE&I. Brendan is a Partner at Brunswick Group, a critical issues firm advising the world’s leading companies on how to navigate issues and how to engage with their most important stakeholders. How does Brendan feel about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community? "Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community makes me a better, more thoughtful, and more empathetic advisor to my clients. So for me, the most important thing I can do is to show up every day as my authentic, openly gay self."

Caroline Farberger, Incoming Partner and Chairwoman, Wellstreet
Caroline Farberger is the Incoming Partner and Chairwoman at Wellstreet. Caroline has over 30 years of experience in banking and financial services. She began her career as an engagement manager with McKinsey & Company, providing consulting services to organizations throughout the U.S., Sweden, Germany, China and Estonia. Following McKinsey, Caroline held increasingly senior positions with prominent banking and insurance companies in Sweden, ultimately becoming CEO of ICA Insurance in 2016. How does Caroline understand privilege? “Now that I live as a woman I see that as a man I was privileged. I didn’t understand that at the time. (…) I really, wrongly, thought that the playing field, the platform, was the same for everyone.”

Giancarlo De Vera, Senior Manger of Policy, Disability Australia to Senior Manager of Policy, People with Disability Australia
Giancarlo de Vera (they/he) is an intersectional leader with disability, who identifies as LGBTIQ+, queer, non-binary and a person of color. They are a passionate advocate for disability, multiculturalism, racial justice, LGBTIQ+ affairs and cultural diversity. Giancarlo was recently named as one of the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians of 2021 and as one of Pro Bono Australia’s Impact 25, a list recognizing the social sector’s most influential people in 2022 for their significant and positive impact in Australia and overseas. They currently lead policy and advocacy at People with Disability Australia, the Australian peak disability body, and are also the President of the Australian GLBTI Multicultural Council, Australia's peak body that represents LGBTIQ+ people from multicultural and multi-faith backgrounds. How does Giancarlo understand Pride? "Pride gives everyone permission to imagine a world where we celebrate diversity, and begin to take steps towards a future where we celebrate and bring up leaders from all walks of life and backgrounds. Pride is freedom."

Giselle Renata King, Actor and Professional Speaker
Giselle Renata King is a Trinidadian-American living and working in New York. She is dynamic actor and professional speaker, dedicated to representing diverse voices through her creative and community-based work. Giselle served on the New York City Fire Department as one of fewer than 100 female firefighters in the 15,000+ strong Fire Department of New York (0.007% of FDNY firefighters). Giselle graduated near the top of her Fire Academy class and is widely recognized as a trailblazer who changed FDNY culture for the better. How does Giselle think we can build a more inclusive society? "Because the LGBTQ+ community contains an array of diverse experiences, identities, and intersectionalities,  promoting  LGBTQ+ inclusion within your organization means leading the way in building a more inclusive society."

Bobby Johnson, Director of Financial Reporting, QIAGEN
Bobby is a Director of Financial Reporting at QIAGEN, where he specializes in international and domestic external financial reporting and has more than 12 years of industry experience. He also serves as a co-leader of Pride@QIAGEN and is a member of QIAGEN’s Executive Council of Equal Opportunity. He has a Master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Bobby shares: “I believe it is important to build an inclusive and affirming environment in the workplace by being a visible LGBTQ+ leader with the hope that this empowers other colleagues to bring their whole self to work.”

Lindsay Fuller, Chief of Staff, New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
‍Lindsay is the Chief of Staff at the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services. Prior to her role with New York State, she spent 6 years at the New York City Mayor's Office of Operations, where she implemented initiatives designed to help everyday New Yorkers. She also has a background in communications, with stints at Nickelodeon and the White House Office of Digital Strategy.  Lindsay believes in the power of government to improve peoples' lives - and the power of spreadsheets to improve bureaucrats' lives. Lindsay shares why we celebrate Pride: "We should strive to allow people to be their whole selves at work and at play. That's why celebrating Pride is so important - during Pride month and beyond."