A whopping 160 groups marched in the 2019 Chicago Pride Parade, including many large corporations, some of which marched with their LGTBQIA+ employee resource groups (ERGs). As corporate participation in Pride has grown, so too has resistance against the corporatization of both the parade and month. One of the many questions being asked of these companies is, “What are you doing for the LGBTQIA+ community the rest of the year?”
For Rightpoint and Integral Ad Science (IAS), this question isn’t difficult to answer.
Jana Hart, solutions architect and co-chair of the Pride@Rightpoint ERG, laid out the numerous events the company has planned for Pride Month, its diversity and inclusion and hiring and promotion goals, as well as how Pride@Rightpoint supports employees in the LGBTQIA+ community. Jonathan Starling, vice president of talent development at IAS, touched on the impact and work of his company’s LGBTQIA+ ERG, IAS Pride, along with the year-round support provided to organizations like Lesbians Who Tech and Out In Tech.
Integral Ad Science (IAS) has a packed calendar of events for Pride Month this year. However, the company’s support of the LGBTQIA+ community isn’t limited to hosting events in June. Jonathan Starling, vice president of talent development, also touched on the partnerships and support IAS provides to LBTQIA+ organizations, both in the tech community and outside of it.
How is IAS celebrating Pride throughout the month of June?
To celebrate Pride Month this year, we’re focused on uplifting our LGBTQIA+ community through allyship, at IAS and around the globe. We’re hosting several internal events as well as joining industry discussions to celebrate and reflect on the resilience and intersectionality of the LGBTQIA+ community. Mindful of feedback that our team may be missing a sense of community since the start of the pandemic, we have organized activities, including a virtual panel discussion with our IAS Pride employee resource group, happy hours, a cooking class with a surprise LGBTQIA+ influencer chef, and more.
We celebrate each individual’s uniqueness, encourage allyship and support bringing your authentic self to work.”
Beyond the month of June, what are some examples of ways IAS supports or advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community?
At IAS, one of our core values is, “We are one team.” This means that we celebrate each individual’s uniqueness, encourage allyship and support bringing your authentic self to work. Our IAS Pride ERG is led by our LGBTQIA+ community and allies who help drive how IAS shows up for the community. Throughout the year, we support the LGBTQIA+ community through our partnerships with Out in Tech and Lesbians Who Tech and contributions to The Trevor Project, as well as other LGBTQIA+ groups in collaboration with IAS Gives, our social responsibility program.
How does IAS support and empower the LGBTQIA+ members of your team?
Through our IAS Pride group, we empower our LGBTQIA+ colleagues to share their ideas with our inclusion and diversity council and senior leadership. This gives everyone the platform to support and drive an inclusive environment at IAS. In partnership with IAS Pride, we have implemented additional educational programs, reviewed and updated policies and grown our partnerships with LGBTQIA+ affirming organizations.
Jana Hart is a great person to ask about Rightpoint’s involvement with Pride and support of the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to being a solutions architect, Hart is also the co-chair of the employee resource group Pride@Rightpoint. Hart let us in on the company’s plans for Pride along with the work Pride@Rightpoint does and the company’s internal goals for increasing LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
How is Rightpoint celebrating Pride throughout the month of June?
We’re inviting a guest speaker to host an all-company meeting and discuss timely topics regarding the LGBTQIA+ experience. We will also host a virtual open house info session event for LGBTQIA+ candidates and anyone interested in learning more about Rightpoint’s Pride ERG. There will be a company-wide listening and Q&A session to help educate and bring awareness to Pride-related issues. We will also announce new partnerships with external Pride organizations, including our membership to Qorporate, Out in Tech’s corporate council.
We have set goals for increasing the inclusion of Pride members at all levels of the company.”
Beyond the month of June, what are some examples of ways Rightpoint supports or advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community?
The Pride@Rightpoint Employee Resource Group is an employee-driven initiative dedicated to supporting all our team members under the rainbow. This group is focused on making Rightpoint a welcoming and comfortable workplace for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We have set goals for increasing the inclusion of Pride members at all levels of the company, from new hires to management. We are dedicated to earning a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index. We also help develop and provide company-wide education and awareness initiatives throughout the year to help team members learn more about the LGBTQIA+ experience.
How does Rightpoint support and empower the LGBTQIA+ members of your team?
Pride@Rightpoint ERG is our primary resource for LGBTQIA+ team members. We provide a safe space to discuss Pride-related issues and topics and actively advocate for our needs with Rightpoint leadership. Pride@RP helps guide the executive DEI council on LGBTQIA+ issues and needs, provides educational resources for employees and allies, and holds events to celebrate and teach the company about Pride.
