WorkPride 2023: Businesses: How to be Welcoming of LGBTQ+ Customers

Speakers:

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  Cynthia Fortlage

  Founder/CEO
  CAF Services

  I have extensive experience as an award-winning speaker, consultant, facilitator, and host. I offer a unique perspective, having experienced leadership from both male and female perspectives. I specialize in helping organizations navigate complex issues at the intersection of human rights, sexuality, gender, and privilege. My goal is to assist organizations in creating intentional cultures where everyone feels like they belong. My What, How, and Why > Helping organisations solve diversity challenges through my unique lens of one leader with two genders of experience is my What. > Using Acceptance without Understanding™ is my How. > Creating safe spaces where people feel they belong is my Why! My decision to come out during the peak of my corporate career as a member of the C Suite has been a significant and challenging experience. Along with the valuable insights gained from my decades of experience as a senior executive and board leader, I have also accumulated a wealth of wisdom since my shift towards creating safe spaces for individuals in 2017. It is my hope that others can benefit from this knowledge and use it to establish a secure environment within their organisations. Global Speaking Experience I have been called “an amazing lecturer and teacher for those in hearing distance.” I share knowledge through stories with vulnerability and a passion that connects with audiences on every level. I am well-spoken and publicised in the media and have presented at 400+ events in 30+ countries, both online and in person. I can Help You! By leveraging my broad skill sets and experiences, I consult with corporate clients on challenges and opportunities using my unique lens, including: - Gender-related education and workshops - Create awareness of privilege - Developing intentional cultures - Policy language reviews - Organisational system and process reviews - Developing an inclusive strategy - Facilitating diversity-related workshops and discussions - Transgender experiences in life and work Board Experience I have been part of many boards, including as a founding member numerous times. I have served as National Board Chair for Women’s March Canada, a feminist organisation. I was the Board President for Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. I am a Board Member of the International LGBTIQ organisation and UN Secretariat Outright International based in New York City. Notable Awards: 2020 Yahoo! finance & Involve Leading 100 LGBT+ Executives 2019 Finalist CIO of the Year by Women in IT Awards 2016, 2017, 2018 Financial Posts & Involve Leading 100 LGBT+ Executives 2016 One of the 20 Most Influential CIOs by CXO Talk

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  Dan Littler

  Biosampling Project Leader
  AstraZeneca

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  Nikki Phinyapincha

  Founder
  TransTalents Consulting Group

  Nikki Phinyapincha (she/her) is the founder of TransTalents Consulting Group, Thailand's first LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace consulting firm, aiming to help transform the future of inclusive businesses by empowering LGBTQI+ employees through an ESG and sustainability framework. She helps multisectoral businesses to reframe their diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) policy and practices to thrive profitably and purposefully. She believes in the power of communication to connect and collaborate people for "all" people. As a former PR director for 8 years specializing in branding and communication, she becomes a DE&I speaker, advocating for transgender professional leadership on both the national and international stage, challenging the status quo of traditional social stigma and the business community. She is also the chair of the PRCA APAC Pride Network, the country director of the ASEAN Youth Advocate Network, Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program (YSEALI PFP) 2022 awarded by US government and recently the Future List 100 by Koktail magazine. She also plays basketball and competes in the Spartan Race, fills her brain with people and power management books/podcasts, and has a network obsessed with growth.

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  Jane Grammer

  Diversity and Belonging Champion
  Dorchester Collection

  Growing up with a sibling with complex intellectual and physical disabilities and later coming out as bisexual, championing diversity and belonging has always been a personal mission for me. This mission began in my university days as a journalism student where I wrote articles and blogs advocating social and environmental justice as well as championing the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalised groups. This mission continued into my professional career as an eLearning designer for a corporate ethics and compliance training provider where I was a DEI Subject Matter Expert. I helped global organisations foster inclusive work environments through award winning diversity and inclusion training programs, curriculums and communication strategies to drive transformative behavioural change. In my current role, I oversee Dorchester Collection's global CSR/DEI strategy, leading initiatives to not only attract and retain the diverse talent that make us legendary, but nurture inclusive and psychologically safe work environments where people are encouraged to be their authentic selves. One such initiative launched is the year-long BELONGING campaign. This was designed to move beyond general awareness and deeply explore the diverse identities that exist in our workplace and the challenges they experience so we may nurture an empathetic and compassionate workplace. I also co-lead the Corporate Office Engagement Committee.

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