WorkPride 2025: Day three recap and best bits

Day 3 of WorkPride 2025 featured a series of compelling keynote presentations and panels focused on key aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace. Attendees engaged in insightful discussions on mental health, supporting ethnic and indigenous professionals, data-driven inclusion, technology and LGBTQ+ equality, and developing future leaders through mentoring. The day emphasized practical strategies and innovative ideas for fostering a more inclusive work environment.

Here is a recap of the activities from Day Three.

11:30 AM – Opening Keynote

This opening address highlighted emerging themes in allyship, diversity and inclusion, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusive cultures that support well-being and equity.

Gavin Withers, Canada Life: “Put simply, an ally is someone who supports and amplifies the voices of underrepresented groups, often on an intrapersonal level. Whereas an advocate takes that support a step further and actively works to dismantle systemic barriers and drive broader change.”

12:00 PM – Discussing Workplace Mental Health & Well-being

The panel explored the significance of mental health in the workplace, discussing approaches to support employee well-being and create healthier work environments.

Alex Hogarty, Novartis "There's actually a strategic imperative and advantage for companies to [prioritize mental health and wellbeing]...those companies that prioritize and invest in their mental health and well-being have higher returns and greater impact."

Mariangel Maldonado, Booking.com: "We cannot control what's happening out there, but we can control the narrative inside the walls of our offices, and there is power in that."

Supporting Ethnic Minority & Indigenous Professionals

This session focused on strategies to support and advance ethnic minority and indigenous professionals in organizations, fostering diversity at all levels.

Ryland Brennan, ABB:"It's especially important that we support indigenous professionals because of intergenerational trauma and the systemic echoes of colonialism that have been barriers to equal access to things like education, employment and opportunities.”

Char Erskine, Osborne Clarke: "The biggest mistake you could make when starting out on this journey is to assume that there's a one-size-fits-all fix to any of this. There are a million contextual pieces of information that you need to be looking at."

Measuring Inclusion: Using Data to Drive DE&I

Participants examined how data and analytics can effectively measure progress and identify areas for improvement in diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Amira Sabir, Kantar:“Some of the best insights come when we look at it through an intersectional lens. We're looking at not just women and ethnic minorities [separately], we're looking at Black women, South Asian women, Black men.”

Belton Flournoy, Protiviti: "So many times, people start with the numbers and targets, saying we need to increase women and we need to increase ethnic minorities. But that sometimes misses the intent – why do we want to address that?"

AI + LGBTQ? Equality in the Tech Industry

The discussion addressed how artificial intelligence and technology can be leveraged to promote equality and support LGBTQ+ communities within the tech sector.

Kirsten Hoogenakker, Dataiku: "I think we all generally make better decisions when there's more diversity at the table, and this just provides that opportunity for us to actually enact change."

Tristan Grayford, Skyscanner: “Tech can and should stick its neck out to push against media, and legal and political discrimination against our community."

Bisexual Inclusion: Navigating Identity at Work

This panel explored the unique experiences of bisexual employees and best practices for creating inclusive policies and cultures that recognize diverse identities.

Andy Meaney, Oracle: "There's this weird dichotomy of people who think that we're always highly sexual. And yet, at the same time, not queer unless we're dating somebody of the opposite gender."

Ramyaa Ravichandra, Capgemini: "Bisexuality actually challenges the whole concept of binary thinking. And so, to me, it's one of those things where it invites openness and understanding and curiosity of what it means to be a person."

Equity in Action: Inclusive Benefits & Policies

Attendees discussed how organizations can implement equitable benefits and policies to support a diverse range of employee needs and identities.

Brandon Barnes, Box: "Benefits should always be an expression, a representation of what the company values at its core."

Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Harvard Kennedy School: "Progress is not inevitable, or irreversible."

Mentoring for Success: Developing Future Leaders

The final session emphasized the importance of mentoring programs in developing the next generation of diverse leaders, highlighting effective strategies for cultivation and growth.

Kimberly Wolfram, Biogen: "Power imbalances in mentoring relationships can hinder impact; collapsing hierarchy and fostering genuine two-way conversations are key."

Oscar Hoyle, Blossom LGBT: “Going beyond mentorship with sponsorship - advocating for mentees in real opportunities—can significantly accelerate their careers."