Celebrating Black LGBTQ+ Excellence: panel recap

The Celebrating Black LGBTQ+ Excellence panel hosted by myGwork brought together four professionals who reflected on authenticity, intersectionality, and the power of community at work. Moderated by Belton Flournoy, Managing Director at Protiviti, the conversation centered on how being both Black and LGBTQ+ shapes leadership, resilience and inclusion in today’s workplaces.

Jermaine Cobbs, Senior Manager of Technology Customer Experience at Invesco, spoke about moving from caution to confidence over the course of his career. Early on, he often felt unable to be fully open about his sexuality at work, but supportive leadership and inclusive cultures helped him step into his identity and his authority. Today, he sees himself as both a role model and a door-opener for others coming behind him. As Jermaine put it,

“I am who I am, I'm gonna be who I'm going to be, and I'm going to be respected. I think commanding that respect is the biggest thing.”

Yara Cardona, Supervisor at Kantar, drew on her experience as an Afro-Latina marketing research professional to highlight the importance of authentic representation and the dangers of treating communities as checkboxes. She described how her own journey from heavy code-switching to showing up fully has become a responsibility to model broader, more inclusive leadership - especially for those whose identities sit at multiple intersections. Speaking to brands and employers alike, Yara stressed,

“We are more than the sum of our parts, and as soon as brands see that, you can reach us better.”

Andrea Boyce, Senior Administrator at Fitch Group and an active ally in her firm’s Pride network, focused on what true allyship looks like in practice. She emphasized that inclusion requires intentional leadership, thoughtful use of data, equitable policies (such as healthcare and benefits), and strong employee resource groups that create real community and safety. For Andrea, support must go far beyond words:

“The word ally, and allyship, it's not just a title, it's an action word.”

Quincy Ojih, Global Product Manager at HP and the youngest member of the panel, offered a powerful perspective on early-career experiences. He described how university and professional norms can train young people to code-switch, but also how an accepting company culture and strong ERGs allowed him to show up at work as his full self. To others entering the workforce, Quincy’s message was clear:

“Don't ever feel like you have to change yourself to make others comfortable, because at the end of the day, you know who you are, and so therefore, you should show up as you are.”

Missed it? You can rewatch the full panel here.