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*Register
When you register you will have the option to select an in-person ticket or a virtual ticket. If you register with a virtual ticket, the webinar link will be included in your confirmation email, and it will also be sent to you in a reminder email on the day of.
About
The Center for Ethics, Diversity and Workplace Culture (CEDWC) is proud to be hosting our first biennial Equality at Work conference on April 1, 2022. Equality at Work 2022: Voices of Pride will be a day-long conference focused on LGBTQIA+ issues in the workplace. We welcome all undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners to join us.
The conference was originally conceived by three Fox undergraduate students who expressed a need for both education and community building around LGBTQIA+ issues in the business world. The day will include keynote speaker Beth Brooke, former global vice chair at EY (Ernst and Young); three panels highlighting academic experts, business executives and Temple alumni with lived experiences; a concluding talk by Celena Morrison, executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs of the City of Philadelphia and an opportunity for students to connect with local LGBTQIA+ friendly employers.
There is no required dress code for this conference. However, if you plan to network with potential employers at the event, we encourage business casual attire. Attendees are also free to come and go as their schedules permit.
Meet The Students
Maggie Luong (she/her)
Fox Class of 2023
“When I entered Temple University in fall 2019, I was scared to step in the real world and live my truth as a queer woman of color. The Voices of Pride Conference is something my younger self wishes she had. It would have made a world of a difference to know that she could live authentically and make space for herself with an ensemble of people supporting her, which is what this conference will do.”
Sean Boyer (he/him)
Fox Class of 2022
“The Voices of Pride conference is important to me because it will connect members of the LGBTQ+ community, allies, and corporate partners at Temple. It will encourage participants to promote inclusive policies in the workforce and provide visibility to members of the LGBTQ+ community.” This conference will be the culmination of my coming out journey, and I hope it will help others discover self-authenticity.
Stephen Fiora (he/him)
Fox Class of 2023
“The Voices of Pride Conference is important to me because it allows LGBTQ+ students to connect with one another and circumvent barriers that they face within the business world. Gay and transgender people could be fired solely due to their gender/sexual identities under federal law all the way up until the June 15, 2020. Conferences like these can help support the LGBTQ+ community and aid in overcoming the systematic biases that have been holding it back in the American workplace.”
Meet Our Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Beth Brooke
(she/her)
Director, The New York Times Company, eHealth, Beta Bionics, Tricolor Holdings, SHEEX, and The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC)
Beth Brooke serves on the Board of The New York Times Company, eHealth, Beta Bionics, Tricolor Holdings and SHEEX, as well as the USOPC, Aspen Institute, Conference Board, the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality, APCO’s International Advisory Council and the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Formerly, Brooke had a four decade career at EY. She was its Global Vice Chair-Public Policy, a member of EY’s Global Board and global sponsor of Diversity and Inclusion. In the Clinton Administration, she played roles in the Healthcare and Superfund reform efforts and had tax policy responsibility for insurance and managed care.
Brooke is a recognized global advocate of diversity and inclusion and has been named to Forbes “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” list eleven times. She earned a BS degree in industrial management and computer science from Purdue University, where she played intercollegiate basketball and is in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. She founded the Women Athletes Business Network, which helps elite female athletes pivot from success in sport to success in business after their competitive sporting career ends.
Panel 1: Being Out in the Workplace: Strategies, Employee Rights and Employer Responsibilities
Alex Reed
(he/him)
Alex Reed is an associate professor of legal studies at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. His research focuses on LGBTQ+ employment discrimination, with particular emphasis on Title VII and the Equality Act. His work has appeared in a number of leading law journals, including the Harvard Journal on Legislation, the American Business Law Journal, the Berkeley Journal of Employment & Labor Law and the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law, among others.
Deb Franklin
(she/her)
Deb Franklin, MBA ’00, is a 22-year U.S. Air Force Veteran and proud Fox School of Business alumna. During her MBA program, she worked as a Graduate Assistant in the Center for Student Professional Development and served as the President of the MBA Student Association. After receiving her MBA in 2000, she accepted a position in GlaxoSmithKline’s Management Development Program. Her pharmaceutical experience includes strategic roles in sales, marketing and market research for several multibillion dollar brands. She also worked for a leading healthcare consulting firm and most recently a global professional hygiene company. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, watching movies, WNBA games and playing cards.
Panel 2: Transgender Workers and Transitioning at Work
Alex Reed
(he/him)
Alex Reed is an associate professor of legal studies at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. His research focuses on LGBTQ+ employment discrimination, with particular emphasis on Title VII and the Equality Act. His work has appeared in a number of leading law journals, including the Harvard Journal on Legislation, the American Business Law Journal, the Berkeley Journal of Employment & Labor Law and the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law, among others.
Deb Franklin
(she/her)
Deb Franklin, MBA ’00, is a 22-year U.S. Air Force Veteran and proud Fox School of Business alumna. During her MBA program, she worked as a Graduate Assistant in the Center for Student Professional Development and served as the President of the MBA Student Association. After receiving her MBA in 2000, she accepted a position in GlaxoSmithKline’s Management Development Program. Her pharmaceutical experience includes strategic roles in sales, marketing and market research for several multibillion dollar brands. She also worked for a leading healthcare consulting firm and most recently a global professional hygiene company. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, watching movies, WNBA games and playing cards.
Conference Agenda
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. – Introductory Remarks
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Panel 1: Being Out in the Workplace: Strategies, Employee Rights, Employer Responsibilities
Speakers
- Moderator: Jeffrey Boles (he/him), professor of legal studies, Fox School of Business
- Alex Reed (he/him), professor of legal studies, University of Georgia
- Lee Carpenter (she/her), professor of law, Beasley School of Law
- Kate Fitta (she/her), principal, Burren Green
- Deb Franklin (she/her), MBA ’00, career marketing research professional
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – BREAK
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Panel 2: Transgender Workers and Transitioning at Work
Speakers
- Moderator: Debra Blair (she/her), professor and director of organizational diversity, equity and inclusion, STHM
- Heath Davis (he/him), professor of political science, Temple University College of Liberal Arts
- Marcus Iannozzi (he/him), Founder and principal, Message Agency
- Katie Krasky (she/her), Associate, Goldman Sachs
- Lily Zheng (they/them), Diversity, equity and inclusion consultant
Employer Connect
Real-talk with Really Great Companies!
In addition to thought-leading presentations, Voices of Pride would like to connect students with LGBTQIA+ professionals and Temple Alumni for career conversations.
Visit Alter Hall Room 745 between 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and speak with professionals from LGBTQIA+ friendly companies about their career journey, their company’s culture and employer resource groups.
Ask questions, learn about potential jobs & internships and build your network.
Conference Resources
Gender-Neutral Restrooms
Access a map of gender-neutral restrooms throughout Temple University’s campus.
FLDP Points
Each panel is worth FLDP points. QR codes will be provided for each panel.
Additional Services
Temple University LGBTQIA+ Services
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the land on which we sit and occupy today as the traditional and ancestral home of the Lenni Lenape and other Indigenous nations of the Schuylkill and Delaware River.
Without them, we would not have access to this gathering and to this dialogue. We take this opportunity to thank and honor the original caretakers of this land.
We additionally acknowledge the African ancestors that were enslaved and utilized to build upon the land taken from Indigenous nations.
To learn more about the Lenape Nation, please visit: Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania (lenape-nation.org)
Sponsors
This event is sponsored by the Center for Ethics, Diversity and Workplace Culture (CEDWC).
CEDWC is a hub for research, dialogue and innovation within Temple University’s Fox School of Business and the School of Sport Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM). Leora Eisenstadt, director of the center, brings together leaders in industry, government and academia to focus on building and harnessing diverse workforces and creating ethical and healthy workplace cultures.