Pride is a 365-Day Commitment

This week marks the last events of our wELCome 2024 Pride programming calendar and my heart is overflowing with gratitude.

wELCome is the LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group (ERG) at 雅诗兰黛有限公司 and our 2024 Pride theme:?“Beauty in Pride: We Are Here,”?is both a celebratory moment for our community and a call to action for allies alike to reflect, understand, and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community.

It was truly a privilege to make Pride happen for The Estee Lauder Companies this year alongside my fellow wELCome ERG co-chairs Melissa E. Driscol , Zachary Rivera , and Christopher Yee . I’d also like to extend my gratitude to our ID&E partners ( Rob Kaminski , Solange Rodriguez , and Hadear Kandil ) for always lending unwavering support to wELCome, especially during these big moments. And a special thank you to our ERG executive sponsors Glenn Evans and Doug Jensen .?

Below is a recap of what we’ve accomplished together within the past 2 months – these brief summaries only scratch the surface of the impact for our members and partners.

• Glenn Evans , one of our executive sponsors, sat with senior leader Peter Jueptner in a candid fireside chat to discuss the importance of Pride, how we can support the LGBTQIA+ community, and share some personal and professional experiences with our colleagues. A BIG THANK YOU to Sam Neuman for being an amazing partner in bringing this event to life!
• Dr. Sharon Smith, MD, MBA, FACP, Corporate Medical Director, The Estée Lauder Companies, led a session with?Dr. Tia Dole. Ph.D, Chief 988 Lifeline Officer at Vibrant Emotional Health on mental health education, focusing on the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community and strategies for support and resilience.
• Bobbi Brown Cosmetics offered their in-house studio to support wELCome by supplying our members with complementary headshots. Thank you to wELCome Business Alignment Pillar Lead Justin Paxton for bringing this opportunity to us with our wonderful Bobbi Brown Cosmetics partners Francesca Chavez and Emma Eatman .
• wELCome partnered with 谷歌 and The Generations Project , a nonprofit that cultivates intergenerational LGBTQIA+ community and preserves history though oral storytelling, for “You Betta Werk: A Queer Storytelling Event.” Thank you to Mike Bufano for including ELC in such a moving, inspirational evening.
• To support this year’s wELCome Community Impact Grantee, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center , wELCome volunteered at the annual Garden Party – an iconic outdoor Pride celebration aimed to honor and celebrate NYC’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community. Thank you to wELCome Philanthropy Pillar Lead Richard Marzullo, MBA as well as Reneysh Vittal and his team at The Center for such a fun and joyful time.
• In partnership with our colleagues at our Flatiron office culture club, we hosted Emira D’Spain, a multifaceted model, former beauty director, and prominent voice for the trans community in a fireside chat about her personal and professional experiences. Thank you to Steven Darling , Lauren Fleischer , and our wonderful moderators Victor Tirado and Cornell Pineda !
• This year, wELCome partnered with OUT@NBC, the NBCUniversal LGBTQIA+ ERG, for an amazing Pride celebration mixer that included ballroom and drag performances. The instant community that formed amongst our groups was beautiful. Thank you so much to our OUT@NBC partners, including Sean O. , who were such a pleasure to work with.
• In partnership with Noble TR, the Travel Retail chapter of ELC’s Black Leaders and Executives ERG, we attended CATS! Jellicle Ball – a radical reimagining of Andrew Loyd Webber’s iconic musical inspired by NYC’s ballroom culture. Thank you Alessia Wheeler for your partnership in creating such a memorable time for our members.
• In partnership with WLN NOAM, the North America chapter of ELC’s Women’s Leadership Network, and Bumble and bumble, we danced the evening away from the Bumble and bumble offices to The Stonewall Inn in our first one-of-a-kind silent disco. Thank you to Aylin Nazlim and Kate Rowe as well as Hannaniah Whitley for leading us safely all while having a blast!
• In partnership with MENA, our Middle East North Africa ERG, we honored the beautiful intersectionality between LGBTQIA+ and MENA communities by hosting Chef Edy Massih of Edy's Grocer for a discussion, food tasting, and book signing. I’d like to extend our gratitude to MENA co-chairs Rosanna Fugate , Diane Hanna Kerr, MBA , and Sammy Elidrissi for such a stellar partnership and Edy Massih for a delicious, zesty event.
• Lastly, thank you to Jenna Dalto for including wELCome members in the MAC Cosmetics contingent at this year’s NYC Pride march and congrats for a successful showing at NYC Pride!

Although our official programming for Pride 2024 has come to an end, I’d like to leave you with this reminder:

Pride is a 365-day commitment, a call to action to support those around you, an obligation to uplift underrepresented communities, and an opportunity to spread love and acceptance.