TRI Be Yourself Spotlight: Meet El Maxwell

At TRI, one of our values is “Be Yourself” which encourages team members to bring their full selves to work every day. Our diverse views, history, personality, character, and experiences are invaluable to the work we do at TRI and Toyota.

Before taking off for the holidays, we’re introducing TRI Be Yourself Spotlight, a new LinkedIn series featuring TRI employees who live up to their fullest potential every day.?

For our first feature, meet El Maxwell:?

El Maxwell

What do you currently do at TRI??

I am currently TRI’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager, where I’m responsible for helping maintain and develop new programs and practices that foster diversity. I support various groups within the organization and help to develop our overall DEI programming.

What do you love most about what you do??

First and foremost, I love people. So, having the opportunity to work with both TRI colleagues and external business partners truly puts into perspective the importance of creating a culture of diversity and inclusion that actively celebrates the unique identities of our team members.

Why is diversity and inclusion important to you??

Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) are important to me because it points toward progress. Historically, people of color have rarely had the opportunity to influence business and technology. Through D&I, we can create environments and opportunities to highlight people and knowledge that have traditionally been left out. TRI’s goal is to develop research and technology that will positively benefit all people. Therefore, it is critical that we create a collective and holistic understanding of the communities we serve who are impacted by the outcomes of our work.

What’s currently on your playlist or on repeat? And what are you binge-watching these days??

As an African American man who absolutely loves the holidays, I’m all about my ‘Soulful Christmas’ playlist, which includes all of my favorite Christmas songs by my favorite artists: The Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, etc.

I’m also a huge Marvel fanatic, so all things Disney+ are on my radar right now. Next up, the new Hawkeye series!?

What's the best piece of career advice you've ever received?

The best piece of career advice I’ve ever received was actually a quote by Richard Branson: “If you are ever asked to take on a new opportunity, but aren’t sure how...say yes. And figure out how to do it after.” Opportunity is key to growth. Without it, we tend to stagnate. My advice to others is to actively seek out opportunities and put your best foot forward when given a chance to do something new or challenging.?