Lucky me! I recently got the inside scoop, the 411, the down lowwwww at Uber! No no, not the key ingredient to creating a multi-million dollar company (unfortunately) but something even better (IMO). I got to take a look inside UberPride, one of the company’s ERGs (employee resource groups) and something that I’ve taken much more interest in lately given the political and social turmoil that our country is facing.
Of course I was excited to get a peek inside the Uber HQ but the day turned into SO.MUCH.MORE. than that. I had the pleasure of getting to know Ru Flores, a fellow lesbian and Senior Technical Recruiter at Uber. She also sits on the board of UberPride as the West Coast Lead, so in reality, a freakin’ baller human. Our champagne toast at the end of the day was more than deserved for all this lady has accomplished.
Let me backup and discuss UberPride for a sec. Everything from smaller company gatherings and weekly happy hours to sponsoring Pride celebrations across the globe, UberPride is dedicated to creating a safe space for LGBTQ people at Uber and beyond. 🏳️🌈
One that particular stuck out to me during our 1:1…
In response to the recent #WontBeErased movement (ICYMI: Members of our government *cough, cough* are essentially trying to erase trans people from our society), Ru held an online/VC “office hours” for all of North America and Canada so trans-identifying Uber employees could share their thoughts, struggles, and get some emotional support. Talk about a serious undertaking, but she did it, and I admire her and Uber for taking the initiative. 👏👏👏
Not only is UberPride there to directly help members of the LGBTQ community but also to educate non-LGBTQ people – and that’s equally necessary in my book. Next on the docket… a series of educational videos for prospective employees to make gay people feel more comfortable about working at Uber, and straight people more educated on LGBTQ issues and sensitive to our existence, should they come from environments where it’s not as prevalent of a reality as it is here in SF. HELL YES. Any other company owners out there reading this, take note, Uber has set the example. 💯
Dear Ru, you are all around badass; a super inspiring woman and leader. I’m so grateful for our time together. It’s so refreshing for me to talk to another gay woman in the city who’s making sh*t happen. I hope I see you again soon!
Our meeting left me feeling hopeful that the world is in-fact improving in small ways; that there are other people/companies out there making more equality and inclusion initiatives than the daily news leads me to believe.
This post was sponsored by Uber but all conversations and opinions are my own.
