Women at Workplace Pride – From Ally to Advocate!

Join us for an inspiring and empowering event celebrating women in leadership who are making a positive impact in their workplaces and communities. This special gathering will bring together women who are not only accomplished leaders in their fields but also as dedicated allies to the LGBTIQA+ community.

The panel is made up of women with diverse backgrounds in business and not for profit  who have demonstrated exceptional allyship and advocacy to the LGBTIQA+ community. They are women who have spoken out on issues affecting the LGBTIQA+ community and have used their platforms to amplify marginalised voices.

With this event, the Women@Workplace Pride Community kicks off the campaign around allyship & advocacy in 2025; through a series of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, we will explore the importance of allyship and advocacy in creating a more inclusive and equitable society.

📅 Date: March 14, 2025
📍 Location: Workplace Pride Office, Herengracht 575, 1017 CD Amsterdam
💻 Hybrid Option Available (Join in person or online)

What to Expect:
Engaging Panel Discussion
Community & Connection – Network with like-minded professionals who are passionate about fostering inclusion.
Kickoff to a Year of Advocacy – This event launches the Women@Workplace Pride 2025 Allyship & Advocacy campaign, exploring how we can drive meaningful change.

📅 Event Program (CET Time):
14:15 – Arrival & Light Refreshments
14:30 – Opening by Rochelle McFawn, Community Leader, Women@Workplace Pride
14:45 – Introductions from the panel, Lucy Rouse (Nike Inc VP/GM) Elise Reynard (Workplace Pride)
15:00 – 16:00 – Panel Discussion: Navigating Your Path as an Ally to the LGBTIQA+ Community
16:00 – Drinks & Networking

📌 Important: Only the opening and panel discussion (14:30-16:00 CET) will be available for online streaming.

Let us come together to celebrate, empower, and amplify the voices of women leading the way in inclusion and advocacy.

#WorkplacePride #WomenAtWorkplacePride #LGBTQIAAllyship #Inclusion #Leadership #Advocacy

Lucy Rouse (She/Her) Nike Inc, Global VP/GM with 20 years’ experience in global leadership roles for Nike Inc, including the executive sponsorship of various ERG networks.

Lucy has been a vocal advocate for the LGBTIQ+ community for over two decades, using her platform as a leader to amplify the voices of marginalised groups. She has been a steadfast ally to organisations such as BEN (Black Employee Network) and WOMEN (Women of Nike ), working tirelessly to promote equality and inclusion in the workplace.

Through her tireless advocacy, Lucy has helped to bring attention to the unique challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ individuals from diverse backgrounds and has pushed for policies that address the intersectional nature of discrimination. Her commitment to social justice and her unwavering support for marginalised communities have made her a respected and beloved leader in the fight for equality.

Elise Reynard(She/Her) Works at Workplace Pride as a Project Manager, Executive Assistant, and Learning and Development Facilitator (wearing many hats is important!).  She is an experienced educator and performer with years of teaching artist experience in New York City and Amsterdam. From a young age, her mother was influential in her LGBTIQ+ allyship journey in the workplace, as she would take little Elise to Pride parades and AIDs walks with her colleagues in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This upbringing instilled in her the importance of respecting all people and supporting others. Being an ally to the LGBTIQ+ community is a central part of Elise’s life, and she is dedicated to their safety and well-being in the workplace and beyond. Her time at Workplace Pride has fortified the importance of LGBTQ+ allyship, and she is deeply committed to her own allyship practices, and to the education of those who are dipping their toes into LGBTIQ+ allyship for the first time.

Helen Demosthenous (she/her), KLM Program Lead Diversity & Inclusion, People Transformation Office,  Helen is a true representative of the ‘Rainbow nation”, South Africa.  A born South African, with Cypriot Greek heritage now living in the Netherlands for the last 20 years.  Her own life experiences have shaped her view on DEI. With this experience in implicit bias, inclusive leadership and embracing diversity she shares her knowledge in workshops, panels, talks and in everyday office life.  Creating practical actions to drive and create inclusion is her strength. In leading teams, she is busy with ‘conscious inclusion’ and constantly standing up for marginalized groups, which she prefers to call under-estimated groups. Helen is an advocate for human kindness, respect & support for all with a key undertone: Know your privilege, and stand up for those who don’t have it. She is an advocate and ally to KLM’s employee resource groups: Over the Rainbow (LGBTIQ+ community), Connecting Colours (Ethnicity), Women on Board, YoungKLM (<-35 group) and Experienced KLM (>50 group).  Helen is also part of the United Nations Global Impact group for DEI. In her own words, “I am forcing the world to smile, as a smile is the same in every language! Our differences make us beautiful, embracing them, is embracing inclusion!”

Meeting ID 867 6341 7489

Passcode 816798

Link to Stream https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86763417489?pwd=GXJG5GbiNazjfyQGa0kRDO1xGVlKeL.1