Search Results

Surrogate A surrogate is a person who carries the pregnancy of another person or couple. This process usually includes a legal agreement between the surrogate and parent(s). Surrogacy is pursued by people and couples who are not able to carry their own children, such as AMAB couples or AFAB people experiencing fertility issues. < Back to Glossary

(she/her) Marie-Helene Diversity & Inclusion have been at the heart of Marie-Helene’s career since the start. As an out, gay woman, inclusion, visibility and acceptance have been constant drivers in her career. Today she is Global Inclusion, Diversity & Belonging Business Partner at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty , where she leads DEI initiatives globally. In addition to this, Marie-Helene has been involved in the Pride Employee Resource Group in the Allianz Group since 2018 – and has been the Chair since January 2022. In this role she sets the strategy for LGBTQ+ inclusion for the Allianz Group worldwide. She is very vocal and active on social media on LGBTQ+ inclusion. Her engagement and dedication was recognised last year by her receiving an award in France of Role Model LGBT Leader by L’Autre Cercle . Marie-Helene Tyack Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Beyond Calendar Moments: How Organisations Turn Belonging Into a Movement. Community Building 101 | Wellbeing with Panteres Grogues. Our Community Impact: 2025 Year in Review. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Anxiety Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe (which is often identified through medical diagnosis). Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life, but LGBTQ+ people are more than twice as likely to experience. If your anxiety is getting in the way of your everyday life, it's important to seek support from people that you trust, and find holistic tools to help manage the symptoms. See: Grounding, Meditation & Reflection. < Back to Glossary

Ambassador An ambassador (in terms of DEI) is normally someone who an organisation or brand partners with. Normally, this ambassador will be part of a marginalised community who is vocal on societal issues and injustices. < Back to Glossary

Detransition Detransitioning is when a person decides to stop or reverse their gender transition. Detransitioning can be a permanent or temporary choice. People may choose to detransition for a variety of reasons such as health concerns, financial instability, a lack of social support, exposure to violence or simply deciding that transitioning was not right for them or did not alleviate their gender dysphoria. < Back to Glossary

Brave Space A brave space encourages constructive but often challenging dialogue. Recognising difference and holding each person accountable to do the work of sharing experiences and coming to new understandings – a feat that’s often hard, and typically uncomfortable. It is important we have these spaces, especially considering that the Queer community intersects with so many others, and we have so much to learn from one another. See: Courageous Communication. < Back to Glossary

Indigiqueer Indigiqueer is another term sometimes used alongside or to refer to the Two-Spirit identity; more often it is a term used by some LGBTQ+ Indigenous people who do not self-identify as Two-Spirit, or by those who identify with both. < Back to Glossary

Transformation Transformation is, by definition, a dramatic change - a metamorphosis, of sorts. Personal transformation often occurs when people push through obstacles or difficult periods in their life. A positive outlook, a growth mindset, and introspection are all essential in helping people become stronger versions of themselves. See: Change, Reflection, Resilience, Self-Awareness and Post-traumatic Growth. < Back to Glossary

(she/her) Cindy Cindy is an award winning digital communication consultant with more than 10 years of experience in the social and digital communication field, developing strategies in MENA for brands such as New Suez Canal, Qi, Kimberly Clark, British American Tobacco, Coca Cola, The Cheesecake Factory, GROHE, Unilever, Roche, UNICEF, LG, Volkswagen and Nissan. She is an advocate for volunteer work with cultural and tourism sustainability NGO’s such as Anna Lindh foundation, the cultural center in Zouk Mikael, WHL and Souk el Tayeb. She’s also the co-founder of Barcelona-based Lebanese restaurant, Bērytī. Cindy Nehme Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Beyond Calendar Moments: How Organisations Turn Belonging Into a Movement. Community Building 101 | Wellbeing with Panteres Grogues. Our Community Impact: 2025 Year in Review. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

(he/they) Alex Alex is a trans non-binary person based in London. They currently work full-time for a homeless social care support charity. Before making a recent career change, Alex was previously a graduate trainee at a large consulting firm, working across Banking Risk consultancy, HR consultancy and Audit. He simultaneously worked with the firm’s LGBT-network, representing the firm at multiple LGBT recruitment events, and reviewed the firm’s policies regarding LGBT-inclusivity. Alex transitioned while at work, and learnt to juggle personal challenges and uncertainty, while maintaining workplace full-engagement. Alex Howell Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Beyond Calendar Moments: How Organisations Turn Belonging Into a Movement. Community Building 101 | Wellbeing with Panteres Grogues. Our Community Impact: 2025 Year in Review. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Fa'afafine The Fa'afafine are a third gender of the Samoan people. Fa'afafine are generally assigned male at birth but embody a mix of feminine and masculine characteristics and are an integral part of Samoan culture. < Back to Glossary

(they/them) Gayathiri Gayathiri is a Tamil, disabled poet and organiser. A child of war refugees, they're interested in how language shapes belonging and how we might use it to queer the future. Gayathiri has spoken on decolonising literature, access and sex education for Bloody Good Period, Audible, Sex Money Power with Sara Pascoe, Bi Pride UK and UK Black Pride. Gayathiri runs the poetry workshops ‘WORD-BENDERS’ and ‘Queer Poetry Sauna’ at Hackney Baths. They’re a co-author of Sex Ed: An Inclusive Teenage Guide to Sex and Relationships. Gayathiri won the Disabled Poets Prize 2024 and their debut novel-in-verse is forthcoming with Faber. Gayathiri Kamalakanthan Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Beyond Calendar Moments: How Organisations Turn Belonging Into a Movement. Community Building 101 | Wellbeing with Panteres Grogues. Our Community Impact: 2025 Year in Review. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Stress Stress is our body's reaction to coping with physical, mental or emotional pressure. Stress can manifest as feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious or unable to relax. It can affect your breathing, disrupt your sleep or eating habits and worsen pre-existing health conditions or addictions. Continuous, ongoing stress (chronic stress) can lead to various auto-immune illnesses and burnout. See: Minority Stress and Burnout. < Back to Glossary

Resilience Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioural flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands. A number of factors contribute to how well people adapt to adversities, predominant among them: - the ways in which individuals view and engage with the world - the availability and quality of social resources - specific coping strategies Psychological research demonstrates that the resources and skills associated with more positive adaptation (i.e., greater resilience) can be cultivated and practiced. See: Creating Space, Self-Care and Wellbeing. < Back to Glossary

(she/her) Somar Somar is a Business Consultant and Advisor with a wealth of experience in DEI and organizational culture. She has worked with top companies such as Google , Vodafone , and HSBC for over 7 years. Somar has Iraqi roots and was raised in the UK but currently resides in Mexico. She recently helped Natura &Co , the largest publicly traded B-Corp , develop their first DEI strategy and capture DEI data. When she is not working, Somar volunteers as a mentor and tutor to students from marginalized communities. She is an expert in DEI, culture change, community building, recruitment, and workplace allyship. Somar Ibrahim Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Beyond Calendar Moments: How Organisations Turn Belonging Into a Movement. Community Building 101 | Wellbeing with Panteres Grogues. Our Community Impact: 2025 Year in Review. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Non-profit A non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or non-profit institution, is a legal entity organised and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in contrast with an entity that operates as a business aiming to generate a profit for its owners or stake-holders. A non-profit is subject to the non-distribution constraint: any revenues that exceed expenses must be committed to the organization's purpose, not taken by private parties. An array of organisations are non-profit, including some political organizations, schools, business associations, churches, social clubs, and consumer cooperatives. < Back to Glossary

(he/him) Aditya Aditya (Adi) is an experienced Marketing Strategy Director and proud immigrant, currently based in south London. As a South Asian Queer person, he has found strength in his cultural heritage and is passionate about advocating for intersectional identities. Adi is also a talented Hindi/Urdu poet and lives with his loving English partner. He has a personal connection to mental health, as he lives with complex-PTSD, and is committed to promoting well-being and self-empowerment. Adi is a strong advocate for anti-racism, workplace allyship, and trauma-informed care. He is also an expert in leadership and faith-based activism, and actively supports Queer POC in their careers. Adi Sinha Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Beyond Calendar Moments: How Organisations Turn Belonging Into a Movement. Community Building 101 | Wellbeing with Panteres Grogues. Our Community Impact: 2025 Year in Review. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

(he/him) Dr Sunni Sunni is the founder of Dish Dash Deets – a company and platform focused on health coaching, education, and food with a mission to support everyone's holistic wellbeing journey. He has held several senior corporate roles in global corporations and led ED&I and Wellness initiatives across organisations. He holds a PhD and is currently a gut health influencer, Level 3 certified PT and Fitness Instructor as well as a culinary medicine coach. He has a weekly health segment on BBC Radio Stoke and has been featured by the BBC , ITV and other leading press outlets. Sunni Patel Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Beyond Calendar Moments: How Organisations Turn Belonging Into a Movement. Community Building 101 | Wellbeing with Panteres Grogues. Our Community Impact: 2025 Year in Review. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

(he/they) Paul Paul Forster is a UK based inclusive leadership coach and lifelong renegade. He’s earned a reputation for celebrating and supporting marginalised leaders to make economic and social impacts on local, national and global stages. He’s supported 500+ leaders (from deep tech spin-outs to social justice orgs, via B2B SaaS solutions and hyper-local community projects) to define what success means for them and lead thriving teams. As a social entrepreneur he founded a queer event production collective, a publishing CIC platforming underrepresented writers, and is currently advocating for health technology innovators. Paul Forster Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Beyond Calendar Moments: How Organisations Turn Belonging Into a Movement. Community Building 101 | Wellbeing with Panteres Grogues. Our Community Impact: 2025 Year in Review. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Ageism Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or group based on their age. < Back to Glossary