Practice Article, Brand Partnerships is Cool!

Coming out and living life openly as part of the LGBTQ+ community takes courage, especially in the workplace. Some may not know what reaction they’ll receive if they discuss their spouse or transition or hobbies; others may already know that some of their co-workers will be hostile to their lives. Then, there are those fortunate enough to not only work with LGBTQ+ colleagues, but to be surrounded by allies and a corporate culture that welcomes diversity and features policies supporting equitable health care and other benefits.

Jeffrey Cooke, tech events program manager for Capital One, counts himself as one of the lucky latter. Helping promote Capital One employees at high-profile industry gatherings, Cooke is buoyed by a queer-friendly corporate culture; he says it’s one of the reasons he’s been with the company for nearly a decade. Cooke spoke with us recently about how he and his employer foster diversity, and why he sees it as more than a smart investment.

How have you helped increase and promote diversity at Capital One?

Two examples come to mind. One is a bit closer to home for me. I’m proud to be openly gay  I have had the opportunity to help our Out Front Business Resource Group, which supports our LGBTQ+ associates, think through[1]  a national Pride sponsorship strategy. For the better part of five years, I served in a leadership role for the Out Front team, thinking through how we differentiate our presence at some of the larger Pride festivals that we sponsored. Here in D.C., specifically when I started, our float was just a colleague’s stroller pushing us around with some beads and maybe a handful of us walking. Fast-forward five or so years, we had a proper float with hundreds of associates with their partners and allies. Getting to see that journey was astounding.

More recently, I joined the diversity, inclusion and belonging pod in Corporate Communications, the department I work in, and specifically think through[2]  the racial reckoning the country has gone through. How can we center minority voices? How can I use my voice, and the privilege that comes with being a white man, to center others? That’s a space I continue to be in today, thinking how we can support that work and our teammates in that journey.

We have "think through" here and "thinking through" in the next sentence. Let's change this one to "develop."

consider, contemplate, reflect