Back in 1969, a bisexual activist in New York, Brenda Howard, organized the first-ever pride event at the Stonewall Inn. People gathered around the place and marched on Christopher Street to celebrate the gay community and protest for their rights.
Around the world, Pride is dedicated to heralding LGBTQ voices, celebrating LGBTQ culture and the support of LGBTQ rights.
At K2, we wholeheartedly support and celebrate a society where everyone is accepted, respected and included for who they are.
As we celebrate Pride, we’d like to celebrate the amazing people we have across our business and, as we always do, give them the platform they deserve, to talk about why inclusion and acceptance is so important to their careers.
Bruna Marcucci Pedro (She/Her)
Legal & Compliance Manager
“I tend to be very open about my sexuality at work because I’ve always felt comfortable within K2. I have been with the company for 3 years and the feeling of belonging, regardless of any factor external to my technical/professional knowledge, is what governs our relationships within the company. In addition, participating directly in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives makes me even more proud and happy to know that I work at a company where respect for others is the best way to evolve together!”
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Jorge Garay Lebrija (He/Him)
General Counsel Spanish Speaking Latin America
“I have always been open about my sexual orientation, and I am grateful to get to live in a time where, more and more (there is still a long way to go), who you love is not a matter that sparks, among others, some people’s concern, disgust, or hatred. I have to say I have always felt completely comfortable about letting people know who I am from the first day I started in K2, more than four years ago.
The quality and sensitivity of its individuals, the different global initiatives and policies protecting and enforcing inclusion and equality (some of which I have actively and happily participated in), and the feeling of belonging to this global family where who you are is not minimized to only one of your attributes, is what made me realize (and still does, every single day) that I get to work at a company where evolution is the constant.”
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Zaidy Ramirez (She/Her)
Global Director of Salesforce Managed Services
“While working at K2 Partnering Solutions for the last nine years of my life, I have been provided all the opportunities any other talented peer would deserve and I have never felt any different from my peers, I went from working as a Technical Architect right through the Chief Technology Officer seat and now I am opening a new country as a Delivery Practice Director, passing through many countries while changing job titles, so never felt the bias.
Furthermore, until someone from another company invited me to be part of a Diversity and Inclusion panel I NEVER actually noticed. I am proud to be part of a company that even before it became a trend, K2 promoted equal payment for women, hire Women in IT, broke the bias of hiring a Latina in the UK, and finally never opposed my integrity of being openly a lesbian.
I am now married to a Brazilian lady with whom I am forming a family. To support us even further, K2 has even got a policy that provides me and my family the same parental benefit (time off) as any other mother would get, doesn’t matter if I become a mother via adoption or IVF, which is really good as settling down as new mothers would be a great milestone within our lives and it deserves to have the time to adjust to our new life.”
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Jean Calixto (He/Him)
Senior Account Executive
“I have always been a little afraid to talk about my personal life within the corporate environment, but when I started at K2 I felt comfortable since the work environment and DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives provide a safe and friendly environment, in which I can be who I am!”
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Christian Smith (He/Him)
Technical Recruiter Americas
“As someone who is still within their first year at K2, I was comfortable being my true authentic self from day one. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is something I take pride in and the culture at K2 allows me to be open as if it’s no different from the norm. My leaders take time to understand me and how I can bring a different perspective to the industry through my lived experiences as an open POC gay man. The authenticity and integrity of what we do here are no different than the various identities within the organization. “Being the best, by working with the best” means working with everyone and K2 does just that.”
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Kimberlee LaClair
Technical Recruiter Americas
“Every company boasts their culture is top-notch, but rarely do you find they follow through with it. Walking into K2, I realized I could simply be all the pieces of myself, including openly talking about the woman I’m in love with and even sharing some of my story of coming out to coworkers. It wasn’t a typical conversation in any job I’d had before, especially with company leaders, but I love working for a company and promoting positivity, acceptance and overall humanity. I love working every day in a culture that truly lets me be me.”
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Marissa Rico
K2 University Team Lead
“Pride matters and I am proud of who I am! Proud employees are more engaged and stay longer. I have been with K2 almost nine years this September and I am happy of being part of a company where respect for others is the best way to evolve as a team but also developing closer, more genuine relationships with my colleagues was possible thanks to a culture that allows you to be yourself, thrive for succeed.”
Find out more about working at K2.
