LANAYA IRVIN
President, COQUAL, NYC
Currency of Authenticity: Identity in Professional Spaces
Oct. 29, 2020 at 3:30 p.m.
“Having worked as a black, female-bodied, out LGBT leader on Wall Street, I know firsthand what it’s like to be discounted despite the access and privilege I may have. I’ve experienced micro-aggressions in the workplace, told I’m articulate or asked if I can speak articulately to a client. I’ve experienced the males in the room only addressing the cis-gendered white men on the other side of the table, even if it was my meeting or if I was the most senior banker present. Talking about race at work requires leaders who commit to addressing bias and understanding the dynamics at play within their own work environment. That’s a really challenging part of the work, but it’s critical. You have to look inward and diagnose some cultural weaknesses.”
- Lanaya Irvin