Celebrating Pride with a new partnership

At Wipfli, we believe our people power everything we do, and diversity is a strength worth embracing. Every day, we strive to become an even more LGBTQ+-friendly organization, which is why we’re always looking for new ways to help foster an environment of inclusion.

With Pride Month upon us, it’s the perfect time to reflect on our objectives and highlight the partners and associates who are helping us reach our goals. We are proud to announce our new partnership with Out and Equal, a workplace advocacy nonprofit dedicated to advancing the cause of LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion globally.

Partnering for change

Out & Equal is a global nonprofit organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

Out and Equal provides organizations with the resources and expertise they need to become better allies and advance the causes of equality and LGBTQ+ rights worldwide. We are excited about the opportunity ahead of us to make a big difference both within Wipfli and in the larger community.

Daniel Bashore, Wipfli associate and current chair of the Wipfli Pride Business Resource Group (BRG), said of the partnership, “This year, we decided to look more inclusively at the organizations we’re partnering with, and that’s where Out and Equal comes into play. They’re going to be a really powerful global partner for us.”

One big advantage of this new partnership is the resources they provide to help recruit a more diverse workforce. They tap into their vast global network to attract and foster working relationships with talented members of the LGBTQ+ community. Providing more opportunities and increasing visibility is a cornerstone of our diversity initiatives.

We will also be working closely with Out and Equal to help develop educational programming and training for our Wipfli workforce, furthering our commitment to an equitable workplace. For instance, we’re launching pronoun and inclusive language training at our office in Bengaluru, India, with the aim of fostering a culture of respect and equality for all.

“Part of our goal as a BRG is to make sure that we’re providing programming that is educating folks on the queer experience, what it means to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community and how you can support members of the community,” said Bashore.

Out and Equal’s extensive network of partners also gives us the perfect opportunity to connect with the larger business world on issues that matter to the LGBTQ+ community. We can learn more about what policies and initiatives have worked well for them and offer our own insights on increasing LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace.

Pride at Wipfli

Pride business resource group in Buffalo Grove, June 2024

But that’s not where our commitment ends. Our internal Pride BRG is always hard at work educating and advocating on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. Since 2020, the Pride BRG has grown tremendously, having recently sat our newest chair. The leadership group, comprised of 10 associates and partners, is running at full strength and is ready to make an impact for Wipfli as a whole.

“The Pride leadership team is at full strength,” Bashore said. “We have a really dedicated and skilled leadership team, and I’m really excited about the creativity and the possibilities that I see.”

The Pride BRG recently celebrated Pride Month with an in-person event in Buffalo Grove, Illinois and will end with a keynote speech from James Barnes, who will share his experience as a transgender man and emphasize the importance of allyship.

“I’m sure there is a lot of discovery and understanding happening throughout the firm because you might not have a transgender friend or maybe don’t know anyone who is part of that community. We wanted to be able to provide an avenue for awareness of those topics and issues that are facing the LGBTQ+ community,” Bashore said of the speech.

Diversity and inclusion are core values of Wipfli, and we are committed to creating a workplace — and a world — that celebrates the unique voices that collectively make us stronger. Learn more about Wipfli’s pledge to diversity and inclusion.