PTW Goes Online

2020 was a doozy.

Work had started back in 2019 to get a plan together for the Proud to Work (aka PTW) conference in June ’20. We were excited to start announcing our speakers and topics and build upon the previous year’s efforts in an in-person, four-day event.

And then? Pandemic. 

Through brainstorms and working sessions, connecting with clients, talking tech with the wizards, and dreaming about our organizational ambitions, we developed a new way to move forward. Over and over throughout the working sessions with so many stakeholders, we kept saying that the challenges that exist for the Queer community won’t stop due to a global health crisis, and in fact, they will likely multiply. It was more important than ever to be guided by our purpose.

We went online. And we went big.

Launched in 2020, PTW is the place to learn at your own pace from a library of topics that spans all areas of our training, recordings of past events and meetups, and opportunities to connect with like-minded peers on journeys similar to yours.

We had ideas about developing an online learning space, but it wasn’t until 2020 when we saw the objectives more clearly. In addition to our in-person events, hosting online events opens our community to so many more opportunities to learn, share their points of view, and develop inclusive Queer workspaces.

Just a handful of reasons why we’re excited…

• For some of us, being out at work isn’t an option. We hope that this community allows you to show up how you choose and connect with like-minded folks that create support along the journey, wherever it may lead.
• A group of peers that can help you, have been where you are now, and provide mentorship and connection. Listen, learn, and keep growing.
• We’ve updated the programming to include four events throughout the year, ongoing meetups focused on a single topic or speaker, and opportunities for 1:1 meetups within the community.
• We hope to have in-person events to supplement the online convo, too. We will evolve, as will all of us, as it becomes safe to be together again. All said, however, we know that being together online is a really important part of our learning ecosystem, and well worth the investment now and in the future.

But wait, there’s more!

We haven’t even discussed what we have in store for upcoming career fairs and other job seeker tools. We can’t do it without you. Thank you for being a part of this community!

We’d love to have you join in on the conversation, too. Comment below about what you’d like to see in 2021.

PS: If you aren’t a member or want to learn more about all the perks of the PTW programs, you can read more here.