This post is sponsored by Uber.
All opinions are my own and those of UberPride member, Sasha Arias.
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Building on my partnership with Uber, I took a trip to Washington D.C. to connect with a member of the UberPride and get a deeper look in to the company’s employee resource groups (ERGs). I met with Sasha Arias, a queer cisgender females who is currently a Central Operations Manager for the U.S. & Canada. Her role focuses on driver-partner on boarding and rollback, which is a mixture of strategy and data analytics.
Sasha and I’s afternoon together flew by. After a tour of the four floor office, we finally got down to business! I tried my best to keep the interview as casual as possible, but given our political climate, I couldn’t help but ask some targeted questions. Here’s a snippet of our discussion:
I’m familiar with how the company describes the UberPride ERG, but I’d like to hear from you how you would describe UberPride!
“I think that this company is filled with so many progressive and very opinionated people, I would definitely say! So, eventually, I think there was a need for community among those individuals. I think about that work ‘community’ that’s the root and all of these people coming together to be proud and visible in their identities. Also, it gives people that didn’t know whether or not it was safe to be out at work, a platform to express their opinions at work. So, eventually, they created UberPride and slowly but surely, it expanded to more than just the San Francisco office. It spread throughout the U.S. and now we have an UberPride chapter in India and all over the globe.
Whether at work or moved by things that are happening in the world, we have a place where we can share together. It’s a community that was made because of the people and the mindset that we have to do the right thing. It just amplifies our voices, identity, and visibility at work and outside of work – life now, for example.”
How has it been for you personally working for Uber?
“When you look at a job posting for my role for example, it’ll say life 4-5 years in business analytics with a BA (masters preferred) with a slew of other requirements. But at this company and being with the UberPride ERG, I have felt that I can reach my fullest potential even though I don’t have a bachelors degree. I don’t feel like I have to cover up who I am here. I don’t feel like I’m going to be looked down upon because I come from a different background that other people that I work with. I feel empowered to own it. I feel empowered to be the masculine queer person of color on the fourth floor that’s demanding that we change so and so policy. It feels great! I don’t know that I would feel the same way at any other company.”
What type of resources and support does ERG provide to their LGBTQ+ employees?
“That is a great, great questions! I think number one, more so than anything else that I’ve had at Uber, I’ve had access to professional development. When I say that, I mean we have access to conferences, workshops, and external speakers. For example, Lesbians Who Tech and Out & Equal. I had the opportunity to go to both of those and we always set up a video conference so people in other offices can join. We also share it with the office as a whole, so people that are not members of an ERG can benefit as well. This is powerful, because it gives people access to information that will help them improve and Uber gives them the time to do so. For myself, I love these opportunities, because they help me grow personally and professionally, but also just give me the motivation to keep going and keep fighting in my everyday struggle as a queer person of color and a queer person of color in work space.”
Shifting gears to Uber’s involvement in the community……
In light of the most recent NYTs article regarding the proposed eraser of trans rights, is Uber doing anything to help fight for the rights of trans people?
“We’ve created informational sessions and talked through our BPO agents on how they go through processes or get support tickets for the trans community.
But, I think it’s just visibility! We need visibility, we need people to understand that these are people that we work with everyday. People that are just as important as everyone else that works at this company. We need to know! This needs to be visible. We need to talk about our differences because that’s what makes us a great company.”
Considering the political climate in our country and threat to civil liberties, what would your suggestions be to other brands who are trying to become more active at the grassroots level?
“One, if you don’t have ERG’s yet, get them immediately! It’s so important to have that D&I (Diversity & Inclusion) space. So important to have a sense of community at work. It’s important to have those places to share, more specifically, places that are safe to share. Also, having that unity among other people that you work with, whether that’s in your same office or an office in another country. Another thing that’s really important is having all the different ERGs talk to each other, which we do. You’re stronger in numbers, so uniting is so valuable. Additionally, we have senior leadership behind us, which is great, because it motivates other people who are on the fence to participate.”
As a queer woman of color, I’ve faced a handful of challenges in the professional space. It was encouraging to learn that a company such as Uber has created a space to help people grow in their careers while also allowing them to be their authentic selves.
The real treat was getting to chat with Sasha, another queer masculine presenting woman of color (WOC), who is fearlessly fighting for diversity and inclusion for all.
Keep up the good work Uber, you’re setting the example for other brands.
What do you think?