Don’t leave anything on the table — and help Out Leadership do MORE.
Each year, our small but mighty team produces nearly one hundred events, publishes over a dozen pieces of research, thought leadership, and policy perspectives, and connects thousands of influential leaders around the world to improve business outcomes and advance LGBTQ+ equality.
With so many ongoing initiatives, sometimes we find that leaders aren’t aware of the entire scope of our work and all the possibilities of engagement with us. Moreover, some leaders may not know that everything Out Leadership does around the world — every event, every publication, every piece of research, every convening, talent program, and advocacy initiative — is solely funded through annual membership and key sponsors.
This week’s OutNEWS is your guide to everything Out Leadership: how to connect, engage, and grow to realize the greatest possible return on your investment with us —both internally at your organization and externally as you help us drive our advocacy. As a current member, can further maximize your return by involving your clients and partners in our work. If your company is not currently a member of Out Leadership, you can take advantage of all our member benefits and help us grow our impact on LGBTQ+ initiatives worldwide by becoming a member today.
Thank you so much for investing in your corporate development, professional growth, and the cause of LGBTQ+ equality around the world. We are truly grateful for your support.
In service,
Todd Sears
Founder & CEO
Read the MAX OUT Guide here:
Here’s how to get the most out of your Out Leadership membership:
#1
Ignite incomparable connections for your people and your clients.
Pictured above: The 2023 Out Leadership Australia Summit VIP Reception hosted by Macquarie.
Unlock Out Leadership’s unparalleled networking opportunities to supercharge your business development and invest in your employees.
Since Out Leadership was founded 13 years ago, we’ve held over 120 summits and thousands of events. We’ve also convened over 1,200 CEOs, and 30,000+ business leaders of all levels, ranging from emerging talent to the executive board.
Our events are more than opportunities to hear from outstanding speakers from the worlds of business, activism, government, politics, sports, and entertainment. Out Leadership events also represent exclusive opportunities to forge new and natural relationships with potential clients, competitive counterparts, and industry colleagues. Take advantage of the innate connections available to your LGBTQ+ and ally employees as they connect with fellow members of the community.
Not only will your employees reap the benefits of organic, peer-to-peer connection, but the authenticity of LGBTQ+-specific networking space will bolster the motivation, efficacy, and connectivity of your strongest workers. Moreover, you can extend the same unique opportunity to your clients, allowing them to engage with you in an environment that’s very different from run-of-the-mill meetings in conference rooms. Our events have a flair that’s unique to us.
#2
Engage your emerging, mid-level, and senior leaders in one of our talent programs around the world.
Pictured above: The 2023 Out Leadership Asia Summit OutNEXT Salon hosted by Freshfields.
Thousands of leaders from all levels of business have participated in Out leadership’s global talent programs since they began 12 years ago.
These are Out Leadership’s signature programs:
OutNEXT:
The world’s leading talent program for emerging LGBTQ+ leaders in New York, London, Hong Kong, Sydney, Toronto, and Los Angeles. Since starting 10 years ago, OutNEXT has welcomed over 9,000 young leaders.
OutQUORUM:
The world’s first and only global board diversity initiative, leading the charge to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion on corporate boards with measurable results since 2014.
OutWOMEN+:
Out Leadership’s pioneering program for out women and non-binary leaders in business. In 2023 alone, OutWOMEN+ convened 350 out women, non-binary individuals, and allies for conversations on 3 continents.
Sponsor a talent development program by emailing us at events@outleadership.com.
#3
Leverage our groundbreaking insights, best practices, and data.
What isn’t measured can’t be changed. That’s why Out Leadership publishes three major research studies every year and has assembled a massive bank of data and insights over our 13-year history. Our knowledge base covers a wide range of topics, including board diversity, allyship, next-gen talent, policy best practices, self-ID, gender equality, and more. This work provides leaders at our member companies with the facts and data they need to make the case that LGBTQ+ inclusion improves business outcomes.
Thought leadership helps member companies position themselves at the vanguard of important cultural conversations. From demonstrating an inclusive vision to your employee base to showcasing your leadership in industry forums, these reports are a critical tool to boost business development. Companies that sponsor this research see a tremendous return on their investment beyond the findings of the study, from talent recruitment, employee engagement, brand visibility, and earned media value.
Partner with us on groundbreaking research by emailing us at info@outleadership.com.
#4
Host one of our summit events in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas.
Pictured above: The 2023 Out Leadership Europe Summit VIP Dinner hosted by HSBC and Hogan Lovells.
Out Leadership members can showcase their commitment to and lead transformational conversations about LGBTQ+ equality by hosting events at any of our regional summits held annually across the globe.
Summits can be tailored to the specifics of the host company, region, and current affairs. Events can take place on premises at member company offices or at outside venues, such as a restaurant or city landmark. Member companies can invite key personnel and clients who welcome the opportunity to discuss topics that truly matter to people, something other than the daily work schedule.
Out Leadership can also invite leaders from our blue-chip list of client companies, help source speakers, and provide the impetus for engagement, conversation, and action.
Hosting an event is about much more than providing a venue. It’s about creating an environment where leaders can be themselves and engage on important topics that are top of mind for businesses in today’s increasingly diverse and inclusive world.
Host a Summit by emailing us at events@outleadership.com.
#5
Exhibit your expertise to 30,000 leaders in our global network.
Pictured above: Erika Irish-Brown, Chief DE&I Officer and Global Head of Talent, Citi speaking at the 2023 Out Leadership Global OutNEXT Summit hosted by Citi.
Speakers at Out Leadership events have the ears of both CEOs and board members as well as the next generation of leaders from a wide range of businesses and backgrounds. There’s no better way to generate positive visibility for your work than for a leader in your organization to speak at one of our events.
For 13 years, enterprising leaders have leveraged our unique platform to communicate their values and mission to high-value audiences from Out Leadership’s member company cohort. Many of our speakers return year after year to take advantage of this rewarding experience and continue reaping the benefits of an increased profile.
Let us help you find the right opportunity to showcase your brightest leaders. Who will you nominate?
Share your perspective by emailing us at events@outleadership.com.
#6
Develop engaging content to showcase your company’s vantage point on our global platform.
Promote your company’s mission and flaunt your accomplishments to our thousands-strong network of business leaders.
OutNEWS (which you’re reading right now!) is our weekly newsletter that reaches 20,000 CEOs, board members, business leaders, LGBTQ+ advocates, and community allies. Typically opening with an introduction letter from our Founder & CEO, Todd Sears, or a guest writer from a member company or partner organization, OutNEWS is a wonderful way to showcase your voice to influential leaders around the world every week. Topics range from advocacy issues, history, and current affairs to the latest on business practices, DEI, ESG, and Out Leadership events.
Our #OutLEADER series is a wonderful way to showcase LGBTQ+ and ally leaders from member companies across our website, OutNEWS, and social media platforms.
Leaders can hail from any level of seniority. From a Managing Director proudly sharing the story of their gender transition to an associate who acts as a driving force in their company’s ERG, all are welcome for recognition in the #OutLEADER program.
#7
Engage Out Leadership voices to speak at your company.
Pictured above: Mila Jam, Performing “Artivist” and Senior Advisor, Global Transgender Initiatives, Out Leadership and Zach Cohen, Director of Development, The Ali Forney Center at the 2023 Out Leadership US Summit Member Council Meeting hosted by Visa.
Out Leadership’s team includes seasoned speakers with expertise on a multitude of LGBTQ+ equality and business topics: Allyship, Self-ID, Public Policy, Board Diversity, Transgender Issues, DEI, ESG, and more.
Todd Sears, Founder & CEO
Jane Barry-Moran, Managing Director, Programs & Research
Mila Jam, Senior Adviser for Transgender Initiatives
Out Leadership also has access to many outstanding speakers from our cohort of 76 nonprofit partners, along with leading figures from the world of activism, government, healthcare, entertainment, sports, and other fields.
Request a speaker by emailing us at info@outleadership.com.
#8
Invite your CEO to join one of our legendary CEO dinners.
Pictured above: The Sydney WorldPride 45×45 CEO Dinner hosted by DLA Piper, AMEX, HSBC, and Verizon.
CEO dinners are a signature Out Leadership event. Since 2013, Out leadership has convened over 1,200 CEOs at intimate, invitation-only dinners, allowing CEOs to discuss important topics at the intersection of business and LGBTQ+ equality with their counterparts at other companies.
These dinners are comfortable spaces for CEOs to hear about the latest developments in LGBTQ+ inclusion, tackle pressing problems facing the workforce, learn the latest insights from our proprietary research, share and learn best practices that bolster both equality and the bottom line, and create lasting relationships with their peers.
No other LGBTQ+ organization provides private forums of this caliber.
#9
Use our unique diagnostic tool to provide a confidential understanding of how your company is doing on LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Creating an inclusive working environment starts with understanding your company’s LGBTQ+ community.
OL-iQ is the world’s first global LGBTQ+ inclusion diagnostic tool. It provides a comprehensive, market-contextualized snapshot of companies’ actual performance on LGBTQ+ inclusion benchmarks while identifying specific measures companies can take to improve their performance and drive business results.
#10
Join an advocacy initiative.
Pictured above: The Ally Coalition Love Rising benefit concert in Tennessee.
The LGBTQ+ community is under renewed attack (including 500+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in US legislatures last year). Out Leadership uses the “soft power” of the business community to advance LGBTQ+ equality around the world by convening and guiding business leaders to push for LGBTQ+ equality policies and by supporting the efforts of our nonprofit partners.
Out Leadership’s work has helped move the needle on dozens of critical issues and many of our member companies have taken an active role in these efforts, including:
Same-Sex Equality: Out Leadership mobilized the business community to support same-sex marriage and partnership rights in the United States, Australia, Ireland, and Hong Kong.
Board Diversity: Out Leadership has led the board diversity conversation since 2014, publishing ground-breaking research and board diversity guidelines for the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The initiative has led hundreds of companies to adopt LGBTQ+ inclusive board diversity policies.
Trans Rights: From convening companies to sign the Business Statement for Transgender Equality to publishing the first-ever Business Leader’s Guide to Trans Equality and planning the inaugural Trans Business Summit in 2024, Out Leadership is leading the way for the inclusion of gender-diverse people.
Talent Development: Out Leadership has spent 12 years cultivating the careers of LGBTQ+ professionals at all levels, from emerging leaders to executives and board members across a spectrum of identities.