Celebrating Diversity & Pride as ONE at WeDriveU

OPEN, an LGBTQ+ and ally employee resource group at WeDriveU, one of four networks under our  #WeCelebrateU initiative.

ONE kicked off our Pride Month 2024 celebration with an engaging and educational webinar for virtual employees that also streamed in break rooms at some of our Customer Service Centers. Attendees learned about the history of Pride Month, the importance of being true to oneself, why acceptance matters in the workplace, how anyone can be an ally, and ways to get involved.

The event builds on our advocacy for building diverse and inclusive workplaces and supporting communities across our company and industry as part of our #WeCelebrateU initiatives. The well-attended LGBTQ+ networking reception at the 2024 APTA Mobility conference is one of the ways we actively drive diversity awareness and we were thrilled to participate as the exclusive sponsor for that event.

Special thanks to the panel of special guests on our kickoff event, including Brian Alberts, Staff Advisor to APTA’s LGBTQ+ Resource Group; Marc Rivers, Proposal Manager at WeDriveU; Lara Hobbs, General Manager at Durham School Services; and WeDriveU’s hosts Marcy Elliott, General Manager, and Jeremy Devray, ONE Chair and VP of Customer Success.

Finding Your Strength

Lara shared her story, exemplifying how personal strength can help build strength in others. Growing up as openly gay in the 1970s, she went on to serve in the United States military during a time when LGBTQ+ individuals did not serve openly. Lara vowed to “never make someone feel like they have to be less than themselves.” Her vow resulted from experiencing and witnessing the suppression of others from being allowed to be who they were. Today, she is a leader who lives up to that vow personally and professionally.

Being an Ally

Marc spoke about the power and value of allyship. He relayed the importance of “having that support, that community around you to say we hear you, we see you for who you are, and we support you. It makes all the difference in the world,” he affirmed.

ONE hosted another employee webinar for Pride Month with LGBTQ+ social media star Don Martin, a popular podcaster and TikToker. We’ll share highlights on the pop culture references (and humor) Don brought to this unique virtual event that included festive competitions and prizes.

How Customers are Celebrating

WeDriveU bus driver PJ Houston driving Genentech’s float at the SF Pride Parade (2023)

WeDriveU’s team is proud to collaborate with customers who share our enthusiasm for creating diverse and inclusive communities and workplaces, like these fun examples:

A tradition since 2022, our San Francisco Bay Area team is thrilled to partner with Genentech again this year. WeDriveU shuttle bus driver PJ Houston (pictured above) is returning to drive Genentech’s float in the San Francisco Pride Parade and this is also our second year driving shuttles for Genentech and WeDriveU employees to “commute” together to the Pride celebration.

Thanking our bus drivers for guiding Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) “Ride with Pride” celebration to always provide “a safe space to ride with PRIDE!” Celebrating PRIDE Month for “LGBTQIA+ riders, employees and allies as we journey together to a brighter, more inclusive future!”

When you choose CATS, you always have a seat with us – a safe space to ride with PRIDE!

CATS wishes a happy #PrideMonth to our LGBTQIA+ riders, employees and allies as we journey together to a brighter, more inclusive future! ❤️#RidewithPride #CLTPride pic.twitter.com/TpRwbPoKTB

— Charlotte Area Transit System (@CATSRideTransit) June 3, 2024

We’re big fans of WMATA’s vibrant Pride Month wraps, which transport riders to Capital Pride festivities and the Pride Parade.

 

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Want to help empower and support the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month? You can participate anywhere in the world and facilitate equity and inclusion. Find out more about the history and how the 1969 Stonewall Uprising led to commemorating the LGBTQ community during LGBT History Month.

Be ONE

Check out a wide range of career opportunities at WeDriveU. We are committed to being a guiding light in the transportation industry by cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace for all.