On October 25th, 2017, Live Out Loud got to go behind the scenes with Uber! After a quick game of get-to-know-you Bingo, where students, Uber employees, and Live Out Loud staff got to learn some fun facts about each other, our incredible panel of seven out Uber employees took the floor. Jackson, Stephanie, Sean, Tiffany, Zed, Frank, and JD all shared an amazing diversity of stories and experiences with their LGBTQ+ identities throughout their lives and in the workplace. Their total openness and honesty with the students was incredible, and allowed the students to connect deeply to their stories.

The impact of this evening was clear when students stuck around after the panel to speak with panelists one-on-one, asking for more questions about their journeys and even grabbing selfies with the Uber team. Here are just some of the students’ reflections from the end of the night:

“Learning about their lives was exciting because it’s nice to hear they overcame so many obstacles.”

“Learning about people in my community [was the best part of the event] because now I feel more comfortable.”

“I see my sexuality won’t hold me back from my dreams.”

“They made me feel like if I want to do something, go ahead and do your thing.”