How to be an Ally + Fireside Chat with Google

Google and The Riveter join forces to bring you a workshop on how to be an LGBTQ+ ally and fireside chat with Google. Join us as we bring community members together in a safe and shared space to discuss terms and issues that arise in the LGBTQ+ community. Lysandra Donigian, Head of Student Development at Google, Sam McVeety Principal Engineer of Cloud Data Analytics at Google, and Dan Navarro, Administrative Business Partner at Google, will cover topics on allyship (and how to be a good one), how allyship looks like at different organizations and in tech, intersectionality, the history of Pride, and what it means to have Pride. Whether you identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community or want to learn more about how to be an ally, we invite you to engage in a dialogue to share how allyship looks like to you.

Our event is open to everyone. Invite your friends, family, colleagues and anyone who are interested in learning more about the LGBTQ+ community and what it means to be an ally, and those who are interested in sharing what allyship means to them. 

This event is powered by Google and The Riveter.

Rainbow Googlers is comprised of LGBTQ+ Googlers and their allies, with the aim of informing programs and policies, so that Google remains a workplace that works for everyone. We work to attract, recruit, and retain top LGBTQ+ talent to Google, and to ensure that Google stays a top choice as an employer for members of the community. We also seek to specifically center and amplify the voices of our colleagues in Google’s Trans ERG. 

The Riveter is a co-working space and community platform built by womxn for everyone. As we celebrate Pride month with a powerful programming series that amplifies LGBTQ+ voices with an intersectional lens, we center and remember the history of the Gay rights movement, Pride movement, and recognize the legacy of the community. We understand that LGBTQ+ rights and Women’s rights are deeply intertwined. We believe in empowerment for all, not in empowerment for some. We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community and commit to continuing to use our platform to amplify and advance the LGBTQ+ community. 

Speakers:

Sam McVeety | Google, Principal Engineer, Cloud Data Analytics  

Preferred Pronouns: He/Him/His
Sam McVeety is the technical lead for the core of Google’s Data Analytics organization, a platform that aims to democratize the field of large-scale data processing in a way that lowers barriers to access and advances numerous fields of study.  Outside of work, he enjoys rowing and cross-country skiing with his husband, Jordan, and volunteers with numerous equity-related and political causes.

Lysandra Donigian | Google, Head of Student Development, North America at Google

Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
Lysandra has been at Google for nearly 13 years and leads Google’s Student Development team in North America. Her teams build programs that provide students who identify with groups that have been historically excluded in tech access to skill building opportunities and careers in the tech industry.  Prior to Google Lysandra worked in non-profits and higher education in the Bay Area. Most of her free time is dedicated to her 2 young children (2.5 and 9mo) and when she’s not Mom’ing she loves to travel with her husband, try new restaurants in Seattle, bake and get in a good run.

Dan Navarro | Google, Administrative Business Partner, Developer Relations
Preferred Pronouns: He/Him/His
Dan is a recent transplant from New York where he spent his first 15 years as a working stage actor. He has been with Google for 2 years while, prior to that, he spent time working in the President’s office of The New York Public Library, Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles,  and Amazon.  Outside of work, he likes to spend his time exploring the beauty of the Pacific NW.