Fiftyfaces Focus 2021 Pride Special

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/cc/7a/60/caoimheechow/3000x3000_15607278.jpg] The Honorable Judge Victoria Kolakowski, is a judge of the Superior Court of Alameda County, in the Bay Area of California and in November 2010 she was the first Transgender person to be elected a Trial Judge. Judge Kolakowski is a committed advocate for transgender people and makes herself available throughout the United States and internationally for conferences, seminars and interviews acting as a role-model and providing support. Her conversation with a new host, Patrick Devitt, goes back to her childhood, to her earliest days of wishing she were a girl, through adolescence, college and law school. She talks about her transition, reactions to it, the support network that made it possible and how being transgender affected her employment opportunities and career path. We hope you enjoy this profoundly moving interview that we are releasing to coincide with LGBT History Month in the UK. There is more information about Judge Kolakowski on the following links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Kolakowski https://vkolakowski.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzPT40eaEGY&list=PLIsDBjtKYyJalB8rWNJqtKt-bAhhX2h6T This podcast was made possible with the kind support of David Mooney, as well as Tom Soto of the Diverse Communities Impact Fund.

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/cc/7a/60/caoimheechow/3000x3000_15602589.jpeg] Perry Zizzi is a Managing Partner at Dentons based in Bucharest, Romania, and he has worked in corporate law since the mid 1990s, when we met as office mates in a midtown Manhattan law firm Debevoise & Plimpton. He is the President, Founder and Board Member of the Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce. Our trip down memory lane starts with Perry's childhood in upstate NY where his early fascination with history led him to cycle around the town making a map of the streets. He also collected stamps as well as a coterie of mentors including teachers and local historians. Later on in Georgetown he deliberately sought out professors who might push him outside his comfort zone and his love of languages, Latin America and travel took root. Perry often talked about his time in Palau with the Peace Corps while we shared an office, and it was fascinating to reflect on the lessons learned from time spent in this island in Micronesia with a population of around 18,000 people. Our conversation then moves to his time at law school, practicing corporate law, and the twists and turns that took him to Paris and then Romania, and the shifts that led him to realize how much he enjoyed practicing. We talk about his work in the Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce and how the inclusion of LGBT professionals has changed dramatically over the course of his career. We finish with reflections on wisdom shared by some legendary teachers. This podcast was made possible with the kind support of David Mooney, as well as Tom Soto of the Diverse Communities Impact Fund.

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/cc/7a/60/caoimheechow/3000x3000_15597344.jpg] Oli Shakir-Khalil is an investment director in EM Debt at Fidelity International, based in London. We met at an industry conference where he discussed his role as a mental health ambassador within his firm and the industry and his efforts to amplify the importance of mental health awareness. He is passionate about the need to reinforce listening within organizations and the debunk the myth that this area should be taboo. His initiatives both within his own firm and within the industry are innovative and powerful to spread inclusion and promote dialogue about this issue. Our conversation starts with Oli's university specialty of classics and how he happened upon a city career with this quite unconventional background. What it did endow him with, though, was sharp writing skills and a comfort and ease with public speaking and client situations, which were the essential cultural "add" to round out a team. We speak about his role as a mental health ambassador, why these roles are more essential than ever today, in light of the Covid-19 disruptions and enforced isolation and how simple adjustments like noting his status on his signature - indicating that he is "free to talk" and that colleagues who may be struggling can open up to him can be critical. Oli is also an active advocate for the LGBT community at work and in the City. This podcast was made possible with the kind support of David Mooney, as well as Tom Soto of the Diverse Communities Impact Fund.

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/cc/7a/60/caoimheechow/3000x3000-275x275+84+0_15590395.jpg] Genie Cesar-Fabian is a Partner, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Palladium Equity Partners, based in the NYC area. She previously worked as in-house counsel, a law professor and an attorney in private practice. She lives with her wife and two children in the NYC area. Our discussion starts with a look-back to Genie's childhood in Long Island, her love of sports and music, and her experience of coming out in the Village of NYC in the 1990s. She tells a deeply personal story of some of the struggle that was involved. Her study of law seemed to be pre-destined, and it lived up to all of its expectations. We spend a little time talking about the law course that she thought on law and literature, and how she started her career in private practice but ultimately transitioned to an in-house role and the benefits that that brought. Her professional experience was a broadly positive one - with inclusive forward-thinking environments where her status as a parent and a member of the LGBT community was welcomed. We then turn to her assessment of the current levels of inclusion and acceptance and marvel that things have come so far, but we do note the small gestures that continue to make a difference in creating a welcoming environment. This podcast was made possible with the kind support of David Mooney, as well as Tom Soto of the Diverse Communities Impact Fund.

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/cc/7a/60/caoimheechow/3000x3000-250x250+72+7_15583195.jpg] Matthew Choyce is a Virtual Event and Video Production Specialist at I-connections. He has worked in event production since high school. He is the President and Founder of the Foundation for Gay Youth in Technology, a nonprofit which encourages, empowers and provides resources to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults across the technology industries. Our conversation dives into to the rapidly evolving world of event production - and takes in the dramatic changes that the space has seen since the Covid disruptions. We look at whether a blend of real and virtual events will be the way of the future. We then turn to the foundation that Matthew founded with his Partner in order to provide resources and support to gay youth interested in working in the technology arena. He describes what the gaps were that this foundation was intended to solve, and reveals the supports that are so critical, particularly when young people feel isolated as many did during lockdowns. This podcast was made possible with the kind support of David Mooney, as well as Tom Soto of the Diverse Communities Impact Fund.