Who is on Fast Company’s Queer 50 List?

As the ACLU’s chief equity and inclusion officer, Amber Hikes has given a lot of thought to how to improve workplace culture for marginalized employees. They created a process called restorative inclusion, in which their team helps workers respond to the all-too-common “everyday slights” and microaggressions these employees may experience. “You can have all these trainings and employee resource groups and spaces for community and connection,” says Hikes, who took the top spot on Fast Company’s fourth annual Queer 50 list. “But if you don’t have a way to address harm when it happens, outside of an HR process, you are not going to actually get to this sense of belonging that folks are really looking for.” 

Number 19 on the list, Togethxr’s Jessica Robertson, is building a media platform dedicated to women’s sports coverage alongside legends Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, and Simone Manuel. “It’s really important for me to tell stories that reflect the communities that we come from,” says Robertson. (There’s lots of opportunity: Research shows that despite widespread interest in women’s sports, these athletes receive a fraction of the coverage that male athletes receive.)

And, during a time of widespread layoffs and pressure to return to office, Emma Kinema, senior campaign lead at the Communication Workers of America (and number 45 on this year’s Queer 50), is organizing tech workers. CODE-CWA now includes workers from 25+ companies, including the Trevor Project and Google parent Alphabet.

These are just a few of the influential LGBTQ women and nonbinary people on this year’s list, who are shaping the fields of politics, tech, business, and entertainment. You can read about all 50 leaders here.