Highlights:
- Pride Month is celebrated internationally in June while the UK celebrates Pride Month in August.
- We sat down with Technical Enablement Manager Ben Pintilie, Co-leader of RingCentral’s Rainbow Alliance ERG, to discuss his personal journey as an LGBTQ+ individual and RingCentral’s commitment to inclusivity.
Pride Month is recognized internationally each June in celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride. Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots, a 1969 series of gay liberation protests in New York City, and has since spread to many countries outside the United States. In honor of international Pride, Ben Pintilie, UK Technical Enablement Manager and leader of RingCentral’s Rainbow Alliance ERG sat down with us to share his personal journey as an LGBTQ+ individual and discuss how RingCentral’s empowering culture encourages inclusivity.
Challenging beginnings.
Ben’s journey into technology began just out of high school when at the age of 16 he became an electrician’s apprentice. He never dreamed he would go from the lowest levels of technology, running copper cables, to the world’s largest communications platform. “I was very timid and insecure,” Ben says of his teenage years. And those feelings were further compounded by feelings of isolation.
“I felt like nobody else was like me—that nobody else was going through this same journey—because back in the late eighties, early nineties, it was a very different world. It was only really in the last twenty years that I have been able to be openly proud of who I am.”
If Ben could go back, he would tell his 17-year-old self, “Over the next five years your world will transform.” He is now part of a RingCentral team responsible for bringing world-class Advanced Technical Enablement to RingCentral’s staff and global partners, like Vodafone, Verizon, Spectrum, and BT (formerly British Telecom).
Rainbow Alliance.
In his role as Co-leader of RingCentral’s Rainbow Alliance Employee Resource Group (ERG), Ben helps employees in the LGBTQ+ community struggling with those same feelings he had as a youth. Rainbow Alliance ERG is a safe space for employees to share their experiences with like-minded individuals, a space for freedom and empowerment. “We get people from around the world saying they have never been able to say whichever community they are part of, for fear of losing their job or fear of not getting promoted.” RingCentral is the first company where they have felt the freedom to be exactly who they are. Some of those employees have even felt empowered to begin their own journey of coming out or self-discovery.
Companies as allies.
Ben says what makes RingCentral different from other companies is that before day one—before you even work here—you are told about inclusivity. It does not matter if you are Black, white, gay, straight, young, or old: RingCentral has a zero-discrimination policy. “I know full well over the last four years now, that being gay has not stopped me. RingCentral is the only company I have ever felt safe to say, “I want my partner to come work here.” Ben joined RingCentral four years ago, and his partner joined three years ago. That’s a powerful testament to RingCentral’s inclusive culture.
Pride lineup.
This year, Pride celebrations will take place virtually and on-site at many of RingCentral’s US and international offices. Employees are encouraged to celebrate Pride Month and participate in these June events:
- Jun 1 Pride Month Kick off
- Jun 3 Manila Drag Brunch
- Jun 5 Pride Month Kahoot! Trivia
- Jun 7 Psychological Safety Talk
- Jun 8 Global Pride History Fireside Chat
- Jun 13 The Trans Coach External Speaker Session
- Jun 20 Manila Podcast: Diversity in the Workplace
- Jun 21 Virtual Drag Queen Bingo
- Jun 22 Virtual Pride Game Show
- Jun 24 Manila Pride March
- Jun 28 Pride Party
Authentic Pride.
To those seeking a more inclusive workplace, Ben wants you to know “the real pleasure of working for RingCentral is that you can be your true authentic self. You do not have to hide.” Each and every employee is chosen based on their merits, skills, and experience. When Ben isn’t at work, he’s encouraging the use of renewable energy. In 2022, Ben made a 6,000-mile trip from Lancashire, England to Spain and back in an electric vehicle, to show what’s possible. His favorite travel destination is Tenerife in the Canary Islands and he also enjoys vacationing in the US.
We couldn’t be prouder to have Ben on our team leading the way to a more inclusive tech industry. For more information about RingCentral’s Rainbow Alliance visit our careers page.
Originally published Jun 07, 2023
