Pride Month Panel

Guest Speaker Panel discussion | Coforge 2025

Filipe Mota da Silva invited me to join a panel alongside Alessandro (Alex) Storer for a candid conversation about lived experience, inclusion, and what it really takes to build safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace.

For me, Pride is about celebrating people and our unity, regardless of life choices, honouring those here today and remembering those who paved the way, from the riots of the 1970s to where we stand now. It's about belonging and acceptance, and about advocating for equality and equity.

Since we spend most of our lives at work, fostering inclusion and belonging there isn't a side issue; it shapes whether people feel able to show up as themselves and, in turn, whether they're happier, more confident, and more engaged in what they do.

Host & Speakers:

Filipe Mota da Silva — Vice President / Head of Energy and Utilities, Coforge

Alessandro (Alex) Storer — Head of Inclusion & Belonging, OVO

Mara Alves — Welfare Advisor, Starling