Our Nasdaq employees take pride in making Nasdaq the leading company that it is, with respect for our diverse backgrounds and colleagues included. For our Nasdaq Pride series, we will be featuring members from the OPEN (Out Proud Employees of Nasdaq) and learn about how they are pushing for positive change for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace.
With the OPEN, Nasdaq aims to:
- Promote LGBTQ equality in the workplace
- Provide career development opportunities for LGBTQ employees
- Lead events for LGBTQ employees and allies
- Participate in efforts and volunteer on initiatives that serve the needs of the LGBTQ community
Interested on working with us? Explore careers at Nasdaq here.
We recently spoke with Josh Machiz, head of Client Engagement, from our offices in New York City.
Tell us a little bit about your role at Nasdaq and how long you’ve been here.
I head up client engagement at Nasdaq and I’ve been with the company for seven amazing years (more if you include my time at the PHLX).
How did you become involved with the OPEN and why?
Bruce Aust pushed me to formally start a diversity group for LGBT individuals at Nasdaq, way back when I sent a one pager about the group to Adena and she gave the green light, many years before LBGT groups were the norm particularly in Financial Services. We’ve made huge steps since then. Under Adena we formalized many diversity groups at Nasdaq, which helped with our visibility internally and externally. Our efforts and passion have led us to be given a score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s “Corporate Equality Index”, and we were highlighted as one of the best places to work for LGBTQ Equality two years in a row.
How would you describe the OPEN community to a new employee at Nasdaq?
It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job, we have a great call every week that is very task focused. If you are new to Nasdaq, email me we’d love to have you be a part of our group, there is always a lot to do!
What is your most memorable experience while being a member?
Last year’s LGBT Leaders Conference, we had speakers including Martine Rothblatt, founder and CEO of United Therapeutics and founder of Sirius XM, followed by an incredible group of industry leaders ranging from Jim Fitterling, CEO of Dow to Nico Tortorella, actor and LGBTQ+ advocate and so many more. It was honestly one of the most rewarding professional moments of my life.
What should one do to be an ally to the LGBTQ community?
Especially now, it’s about listening and being supportive. It’s about being compassionate, understanding privilege and unconscious bias, which both play enormous roles for LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace.
What does progress mean for a group like the OPEN today?
Stonewall was a riot – led primarily by transgender, queer, black and brown LGBTQ+ people. This month’s protests are important and as LGBTQ+ equality has marched forward, it’s our job to remember that as marginalized communities we must all stick together and continue the fight for equality for everyone. So while we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go and I hope this movement leads us to a brighter tomorrow for all of us, not just here in America, but around the globe.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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Lyanne Alfaro
Nasdaq
Lyanne is a producer, host and social media strategist at Nasdaq. Her team helps reimage the way Nasdaq tells stories about Nasdaq’s role in the future of technology via video, podcasting and social content. You can find her on social media @LyanneAlfaro
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