GCI introduces PRIDE Business Resource Group to provide connection and resources for LGBTQ2+ employees

ANCHORAGE, Alaska –– GCI's recently formed employee-led PRIDE business resource group (BRG) is amplifying LGBTQ2+ voices within the company. The group, open to all GCI employees, is reinforcing a working culture where every LGBTQ2+ employee is welcome, heard and comfortable expressing their individuality in the workplace. The PRIDE BRG is a key part of GCI’s overall Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program, which launched in 2021.

Business resource groups, sometimes called employee resource groups, have been identified as a best practice for companies that want to make their organizational culture more inclusive. Members of the BRG work to support each other, gain networking opportunities with other members of the community and with allies, reduce silos around the company, and inform business decisions through a unique lens. The BRG also works with GCI executive leadership to ensure that policy, procedure, marketing and products take the community into consideration and remain authentic.

“Employee feedback made it clear that a LGBTQ2+ group was needed, which led to PRIDE being among the first BRGs stood up at GCI,” said Cory Clump, senior manager of GCI small and medium business sales, DEI Council member, and temporary chair of the PRIDE BRG. “The group is already making a noticeable difference. Even at our very first meeting, members were already expressing how they no longer felt alone, and that sentiment has continued to grow. We cannot express how thankful we are to work at a place like GCI that makes the effort to set us up for long-term success and supports our efforts to foster unity and allyship throughout the company.”

Visibility is an opportunity for the LGBTQ2+ community at GCI. When an employee is working in a meeting or on a project with another member of the community, they may have no idea they are surrounded with allies. This BRG expands the circle of trust for employees and facilitates building business relationships within the corporate culture and Alaska community.

PRIDE is also generating opportunities to network and leverage a talented community of LGBTQ2+ members and allies that are future leaders and innovators for GCI. Already, employees have shared their experiences and sharing that the group helps make them feel less alone at work.

“GCI’s value is in its people and our diverse workforce,” said GCI Chief Procurement Officer and the PRIDE BRG’s executive sponsor Dan Brogan. “We expect the PRIDE BRG to provide additional opportunities for leaders and staff to connect and make our inclusive network resilient and more cohesive. The collaboration of GCI professionals will make each of us cognitively aware of similarities and differences that we can bring together to strengthen ourselves and our company. The understanding and compassion for our colleagues is what makes GCI a unique place to work.”

BRGs encourage individuals of underrepresented backgrounds to share candid conversations within a safe space. These conversations provide valuable insight from varying perspectives and lenses to better inform GCI’s policy-based decision-making. 

In addition to the LGBT2Q+ BRG, GCI also formed the Indigenous BRG in 2022 and the GCI Women’s Network BRG in 2016, and a wide variety of other initiatives to better the workplace, foster an inclusive company culture, and continually learn about the cultures and peoples that power GCI’s team.

For more information, visit https://news.gci.com/topic/workplace-culture.

About GCI

Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice, and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $4 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 40+ years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage, now the nation’s northernmost 5G service area. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at http://www.libertybroadband.com.