The Runway Episode 1: Clearing the Runway for Takeoff
Welcome to the official premier edition of The Runway Podcast Newsletter!
In the corporate world, queer and trans people are frequently told to “bring our whole selves to work”—but the reality is that the corporate runway wasn’t originally built for us. This podcast is the space where we stop asking for permission, drop the masks we’ve been told to wear, and start building the future of work ourselves.
To kick off our very first episode, we are pulling back the curtain on who we are, how we got here, and why this conversation is more critical right now than ever before.
From a corporate vice president navigating a transition in 2005 to an ERG leader pushing global advocacy today, we are bridging the intergenerational reality of the queer workplace. We’re sharing our personal paths, our laughs, and how a chance meeting at the Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Seattle sparked a partnership to pay it forward.
💡 Episode 1 Highlights:
- The Digital Rubicon & The 4 Pillars of Culture: Stephanie breaks down why AI is the ultimate cultural disruptor. Discover how enterprises must navigate Cultural Acuity, Agility, Elasticity, and Velocity to survive organizational stretches without snapping—and why grounded leadership vulnerability beats executive hubris every single time.
- Saving Ourselves & Queer Civic Virtue: Erica pulls back the curtain on her upcoming second book. We look at the staggering statistic that only 0.21% of elected positions in the U.S. are held by LGBTQ+ individuals and explore what it truly means to turn “caring” into “action” in our local communities.
- A Sneak Peek at Season 1: We dish on the incredible line-up of trailblazers joining us this season, including trans icon Jamison Green, Diego Sanchez from PFLAG, and executive leaders from JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.
🎧 Listen to the Premier Episode Now:
📚 Support the Authors (Shameless Self-Promotion!)
As authors, we know the power of sharing our unfiltered stories. Grab your copies of our books online, everywhere books are sold:
- Reflections from Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling by Stephanie Battaglino
- Advice from Your Trans Auntie by Erica Vogel