The Runway Episode 2 – Chris Mossiah Spotlight on Success: Corporate “T-Ball” and Your Queer Career
Welcome back to The Runway—the space where we stop asking for permission and start building the future of work ourselves.
Episode 2 is officially LIVE, and we are sitting down with our brilliant friend Chris Mossiah (they/them), Program Director in AI Governance at JPMorgan Chase. Chris brings a powerhouse combination of operational fluency and advocacy to financial services, ensuring transformative tech like AI expands opportunity rather than replicating old inequities.
Beyond AI, we dove deep into navigating a “queer career”. Here are our top three takeaways from the conversation:
1. Challenge Accepted: Becoming the Representation You Need
When climbing the ladder, Chris realized they didn’t have executive mentors who shared their identity. Instead of being discouraged, Chris took it as a personal mission: “I guess that means I have to be it for others to see.” Driven by that determination, Chris reached Executive Director within a year.
2. The Art of Corporate T-Ball
True leadership isn’t just keeping the door cracked; it’s about throwing ladders down. Chris shared a powerful moment when they were tapped to present a major product to the Global CIO. Instead of taking the solo spotlight, Chris brought their lead software engineer—a trans woman—into the room.
Minutes before the meeting, Chris told her: “I’m going to introduce the product… and then I’m going to step to the side and you showcase it, because the work is yours.” Chris calls this setting the ball up on the tee and stepping aside so a rising star can swing. The engineer wowed the C-suite and has since been promoted to Executive Director.
3. Protect the Hat That Got You the Other Hats
For anyone heavily involved in ERGs, diversity councils, or external boards, Chris offers a vital reality check: Don’t neglect your day job.
“Your day job is the hat that got you the other hats… If I lose that hat, I don’t get these hats anymore.”
Keeping your primary role excellent ensures you have the leverage and platform to fuel your passion projects.
Where to Tune In
Hear the full, unfiltered conversation right now:
- 📺 Watch the Video Episode: Catch the full edition on our new digital home at Leading From the Heart on Substack.
- 🎧 Listen on the Go: Stream the audio on Spotify.
- 🤝 Connect with Chris: Find and network with Chris Mossiah directly on LinkedIn or Instagram.
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Have a question or a topic idea for the show? We want this to be a two-way conversation with our audience! Send your text or audio questions to us at therunwaypc@gmail.com to be featured on a future episode, drop a comment below, or slide into our LinkedIn DMs.
We’re paving the way together, and we’ll see you next time on The Runway.
— Stephanie & Erica