Pride at Work: How LGBTQ+ Allyship Comes Alive at T. Rowe Price

For most, imposter syndrome is viewed as something to be fixed. For Cheryl Pipia, it’s something to be embraced.

In both her personal and professional life, Cheryl, who leads Integrated Sales for our U.S. Intermediaries team, has benefited from leaning into situations where she didn’t feel like she belonged. These situations, she believes, make for the best learning opportunities.

“I’m always upfront with what I know and what I don't. A lot of times, people feel they have to put on a façade and pretend they know everything,” she says. “I don't believe in that school of thought, because I think you miss out on so much learning and development and ways to connect that are far more valuable and meaningful.”

The power of this belief was underscored early in her career. An art history major in college, Cheryl spent her early professional years fighting to gain a foothold in New York City’s insular, cutthroat art gallery scene. Eventually, she decided to take her career in a different direction. This led her to a boutique investment firm that was looking to hire a junior associate. 

While Cheryl “had never taken a business course in my life,” she applied for the job anyway, and successfully landed an interview. The situation went quickly awry when, after a few minutes of idle conversation, the interviewer asked how much she knew about convertibles. Misinterpreting the question, Cheryl recalls replying quickly and confidently: “Absolutely. My friend drives a Volkswagen Cabriolet.”

Surprisingly, despite the misunderstanding, Cheryl was offered the role. This became a formative experience for her because it illustrated how every team member, regardless of their background or skillset, can bring immense value to, and contribute to the success of, a team. The experience also taught Cheryl the importance of authenticity and fearlessness. While she was a nontraditional hire, she didn’t shy away from the opportunity to learn from her more experienced colleagues, including the company president, head of operations, and lead product managers.

“Ultimately, that company hired me because I was open and curious,” Cheryl says. “A lot of people interviewing for the position obviously had business backgrounds whereas I was just starting out. I can't emphasize enough how much that experience shaped who I would be in corporate America and how I would continue to grow and evolve.”

I’m always upfront with what I know and what I don't. A lot of times, people feel they have to put on a façade and pretend they know everything. I don't believe in that school of thought.

Supporting PRIDE @ T. Rowe Price

Today, Cheryl is working to grow that same culture of acceptance and authenticity within our organization. This year, she was appointed chair of PRIDE @ T. Rowe Price, a business resource group (or “BRG”) dedicated to ensuring that LGBTQ+ associates are comfortable bringing their full selves to work.

Through her work with the BRG, Cheryl collaborates closely with her co-chair Chris Vaeth, who has helped her overhaul the group’s engagement model to maximize the impact of its efforts.

The group’s work has included virtual events detailing the history of the LGBTQ+ movement, roundtable events, and focus groups that allow different voices from the community to speak about issues most personal to them. Most recently, PRIDE @ T. Rowe Price partnered with Out Leadership, a global LGBTQ+ business network that will help the group expand and enrich its efforts globally.             

While Cheryl had participated in these types of programs many times over her life, her passion for the movement was reinvigorated when her brother, at 32 years old, came out as gay. She was inspired by her parents’ purposeful learning and unlearning on how to better understand and support him.

Her parents’ actions and the behaviors they modeled helped pave the way for Cheryl’s allyship, and Cheryl’s recognition that her brother had spent his entire life to that point “not being his full self” ignited her commitment to fostering inclusion. “I became committed to do whatever I could in my role to create environments where people could bring their full selves,” she said.

As a leader at our firm, Cheryl understood that she had a personal and professional responsibility to leverage her platform for the good of the LGBTQ+ community. But she also understands that this work must be done in partnership with the community itself.

This is a lesson she learned through her nonprofit, Mission & Movement, which she launched in 2014 to offer education, community development, and vocational training to communities in Ghana and Kenya. This work began after Cheryl experienced the “uncomfortable truth” of existing volunteer vacation programs, which she thought disrespected communities they were created to serve.

“These programs weren’t designed for the communities—they were designed for the Westerners to feel good about themselves,” Cheryl said. “When I became aware of this, I knew I needed to make a change.”

Recognizing that even the most well-intentioned volunteers can spend too much time telling communities what they need as opposed to asking them, Cheryl developed Mission & Movement to prioritize co-creation, dignity, and accountability. Projects such as the 80-girl school currently being built in rural Kenya are developed hand in hand with the community, an approach that both serves the community while respecting its dignity, Cheryl says. 

I am taking responsibility for the parts that I can own. I know that the parts I can help change, my platform, and what I’m engaged in are going to be different. I’m always thinking about how I can use what I have to benefit the community.

Similar to her conversations with those in the LGBTQ+ community, some have asked her whether she, as a white woman living in the United States, is the ideal advocate for issues impacting people in Africa.

“What I've said in those conversations is, ‘I am taking responsibility for the parts that are within my power’” Cheryl says. “I know that what I can help change, my platform, and what I’m engaged in are going to be different. I’m always thinking about how I can use what I have to benefit the community.”

Harnessing the power of allyship

As someone who has been an outsider in many situations during her life, Cheryl understands the fear that keeps potential allies out of the conversation. She believes it’s her role to help more of them get involved.

“A lot of the progress comes with open, honest, brave conversations. That makes people uncomfortable because they are worried about tripping up or making a mistake,” Cheryl says. “We want to create the space where it’s clear everyone has good intentions and good hearts. It's top down, it's bottom up; it's formal, and it's organic. That’s why I always say it’s a journey.”

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