To celebrate national Pride Month this June, we connected with one of Samsara’s Pride employee resource group (ERG) leaders, Leia Faison, to learn more about Pride at Samsara.

As co-ambassador, Leia helped found the Atlanta chapter of Samsara’s Pride ERG and spearheaded Samsara’s first-ever presence in the 2019 Atlanta Pride Parade. Leia is also the team lead for Samsara’s reverse logistics function within fulfillment operations. If a customer needs to send back a product, her team makes it happen. Her favorite Samsara product? Samsara’s Environmental Monitors—turns out, they come in handy when you suspect your air conditioning isn’t working in the Atlanta heat! Read on to meet Leia and get a peek into her leadership at Samsara.

Q: What led you to join the Pride leadership team at Samsara?

As an openly gay androgynous woman, I never felt like I had a true space or voice at my previous companies. There was never anyone who looked like me—or at least outwardly talked about who they were as an individual. After joining Samsara, I decided I wanted to take on that responsibility and serve as a co-ambassador for the Atlanta chapter of Samsara’s Pride ERG. It’s important that other people here know they have a voice in me—they have a safe space, and they can bring their whole selves to work.

Q: What’s something the Pride team is looking forward to this year?

We’re really focused on inclusive and fun events—events that will bring everyone together and give you a mental break while we work from home. Last week we hosted a Drag Pride Bingo event!

Q: Drag Pride Bingo was a lot of fun—and helped raise money for the non-profit organization Southern Fried Queer Pride. How did the team find and choose that organization?

Southern Fried Queer Pride’s mission is to empower Black, queer communities and individuals. They’re local to Atlanta, and we wanted to choose a group that was going to represent everyone that makes us—the Pride ERG—who we are. 

The reason we have Pride month is because of the Stonewall Riots, and the reason that we had the Stonewall Riots was because there was police brutality against Black transgender individuals. Without their fight, I wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation about what Pride means or what Pride is, and we wouldn't have the laws and protections that are breaking through Congress and the Supreme Court.

Q: What three words would you use to describe Pride at Samsara?

Community, inclusion, and engaging. The Pride ERG is a space for all people, and our goal is to make sure that everyone who joins Pride feels like they are in a comfortable place to be their true, authentic self around people who are supportive, like-minded, or wanting to be further educated.

Q: How can current and future Samsarians get involved in Pride?

It's really easy—any Samsara employee can join our Pride community Slack channel. That's where we post about our upcoming events and news. We also have smaller channels for our local pride chapters, and a private channel for our identifying-community only. Allies are not just welcome but encouraged to join! 

Join the Samsara team: Make a difference, find your community, grow your career

At Samsara, we depend on the unique approaches of our team members to solve complex problems. We are committed to diversity across our company and ensuring that Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact. 

Samsara is hiring, and we’re looking for people who are interested in helping us build a safer, smarter, sustainable world. Check out our open roles and apply today.

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