Pinterest Bespoke II: Dinner & Dialogue Event Recap

A little over a week ago, Pinterest hosted a private, invite-only dinner at Boka restaurant for a select group of experienced professionals in the Sales, Marketing and Advertising. In two family style table settings, the group engaged in an open dialogue about career navigation, overcoming challenges in our careers and celebrating stories of success.

One of the best parts of the evening (aside from the delicious 4-course meal) was the fact that a group of complete strangers were able to engage in a dialogue filled with vulnerability, transparency and empathy for one another’s experiences. On top of that, Pinterest gets a gold star for inviting a truly diverse and multi-cultural pool of talent. Many times, events as such are over saturated with talent who look a certain way with very similar experiences.

A topic that was discussed was the importance of seeing someone in senior leadership or direct management who looked like you. This really hit home for me because I have never reported to a Black woman in my entire career, nor had a Black woman serve as a senior Account Leader on my team or even in the building. One young woman shared her experience and it was so touching. She talked about how her manager looking like her opened up a new level of comfortability with how she wore her hair at work. For many Black women, we know the struggles of finding the “right” workplace hairstyle that doesn’t spark too much conversation and cause “museum exhibit” behavior to our hair. She closed with saying how her manager sharing similar cultural experiences as her allowed her to not feel confined to silent and subtle corporate expectations.

The event was all in all, a night of inspiration and culturally infused bliss. As the workforce continues to figure out how to create more inclusive environments that allow for individuals to tell their stories in a natural and authentic way, these kinds of events deserve a spotlight.