Stephanie Battaglino
SHE / HER / HERS
As the founder and owner of Follow Your Heart, LLC, Stephanie Battaglino is an internationally recognized speaker, workshop presenter, trainer, author and LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion consultant.
I believe I have been brought to this point in the history of the DEI movement with a clear and specific objective: to educate . . . to inform . . . to inspire.
Popular Talks
Reflections From Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling
This is my coming out story. Weaved within it are the key observations and learnings that I experienced from living a corporate life on both sides of the gender divide. It is a story of vulnerability, authenticity, and courage that has touched every audience that I have shared it with and has given many their first glimpse of what it is like to live a life in two genders.
Reflections On Vulnerability and Privilege
Drawing on my unique experiences on both sides of the gender divide as chronicled in my book, I expand on my observations of how male privilege serves as a powerful force that shapes organizational culture, and how vulnerability – if embraced and allowed to proliferate as an intentional act – can be an even more powerful catalyst for growing and transforming truly inclusive cultures.
Workshops, Coaching, & Consulting
Transgender Workplace Inclusion & Awareness
his is a comprehensive interactive workshop that covers a range of essential content areas from Language & Communication, Dimensions of Transition, Ally & Advocate Behaviors, to how creating a space of Trust & Mutual Respect can serve as a Catalyst for Positive Cultural Change. The length of the program is tailored to the specific needs of the client.
Coaching
I coach both employees and managers who identify as transgender or non-binary on how best to navigate their specific workplace culture as well as how to proactively manage their career trajectory inside and outside that cultural landscape.
Consulting
I assist companies and organizations in two primary ways. The first has to do with how to properly onboard a new employee who identifies as either transgender or non-binary. The second involves my assistance with the creation of a comprehensive workplace transition plan for an existing employee who identifies as transgender and has informed management of their intent to transition. This includes assistance with all communications, from content creation to applicable recipients.
“Stephanie Battaglino masterfully uses her own learnings and experiences in the workplace to create better and more equitable workplaces for today’s employees. Her workshops and writings should be assigned coursework for executives to create truly inclusive corporate cultures and for LGBTQ employees looking to bring their full selves to work.”
– Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President and CEO
“The feedback from the Commissioner and the entire Executive staff has been overwhelmingly positive! Everyone here is excited about the possibilities of doing more to develop the Agency’s Transgender Rights and Inclusion competence. There is no doubt that the Executives would love to have Stephanie back to train the entire 5,400 person workforce if it were possible and practical. I would not be surprised if they started a petition for Stephanie to present full-time, but I digress.”
– James L. Hallman, Chief Diversity & EEO Officer, NYC Department of Transportation
“You were just outstanding . . . with your presentation and guidance during our learning and discussion. Thank you for providing such important and current information. We appreciate you and what you do.”
– May Snowden, Senior Fellow & Program Director, Human Capital Practice, The Conference Board
“I have had the pleasure of working with Stephanie on an enrichment event at our company and got to know her further at the following Out & Equal Workplace Summit. I’ve found her honesty and heartfelt way she tells her story to be very meaningful to me. She played a large role in introducing me – and our entire company – to transgender issues and what I believe is the next frontier in creating diverse and accepting workplaces. I now proudly count myself among the allies for the transgender community.”
– Heather Gill, Diversity & Inclusion Lead, Land O’Lakes
- LGBTQ-owned Business
- Traveling from West Coast, US
As the founder and owner of Follow Your Heart, LLC, Stephanie is an internationally recognized speaker, workshop presenter, trainer, author and LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion consultant.
A major voice in the LGBTQ+ workplace equality movement with an emphasis on transgender and non-binary individuals, Stephanie casts a bright light on all of the pertinent Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) issues that companies and organizations must face to successfully transform their workplaces into a truly welcoming environment for all of their employees. Stephanie’s warm and personal style has engaged and enlightened her audiences wherever she speaks.
She currently sits on the Boards of PFLAG National and Trans New York, where she serves as the Board President and Director of Corporate Training. She has proudly served on the Boards of the following organizations: the LGBT Community Center of New York and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF).
She has been named to LinkedIn’s inaugural group of LGBTQIA+ Top Voices and GO Magazine’s 100 Women We Love 2022 list which celebrates women who’ve made significant achievements in their respective fields.
Stephanie’s new book, Reflections From Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling: Finding My True Self in Corporate America chronicles her life as a corporate vice president at New York Life Insurance Company, where she was the first transgender person to transition on the job in the 165-year history of the company. It is part memoir, part cautionary tale of what it is like to experience a career on both sides of the gender divide.
Stephanie possesses over 40 years of management and leadership experience within the Fortune 100. Stephanie holds a BA in Communication from the University of Delaware and an MBA in Marketing from the Samuel L. Silberman College of Business at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Let’s collaborate to ensure a transformative experience.