Even as there is a growing recognition for the need for representation, there are still many cases where folks will find themselves as the only person in a room representing their particular demographic – and often there is pressure to perform in such contexts to prove competence not just for yourself but for everyone who is like you. The burden and the stress of being the “representer” is real, and so we wanted to create a space where folks can discuss who they go about ensuring they are effective and successful even in contexts where no one else on the team or in the room is like them.
Dr. Shauna Wallace
I learned early that being “the only one” in a room isn’t a deficit it’s a position of power, presence, and purpose. My journey has required a mix of self-trust, preparation, and rootedness in who I am and who I represent. Read More>>
Ray Schufford
You know, I’ve been “the only one in the room” more times than I can count. Whether in the firehouse, in business rooms, and even in some community spaces, it can lonely standing alone. But what I’ve learned is that effectiveness doesn’t come from blending in; it comes from standing firm in who you are. Read More>>
Dareel Sco
I’ve learned it to be effective in many different ways throughout my everyday life. I am a musician that meets like minded people on the regular. They look a lot different than me at times. Being an American in my type of skin you have to learn an effective way to succeed without being discouraged by judgments of others. Read More>>
Sabrea Aijalon Curiel
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t difficult. It’s just constantly comparing and doubting yourself. Growing up in California I was known as like ‘the singer’. But here in New York, everyone is an artist you know? No one cares that you were in your high schools highest choir. Read More>>
Kelly C. Hood
Being the only one in the room has taught me how to stand firm in who I am, even when I feel unseen or misunderstood. I’ve learned that my perspective is my power; it allows me to bring something different to the table that no one else can. Instead of shrinking, I use those moments to educate, to connect, and to lead by example. Read More>>
M Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez
I grew up in culturally diverse Miami, Florida and moved to the mountains of Northeast Tennessee as a young adult, where very few people looked like me. I understood that I have to make first impressions count because people naturally will judge me first by my appearance and then how I speak. Read More>>
Nadara Rose
Being “the only one in the room” has been a part of my story since childhood. Growing up in Hawaiʻi, I was often the only blonde in my class, a contrast that, at a young age, made me long to blend in and be beautifully brown like all the other kids. Read More>>
Koi Reid
As a queer black person, I am used to being the only one in the room, in both visible and invisible ways. I have learned how to be a successful employee, entrepreneur, and artist through years of trial and error alongside advice from others who have lived through similar experiences. Here are some of the most important lessons I have learned. 1. Read More>>
MIke Benj
Being effective and successful—while often being one of the few in the room who looks like me—comes with its challenges. But I’ve learned that challenge itself is one of the key ingredients to success. For me, it took time to understand that what I’m striving to accomplish is something that many others may never get the chance to pursue, let alone achieve. Read More>>
Keri Lynne Shaw
Over time, I’ve learned that being the only one in the room who looks like me isn’t a deficit, it’s a distinction. I was usually the only woman in the room amongst a sea of blue suits….this made me stand out! Early in my career, I used to spend too much energy wondering how I was being perceived. Read More>>
Kayla Serota
Being the only one in the room that stands out—whether through my style, my ideas, or my approach to business—has honestly become one of my biggest strengths. In the vintage and small business world, it’s easy to feel out of place when you don’t fit a certain mold or aesthetic, but I’ve learned to see that as an advantage. Running Quirky Cactus Co. Read More>>
Alfonso Apodaca III
Being the only one in the room… that’s a kind of seduction. It’s the art of walking into a space that wasn’t painted for you and deciding you’ll be the color it never knew it needed. You learn to move different…slow, intentional, aware of your rhythm when everyone else moves to a song you’ve never heard. Read More>>
Cincere Banks
I’ve learned to turn that pressure into power. I work best when I know the odds are against me, because I understand that I’m not just showing up for myself — I’m representing every person who never got the chance to be in that room. My presence is proof that purpose can’t be duplicated. There’s only one me, and that’s my advantage. Read More>>
Cincere Banks
I’ve learned to turn that pressure into power. I work best when I know the odds are against me, because I understand that I’m not just showing up for myself — I’m representing every person who never got the chance to be in that room. My presence is proof that purpose can’t be duplicated. There’s only one me, and that’s my advantage. Read More>>
Jared Chance Taylor
Over time, I’ve realized that to create something beautiful or meaningful truly requires my whole self. And that is true no matter the circumstance, alone or not. Read More>>
Daphne Dike-Hart
Being the only one in the room who looks like me, an immigrant and Black lesbian human has been both challenging and clarifying. At first, it felt isolating. You notice the stares, the assumptions, the unspoken question of whether you belong. But over time, I realized that my presence itself is powerful. Read More>>
Raffa & Camilla DeFaria
From Camilla: That’s actually a very interesting question—one I’ve reflected on in the past when thinking about what it means to be effective and successful. I’m no stranger to being the only one in the room who looks like me. I’ve been the youngest, the only female, the only one with an accent. Read More>>
DADA KIM
For me, the secret ingredient has often been frustration — but in a productive way. I learned to use that negative emotion as fuel to fire me, to keep going when things felt unfair or out of reach. Read More>>
Evening Bass
Being a woman in this scene can be quite challenging sometimes. There have been times where I was booked for an event and showed up (early!) to another artist performing in my slot. There have been times where I was the only woman on the lineup and showed up to play only to be met with confusion and judgement from the other male artists. Read More>>
Devon Fulford
Being weird is simply the way I came into this world. And when you spend your entire life being the odd one out, eventually, you come to accept and embrace this about yourself. This does not mean things have always been simple for me! Read More>>
Dr. Janice Castro, Ph.D.
I was born and raised in Maryland and went to the University of Maryland for undergrad, so I thought I already knew what it was like to attend a predominantly white institution, but when I moved to Nebraska for my Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, it felt very different. Read More>>
Maria Bontrager
Since I started the journey to become an optometrist, I have always been the only one in the room who looks like me. I grew up in a conservative Mennonite home where higher education was discouraged. When I decided to pursue my dreams in my early 20’s, I immediately became someone who was ‘different’. In my church setting, few people had college degrees. Read More>>
Jackie Salgado
I take accountability in knowing that it is a privilege to exist in my bloodline on both sides of my familial roots. Having the privilege of being born from nothing, and with nothing, gives you a perspective of what true privilege looks like. Read More>>
Mansi Mehra
1. Owning Presence, Not Just Position When you’re the only one who looks like you, your presence itself becomes a statement — of representation, of difference, of possibility. Effectiveness often starts with comfort in that visibility: realizing you don’t have to shrink or blend in to belong. You bring a lens others can’t replicate. Read More>>
Elektra Light
I believe authenticity to be the highest vibration we can have so I take pride in being my authentic self even when that means I’m the only one that looks like me in the room! I wear big bows on top of my head that I make myself and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Read More>>
Fatima Bailey
Being the only one in the room who looks like me has taught me to be strategic, patient, prepared, and confident. As a woman of color, I’ve had to create an ecosystem that safeguards, motivates, and propels me towards my goals. I’ve learned to leverage my life experiences, unique perspectives and insights to drive success. Read More>>
Qiana Turner
This is a phenomenal question. There have been many instances where I have been the only one in the room that looks like me. I used to shy away from being in those rooms. I would get nervous and wonder what others were thinking of me. Read More>>
Yuko Fukushima
For example, on projects such as CHRIZ AMAYA, a British musician, and creative shoots in Santa Monica and San Diego, I honed my ability to convey emotion and character visually, making an impact even when I stood out in the room. Read More>>
Goldwyn Thandrayen
I thought this question was really interesting, and I wanted to answer it by sharing something I went through a few years ago. Read More>>
Qi Rosa Zhang
Being the only one in the room—especially as an Asian woman founder—has been a defining part of my career. Early on, when I worked in more traditional industries like art and auction, I often found myself as one of the very few women of color, the youngest person in the room, and someone communicating in a second language, even though my English is native-level. Read More>>
Romie Montpeirous
Early in my career, I didn’t think much about how I looked or how I might be perceived. I was focused on showing up and doing the work. I didn’t even realize I was “different” until someone pointed it out—and honestly, that moment didn’t shake me. Read More>>
Ingrid Smith
Being the only one in the room has been both my challenge and my training ground. It taught me how to own my voice, trust my expertise, and lead with presence—even when I wasn’t given permission to. Read More>>
Ashley Hardy
Being the Only One in the Room
I knew I was different early on. I was that little girl who couldn’t sit still when life called — outgoing, eager, always ready to learn something new. Read More>>
Flourish Healing and Wellness Space
For many of us, especially as Black and mixed women such as ourselves, being the only one in the room that looks like us is not new. It’s a reality we’ve learned to navigate, and it has shaped how we show up in spaces that weren’t always built with us in mind. Read More>>
Cash Daniels
I started conservation work at the age of 7, often being the youngest person in the room at many symposiums and conferences focused on a much older audience with degrees and higher learning. Now at 16, I am still frequently the youngest in room but I have learned that’s not always a bad thing. Read More>>
