PRERNA SHARMA

Being South Asian and a brand owner in the beauty and skincare space means I often find myself in rooms where South Asian and brown representation is still lacking. A younger me would have seen this as a disadvantage, but with time and experience, I’ve learned that most people are kind, helpful, and genuinely want to support you if you ask. Read More>>

Kashyap Dadia

Being the only one in the room who looks like me has definitely come with its challenges, but over time I’ve learned to lean into that difference rather than shy away from it. In my 20 years working in several leadership roles at places like Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, I focused on operating with a strong owner’s mindset, staying curious, and learning from everyone around me. Read More>>

Judith Lovely Mergilles

Early in my career as a nurse, I quickly realized that I wasn’t just showing up for myself; I was often representing voices and experiences that weren’t always present at the table. Over time, that table evolved. I went from bedside nursing to home health administration, launched multiple businesses in healthcare and insurance, and eventually stepped into leadership roles in industries where I was often the only woman and even more often, the only woman of color in the room. Read More>>

Kelsey Arrington-Shaw

I’ve learned to tune out the negative thoughts and inner critic when I am the only one in the room that looks like me. In those instances, I try to remind myself that I deserve to be there and that I know what I am doing. Being self-aware and self-assured goes a long way when you’re alone in professional settings. Read More>>

Kate Little

Growing up in an East Asian country, I often struggled with confidence, especially when comparing myself to many of my Western peers. We were taught to be quiet and not draw attention to ourselves. Here in America, I often find myself as the only person of color in the room at work. Over time, I’ve learned to speak up and be confident in the value I bring—because if I don’t, my voice might not be heard. Read More>>

Astrid Montanez-Garay

I grew up in a low-income household and was fortunate to attend private schools on full financial aid. Those spaces, however, were a completely different world. Most of my classmates came from wealth, and I was often one of the only students of color in the room. That experience taught me early how to navigate environments where I didn’t blend in and how to stand out for the right reasons. Read More>>

Nicole Gress

Being the only one in the room” is a position I know well, not just as a trans person, but as someone leading a company in an entirely new category. There’s no blueprint for what I do. I’m often the only one who understands the stakes of trans voice, the weight of voice dysphoria, and the systemic failures that brought us here. Read More>>

Tanisha Middleton

As the CEO of Framed By Tee Tee—and the only Black woman I’ve ever seen in leadership within the field of optometry and optical—I’ve had to master the art of thriving in rooms I was never expected to enter, let alone lead in. This industry, like many others, is predominantly run by white men, and being the only one who looks like me has never been easy—but it has made me *exceptional* in ways they never saw coming. Read More>>

Chas

Growing up in Northern California my father always believed that education could level the playing field and get his children a step up in life, fortunately and unfortunately for me he sent me to school in Napa, California. There, I was often one of a handful of African-American students in the entire school. Usually, the only black kid in Honors English and math classes. Read More>>

FERYAL KILISLI

I’ve learned to see being the only one in the room who looks like me not as a burden, but as a kind of power. At first, it can feel isolating — like you’re carrying the weight of representation. But over time, I realized that being different is what makes me stand out, and more importantly, what allows me to bring something unique to the table. Read More>>

Roxana Midi

When I was a child, my mom used to say to me, “Rox, if someone threw you out the door, you’d find your way back in through the window.” At the time, I couldn’t understand what that meant. I was very tenacious as a child growing up in a small city in Romania; I always loved the idea of independence; Read More>>

Girl Named Nino

There’s a quiet fire that comes from being the only one in the room who carries your story: your face, your roots, your rhythm.

Culture shock hit me hard as a young teen in a country I’d only known through the lens of films and TV. I felt like I had to overcompensate: be perfect, be polished, make myself easier to digest. But I could never bring myself to betray who I was. I kept showing up as me, even when it cost me. Read More>>

Taylor Hutton, MBA

As a young woman in an industry dominated by “finance bros” – I’ve had to unlearn the idea that I had to dress like a traditional financial advisor to be taken seriously in this world. Unlike traditional pant suits or heels – you’ll find me in a t-shirt, jeans, and my signature BB yellow sneakers.  Read More>>

Andrew Snorton

When this happens, I have to remind myself why I’m there in the first place. In no particular order, my skill sets, work product, and body of work allow and align me to be in spaces and places where at times it truly may be me and my shadow. Read More>>

Ben

Being successful is not something you can achieve by waking up one morning and starting from the top; if you want to become successful, you have to work hard to get it. Disney artist Saul Blinkoff taught me how to be courageous in reaching out to other actors, sports players, and illustrators for collaborations or podcast interviews. It’s hit or miss, a yes or no answer. Read More>>

Ama’ray Frazier

Understanding your value and purpose is the key to being effective and successful. This is something that took me awhile to understand and God helped me to open my mind to who I am and my purpose. Once you align yourself and focus on what truly matters in life, you can’t be stopped by anything or anyone.  Read More>>

Crystal Yang

“Are girls just stupid or something?” my friend whispered at a local competitive programming contest, where we were the only two girls among over 30 participants.

Despite being a regular competitor in Texas contests, I struggled to find peers like me—girls passionate about computer science. I reached out repeatedly, hoping to connect, learn, and grow together, but often found no one. The feeling of isolation was real.  Read More>>

Karina Koppikar

I find that in many of my passion projects, I am often the youngest person in the room. When connecting with other authors in the community, I am the only teen. When I spent the summer working at the D.C. lobbying firm, every other intern was an adult. I often find it necessary to get creative when finding ways to be heard because my voice is frequently overlooked in a room full of adults.  Read More>>

Vlad Cazacu

I think for the first question, there is a little bit of a bias in the way it is asked. The reason why I say this is because it implies that being different, being the only one in the room that looks like you, must be something negative, must be some form of roadblock in order to be effective and successful.

And I really disagree with that. I think there’s a lot of joy, pride and excitement that comes from being the only one in the room that looks like you. Read More>>

Gigi Saldaña

Growing up, I rarely saw myself reflected in the world around me, not in toys, not in entertainment, and certainly not in the professionals I looked up to. As a Black Afro-Latina with curly/afro-textured hair, I was constantly navigating a world that didn’t see my beauty, my culture, or my potential as the norm. Especially in the Latin American performing arts industry, where even today, representation of women who look like me is scarce to non-existent. Read More>>

 Nicole Clark

I actually like being the only one in the room that looks like me. This has been my position most of my life. Starting out in real estate I worked Class A Luxury Communities, Then transitioned to Condo Management and currently home sales. 99% of the time I was the only one who looked like me in the room. Read More>>

 Julian Rugel

As a child I learned that being different or yourself scares people. In sixth grade I spent the entirety of my school days in total silence after being mocked and called things like mute boy. Only through soccer did I ever really learn to be comfortable when being “the only one in the room”. At age twelve my rec soccer team with the Decatur-Dekalb YMCA inherited a team of refugee players from all over the world.  Read More>>

Nature Nvoke

Being the only one in the room never scared me—it empowered me.
I’ve always felt called to blaze my own trail. Whether on stage as a Black frontman in post-punk or navigating scenes where I’m the only one who looks like me, I learned early on that standing out is a superpower, not a setback. Read More>>

Dr. Connie Bell

Early in my career in security, I walked into a high-stakes leadership gathering, me, a Black woman among a sea of men, no one who looked or spoke like me, no one from a background like mine. Sitting at the table, I remember thinking, “Do I shrink, or do I walk in with whatever confidence I have?” I chose to show up. I didn’t say it with bravado but with clarity; prepared and experienced, with a perspective nobody else in the room could offer. That moment didn’t just teach me how to be productive when I’m the only one in the room; it taught me the power of being real. Read More>>

Mingze Gao

In my practice, I often find myself at the intersection of two seemingly distant worlds—technological innovation and traditional fine art. As a graduate of NYU Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), I was surrounded by peers exploring experimental uses of emerging tech. But unlike many, I focused on blending these tools with the emotional and philosophical depth of fine art. I’ve always believed that technology is a means, not an end—that it should support artistic expression, not replace its core.  Read More>>

AJ Montana Keyser

Well, I am nonbinary and that definitely makes me stand out in a room. I think I have just gotten used to haters and I don’t give into their behaviors anymore. Becoming more of a public figure everyday, I am going to have to deal with transphobia and homophobia more and more on my social media. I don’t let them affect me anymore because ultimately a reaction is what they’re looking for. Also, most of the time I am celebrated for who I am. Read More>>