Representation from the Eyes of the Representer

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.

Keer Zhao

There are many times when I feel like I’m the only one in the room. It’s not about physical isolation but finding that moment to “jump out” within the crowd, where I can see things differently. Simply watching things unfold without a specific goal fuels my creativity. Observing actions and understanding the intentions behind them is like catching a glimpse of the unspoken.  Read more>>

Ryan The Son” Thomas”

I think the leaned success has come from moment by moment experiences where I took a leap of faith. Instead of saying what is typical to present in a given situation, I would lean into what I would naturally present or propose. It’s often to fatiguing trying to think from a place of “what would most people do” rather than, “Here’s what I would do. Let’s see what they think.” Read more>>

Tracie Thompson

I have been in the fitness industry for over 20 years and have never looked like a typical personal trainer. I worked in big box gyms before opening my own studio, and it was evident that the staff and some members thought I was too fat to be a trainer. I wished this was a feeling in my head, but it wasn’t.  Read more>>

Maki Moussavi

I’ve often joked I should have been a spy due to the number of countries I’ve been asked if I’m from. It takes a decent amount of reflection and integration to go from feeling singled out to seeing that what makes me different is what empowers me.  Read more>>

Kourtney Perry

Navigating the business world as a woman, and particularly as a black entrepreneur, can be daunting, especially when you find yourself in rooms where you’re the only one who looks like you. I distinctly recall the initial unease I felt when I began networking for my business. Every event seemed to magnify the feeling of being under scrutiny. Read more>>

Toni Torres

I realized that most people’s perception of reality are based on subliminal perceptions. I observed that most successful people expect things to go well because that is the pattern for them. People pick up on that subliminally and are drawn to support them because it will be a good use of their energy.  Read more>>

Aaron Lee

I aim to live by 3 simple words: secure, humble and confident. The challenge for me is I want to over-index on the confidence. I want to push how much I know, what I’ve experienced, and tell a great story. In my work with B-SPOKE founder Jim H. Lee, I have consistently found myself in the room as the only non-Asian. And Jim has most graciously invited me in to speak on the perspective of being an ally. Read more>>

Honevo Bi Hemispheric

Its very difficult to push for new ideas or being a creative and a disruptive mind in the room. We live in very conservative systems and many times it is very difficult to express all the changes you will like to see evolve. I am still learning how to deal with processes and stablished structures that need to open up for change.  Read more>>

Dr. Abigail Joseph

My entire life I have been different. An outsider from my physical appearance to my unique passions. I have always walked on the fringe with my head in the clouds, a daydreamer, a visionary. As a child, I was always in the back center of my class photos. An odd place to be for a quiet soul, constantly trying to figure out how to not stand out because I knew I was already out. I was a tall brown-skinned girl with immigrant parents.  Read more>>

Ivan Quezada Taveras

Although effectiveness in my journey as an entrepreneur was not always linear or consistent, there are a few monumental and powerful pillars of faith that keep me motivated and on the path to success: God & Passion. One does not often come across Black Dominican entrepreneurs, especially in the fashion industry.  Read more>>

Natalie Misri

Navigating spaces where one stands out due to their unique identity and background can present both challenges and opportunities, but also offer beneficial learning experiences. As someone who has immersed oneself within the unique realm of the Vegan industry, I have learned valuable lessons on how to thrive in such situations. Read more>>

Julia Lewis

For years, I have always been the only person in the room that looks like me, in VARIOUS industries. Whether it was my Speech Pathology class in college, or my role as a Marketing Strategist for a large business, I was the only Black Woman in the room/company. Read more>>

Barbara Spitzer

I was the only woman on the leadership team for five years as a partner for a large global management consulting firm—my “only” status lasted three years until we finally hired two women and promoted another. Of the four of us, only one remained more than one year later. Anyone who understands culture would describe this one as very male-dominated, patriarchal, and somewhat misogynistic.  Read more>>

Kiara Farmer

As the singular presence of Bond & Co Candles in the room, our journey to effectiveness and success has been shaped by unwavering commitments to authenticity, resilience, and meaningful connections. Our authenticity lies in the heart of our candles, where we weave cultural richness into every wax, wick, and fragrance.  Read more>>

Alberlynne Abby” Woods”

I love this question! While I have often found myself in spaces were it appears that I am the only Black American female, I never really see it that way at all. Wherever I am, I am very intentional about the fact that I am representing so many people.

Yasmin Salina

I’ve learned from being in rooms where people don’t look like me that there is more to what meets the eye. A lot of people underestimate how much we have in common with those that have physical differences. The tactics that have worked for me is be personable, and humanizing all interactions. Everyone that we cross paths with is human and we all put our shoes on one foot at a time. Thats more than enough for me. Read more>>

Mike Schill

I truly feel that as an Entrepreneur, in the beginning holding your self accountable to being effective when you are the only one in the room (quite often literally) is one of the most challenging things to over come. I believe that with out a constant awareness of this it is something that can never be mastered and something that will cost you. Read more>>

Kiarra Trammell

Navigating spaces where I am the only individual who looks like me has been a significant aspect of my journey towards effectiveness and success. It’s been a learning process that has taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of staying true to myself. First and foremost, being the only one who looks like me in a room has often meant confronting feelings of isolation or being an outsider.  Read more>>

Angela Wenyang Hou

I am Angela Wenyang Hou, a LA-based Chinese multi-media director. “Being the only one in the room”– I felt so resonated when I saw this topic on the list. It accurately reflects my current situation and my experiences over the past eight years. During high school, I was one of only five students out of 800 in my grade who pursued art as a career path, a choice that set me apart from the majority of my peers who focused on traditional academic subjects. Read more>>

Asia Sutherland

As a Black Woman, I’ve been the “only one in the room” many times. I have been blessed with the gift of relating to people – I can talk to anyone in any room, find a commonality and hold a conversation.  Read more>>

Jaelyn Clay

Staying true to who I am is super important to me. I have found that being myself is actually what makes me stand out in different ways. I also notice how people gravitate towards me more when they see how relatable I am. Being confident and comfortable with who I am/what I represent helps me to stand out as well.  Read more>>

Jessica Montelongo

To be completely honest, pure naivety is the main reason I have been successful as a minority woman. My father is a Mexican immigrant & my mother is a second generation European immigrant, but because I was raised in Houston, where minorities are the majority, I never felt any different! I knew I was “smart”, “hardworking”, “kind”, but I was completely naive to the fact that I was different than my peers in any other way.  Read more>>

Kat W

Growing up during a time where mixed heritage children were just starting to become common and doing so in a neighborhood that was beginning to become somewhat homogeneous in ethnic makeup has set me up for a lifetime of “being ready for anything.”  Read more>>

Marian Saunders White

As a Black female, I have oftentimes been the only one in the room that looks like me. I was fortunate to attend a girls only high school that pulled its top tier students from throughout the city. This put me in classrooms with very few other Black students where I learned early on that that my qualifications for being there was often questioned. Read more>>

Dr. Michelle S. Thomas

I started my leadership journey at the age of 19. During that time not only was I the only woman, I was the only woman of color within my position in this National Retail Chain. I quickly learned my first and most valuable lesson of success… “Business does not have emotions!”-Dr. Michelle. The only “drivers” of anyone’s success are education, preparations, and determination! Read more>>

Donna Theresa

“Be kind, be helpful, no judgement, no opinion”… This personal mantra has served me well. As I see it, I must be the change I want to see. Being kind has been a hard won skill I have learned to implement. Coming from a dysfunctional childhood rife with others’ substance abuse,adult unpredictability, rejection and the like, controlling life became the way to survive. Over the years, I have come to appreciate the saying ‘”Live and Let Live”.  Read more>>

Annie Koehler

From the beginning, I’ve always wanted to do things a bit differently. Some might call me stubborn or independent, and sure I’m both of those, but I also like to pave my own path. I like to buck the trend. I like to be unique. Because of this approach, I have to be good at what I’m doing, otherwise I’ll have to rethink my approach to any decision making and that goes against my nature. I’m basically challenging myself to do good when no one else is. Read more>>

John Green

I have learned to focus on the things that can make you successful. Focus more on personal growth rather than what someone else is doing or accomplishing. Taking what you have learned from being in the room and applying it to your every day focus. Read more>>

Zuri Pryor-Graves

I have often found myself as “the only one in the room,” a role I’ve become accustomed to throughout my life. Growing up as an only child just three blocks away from the projects in NW Roanoke, VA, my journey was shaped by the unwavering support of my incredible single mother. Despite the challenges, she ensured I received the best education possible, even if it meant traveling across town to attend a predominantly white college preparatory institution for 14 years. Read more>>

Kamaria “Kam” Webster

Being the only one in the room that looks like me can be challenging at times. The art world is a safe space for me; because, I can be who I am, and look how I look without judgement. Working in education you don’t see a lot of people who look like me. I’m a gay, black woman, with quite a few tattoos, and I get misgendered often. Read more>>