The inaugural AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will be a showcase of the most diverse and impactful young professionals in various fields of work across the Philadelphia region.

At the virtual event, taking place August 20, 2020, Iveliz Crespo, 30, will be one of the 40 honorees. Currently, they are the Global Diversity and Inclusion Advisor at Reed Smith LLP. 

As part of the lead-up to the event, AL DÍA asked each of the 40 honorees the same three questions and collected their responses. 

Here are Iveliz Crespo’s responses:

My biggest challenge in my professional journey was becoming an attorney. As the first person in my family to graduate high school and attend college, I didn’t have the support system or educational pedigree that many of my predominately white and more affluent peers had. My only exposure to lawyers and the legal profession were from characters on television. Succeeding in law school and graduating – was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Even after graduating law school and passing the bar- I rarely met other lawyers that looked like me. That is exactly why I decided to dedicate my career to diversity and inclusion work.

My proudest achievement in my career is not receiving an award or winning a big case- it was being told that I make learning accessible. I received an email from an individual that attended a transgender competency training that I facilitated. This person happened upon the link for my training on social media and decided on a whim to attend. After my presentation, they disclosed that they have a transgender family member that they recently connected with after sitting in on my training. They thanked me for taking a somewhat complicated subject and delivering it in a way that was accessible. It wasn’t that they didn’t love their family member- it was that they didn’t have the education or tools to support them. That is what I am most proud of-  making information accessible to everyone because every single human being deserves the opportunity to learn and grow.

To be truly inclusive- we need braver leaders. We need leaders that aren’t frozen in fear that they’ll make a mistake. We need leaders that will have difficult conversations about racism, anti-blackness, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, sexism and privilege. Leaders that demand transparency and representation from the top down. We need leaders that are sitting around conference tables with people that look just like them and thinking: Who is missing? What voices can I center? Who can I bring to the table?

To register for the upcoming AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event, click here. 

For more information about the event, reach out to alliyahm@aldianews.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact martina@aldianews.com.