Ashley Brundage is the President & CEO of Empowering Differences. While seeking employment at a major financial institution, she self-identified during the interview process as a woman of transgender experience and subsequently was hired. Starting as a part time teller she rose to VP, Diversity and Inclusion in less than 5 years. She captured this 4-step process of empowerment to cultivate change in her book and leadership course. Ashley credits her success to those closest to her for providing actionable allyship including her 2 teenage sons, Bryce and Blake. www.empoweringdifferences.com | 813-731-1302 | ashley@empoweringdifferences.com SPEAKER / RESEARCHER / ADVOCATE Since beginning transitioning in 2008, she has worked tirelessly to promote empowerment of people. She works to accomplish this goal by volunteering in the community and working with organizations to share her research. She served on the Corporate Advisory Council for the NGLCC – National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and was the past chair and creator of NGLCC’s TGX Initiative. She chaired the successful bid to host the NGLCC convention in 2019, and Visit Tampa Bay awarded her a key to the city. In 2018, she started serving on the board of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. In 2019, she was voted on the National Board of Directors for GLAAD and served as the Vice Chair of the board before leaving in 2022 to focus full time on her growing company that expanded its reach by tracking how empowered people are for their common differences through our live 90 second survey. Ms. Brundage speaks locally and nationally about her transition, empowerment, workplace equality, leadership, and diversity, equity & inclusion. She has also been interviewed in several publications and media outlets, including Tampa Bay Times, The Business Journal, The Miami Herald, Fox, ABC, CBS, Las Vegas Review Journal, Milwaukee Biz Times, the Daily Beast, Fairygodboss, InStyle Magazine, BBC, Bloomberg Businessweek, Business Insider, and Forbes while being named their compassionate leader award. Ashley has been recognized in many areas and has received numerous awards locally, nationally, and internationally for her work and volunteerism. She was won the Stevie Award in 2021 and 2022 as the global social change champion for LGBTQ community. She approaches her advocacy and empowerment work very apolitically, and this is evident as in 2022 she served on a committee for the Biden White House and won an award from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a community spirit award for her commitment to women and girls in Florida. In 2024 she became the first trans person to win any type of election in the State of Florida’s history from her primary win.