Innovation Summer 2026

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I think showing up authentically at work, a lot of the times, is more reflective of the work culture than it is of the individual. Dori Kingston, EIT

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“I had worked professionally presenting male for the first five years of my career and established myself as capable and competent already,” she said. Rather than carefully calibrating how much of herself to reveal, Kingston described authenticity as something shaped largely by environment. “I think showing up authentically at work, a lot of the times, is more reflective of the work culture than it is of the individual,” she said. When that culture is supportive, she added, visible difference becomes far less consequential. Even small, steady signals matter. “When I see a pride flag in a window or something supporting queer people, it does make me feel safer and feel welcomed,” she said, emphasizing that those signals carry the most weight when they are sustained, not seasonal. “Putting a pride flag up for Pride Month is great. Having a pride flag up year-round is even better,” she said. She added, “Maintaining that in the workplace goes a really long way.” Mackay pointed to quieter cultural shifts, like defaulting to inclusive language. “If everyone’s using ‘my partner,’ it doesn’t necessarily out her in her workplace,” she said. Traffic engineer Isuru Gamalath (he/him), EIT, said that queerness rarely affects his work when he is focused on design and delivery. The friction, he explained, often emerges outside the core technical environment, particularly when working with external parties. Because they might not have equity or accessibility issues top of mind, clients may question or minimize requests for inclusive design elements.

Scott MacLaren, EIT

Isuru Gamalath, EIT

Innovation Summer 2026

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