Led by our LGBTQ+ employee resource group, Fivetran has held workshops, informational meetings and happy hours in honor of Pride Month. Fivetran celebrates a diverse workforce because it makes us a stronger company. Today, we chat with Fivetran Global People Operations Manager Travis Hatfield about what Pride means to him, what he’d do if he weren’t in tech, and what Pride celebrations will look like this month.

What does Pride mean to you?

Pride is a celebration, whether in June or any day of the year, where I can celebrate being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. As a gay man myself, I enjoy that Pride is a time to really celebrate those differences that we all have and the various communities within LGBTQ+. Pride means I can come to the office and be myself without having to worry about the stereotypes that might exist in my community ever being a factor in terms of people appreciating me or being on an inclusive team. I’m thrilled that I can come to work, be myself, share a little bit about my community, and bring awareness.

Tell us about an unsung hero in the Pride community you celebrate.

An organization I’d like to celebrate is called the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Freedom Band. I’m fortunate to be involved in the band that's been designated as the official band of San Francisco. The organization has been advocating for gay rights since essentially the beginning of our journey for awareness and equality, and it has a special way to build advocacy. This is because to be in the band, we have members that are both LGBQT+ and straight allies, and we come together to play music and support a cause that brings awareness to everyone. We build advocacy through a shared appreciation and love for music, which is perfect in my opinion.

How are you celebrating Pride this month?

Pride in 2021 will look different because of COVID. Rather than large celebrations with friends and family at bars and public places, I’ll be spending more time with close friends that live near me in San Francisco. We’ve all been through tough times in the last 15 months and it’s time to start rebuilding our community. In my friend group, there are people across the spectrum when it comes to LGBTQ+, and we want to simply celebrate being together. Next year, we’ll celebrate with parades and all — and you’ll see me there, with the band! However, in 2021, we’re playing it a bit more low-key and intentional.

Tell us about your experience at Fivetran.

I'm the Global People Operations Manager in the People Ops department at Fivetran, in Oakland. In my role, I meet every U.S.-based new hire in the organization and I support our global onboarding efforts. I support all of the integrations, the systems, the data and so forth — all of that not-so-fun stuff that people think about when it comes to HR. I also get to collaborate with folks in our organization locally and globally to ensure our employees are utilizing our benefits, getting paid, and know who can support them on our team.

If you didn’t work in human resources, what would your occupation be?

My desire would be in events management and ultimately travel. I’d love to be in charge of creating and marketing events that focus on amazing employee experiences with regards to work retreats and camps, such as our amazing “Camp Fivetran,” our all-employee retreat that typically takes place annually. I’d love to work in creating a great employee experience and helping people see the world.

If you’re interested in working at Fivetran, please let us know — we’re growing! We have openings across most teams and regions, and we’d love to hear from you.