At Swapcard, we've always believed that culture isn't something you advertise; it's something you live. And this Pride Month, we wanted to do something that reflected that.
So instead of a banner or a one-liner in a newsletter, we did something we'd never done before: we invited one of our own to sit down and share their story on camera, in front of the whole company.
The Idea Behind It
Pride Month can easily become a performance. A rainbow logo, a well-worded post, a "we stand with the community" statement, and then back to normal on July 1st.
That's not the kind of company we strive to be. We want to show up for our community.
That question was brought to our Culture Forum — a voluntary, cross-functional group of Swapcardians who work alongside the People & Culture team to make sure our culture stays alive between the big moments. Not a committee. Just colleagues who care enough to raise their hand and get involved.
Together, we asked ourselves: what would actually feel meaningful? What would reflect our values (Humanity, Curiosity, Openness) rather than just our PR instincts?
The answer was simple. Create a space where a Swapcardian can speak honestly about identity, belonging, and what Pride means to them, without a script, corporate guardrails, or pressure to say the right thing. A member of our Customer team volunteered to do just that.
What Happened on June 30th
About 30 Swapcardians gathered online for a live, moderated interview… A first for us!
Before we started, we set the tone clearly: this was a safe space. Questions from the audience were welcome via chat, and respect was non-negotiable.
Then we got out of the way and just listened.
Our guest walked us through their journey: moments that shaped how they see their identity, what it felt like to navigate a professional environment, and what genuine inclusion actually looks like from the inside. They talked about community, about joy, about the small everyday things that make people feel seen, or not.
There were no polished talking points. Some answers were moving, some were funny, some made you pause and think. The chat was full of hearts, questions, and people sharing their own small moments of recognition in return.
For a distributed team spread across 40+ countries and time zones, 30 people gathering in real time to just listen to one colleague feels meaningful and intentional.
“As a Swapcardian and a queer person, I will always be grateful to be in a safe space where everyone listens without judgment, and even though we come from different parts of the world, cultures, religions, and other beliefs, during the session, I felt heard and celebrated for my diversity. I also sensed many people’s interest in learning about my life experience, something that’s part of my daily life, which may feel very normal to me, but which others haven’t had the chance to experience or even see in others.
This is one of the reasons why I’m proud to be part of this company; one full of color and people with diverse life experiences, who are also willing to learn and acknowledge our differences, which ultimately unite us as human beings.”
- The Swapcardian who’s been interviewed
What We Took Away
A few things stayed with us long after the session ended.
Inclusion is made of small, daily choices. It's not a policy you roll out once a year. It's how you use someone's pronouns without making a big deal of it. It's how you create space for people to be themselves without asking them to explain or perform.
Authenticity is contagious. When one person is willing to be real, others feel safer being real too. That's the kind of culture we want to keep building, not just in June, but all year round!
Our team showed up. Nobody was asked to attend. Nobody was required to participate. They came because they wanted to, and that says everything.
Why We'll Do It Again
This wasn't a one-off. The conversation we started on June 30th is one we want to keep having in the way we hire, the way we work, and the way we treat each other every day.
To our Swapcardian who said yes to this: thank you. You made a lot of people feel seen that day. 🏳️🌈
Want to be part of a team that takes culture seriously? Check out our open roles.
Rafaelle Stavisky
Head of Culture | Swapcard
For over 7 years at Swapcard, has led employee experience, internal communications, and people operations, building a strong culture as the team scaled globally.
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