Building Inclusion: How Natasha Riley Spreads LQBTQ+ Awareness and Allyship Through Her Voice

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you to Intuit.

I have more than 20 years of experience in small business finance, tax and many years of accounting experience with Intuit software. Since 2014, I worked during tax seasons with Intuit TurboTax and when the position in QuickBooks Live opened up, I was able to take advantage of the opportunity. A remote position with great benefits fits my family’s situation perfectly.‌ And, I’ve been progressing here ever since—from software support expert, to credentialed expert, to team lead, and now, manager.

What inspired you to take on a communications leadership role with the Intuit Pride Network? 

My inspiration to take on this role initially came from a desire to contribute my voice in any way that I could to the LGBTQ+ community here at Intuit. I’ve benefited from what I had learned about the community up to this point, but had only stumbled across basic materials. My hope was to help spread the efforts of the network through communications to those in remote spaces of Intuit who lacked connections and resources they might have needed, especially during COVID. I wanted to lend a more relaxed and inviting voice from a female of color, openly queer, and single parent to the LGBTQ+ network of Intuit team members. I also wanted to expand my own skills and learn ways to manage my team more inclusively. By gathering resources from other leaders that have led these networks and efforts, I can share what I learned from them with my team to optimize the resources available to us at Intuit. 

How have you seen the Pride Network and its importance evolve since you’ve been at Intuit? 

During COVID, some of the communities for LGBTQ+ individuals working from home were minimal, with some diminished completely. The supportive laws and regulations for our community, policies governing how we live, seemed to be diminishing as well in many areas. The role this network holds is vital to someone working remotely with no encouragement or local community to lean on during tough times. ‌For LGTBQ+ workers, not having community when they really need it can be detrimental to their mental health. Making certain there’s ease and comfort in the connection we form with each other in the Pride Network and making our community as inviting as possible is so important for that reason, if for no other.

What advice would you give to someone looking to be an ally to the Intuit Pride Network? 

My advice to an ally of the Intuit Pride Network would be: make sure to spread the word to your teams, colleagues, and managers. Let everyone on your team know about the Intuit Pride Network. The group is here and ready to grow and expand its reach. We can’t spread awareness without allyship and sharing information. Amplifying the resources we have is the best way to be an ally to our network. 

In many countries, Pride Month is celebrated in June. What does this month mean to you and to the Intuit Pride Network? 

Pride Month is special to me because it’s a very specific celebration of my humanity. In the face of all that has attacked the LGBTQ+ community in local and national laws and policies, Intuit Pride Network isn’t only celebrating Pride Month by sharing notes and images of joy, but we’re upholding the mission of empowerment with testaments to resilience. We are celebrating the Intuit value of standing stronger together no matter the political weather, no matter our work location, and no matter the status of our employees’ individual/local communities, by giving our Intuit employees a community that’s for us. If someone feels alone, needs a listening ear, a little direction toward specific LGTBQ+ resources here at Intuit, or just wants to connect with us in general ‌for a moment of shared celebration– June amplifies our ability to do so. With such deep allyship across Intuit, our values and mission for the network as we celebrate all of June together will hopefully increase our reach. Sometimes, knowing that a kind and inclusive world is just a post or message away can do wonders for your own sense of “pride.” I truly hope the resilience message we created for this year’s Pride Month theme resonates with all of Intuit. I hope we get to grow our network even more, and especially for those team members that might need it most.

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At Intuit, we’re passionate about making sure that everyone can show up as their authentic self at work. Through ERGs like the Intuit Pride Network, we’re able to foster a sense of connection, empathy, and trust between employees. 

If you are interested in joining our team, check out Intuit’s careers page.