Fact: humans are more similar genetically than we are different, sharing on average 99.9% of our genetic code.1
Despite our overwhelming sameness, the diversity among us has driven amazing scientific discoveries, breathtaking expressions of art, and works of literature, theatre, and film that move, inform, and inspire us as we evolve toward better versions of ourselves.
Nonetheless, the beliefs that some people are more worthy of resources, services, and basic human dignity than others remain tenaciously fastened to the very scaffolding of mainstream culture and systems. It does not necessarily require evil intention to harm others in a world still afflicted by white supremacy, sexism and misogyny, and bias against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, plus (LGBTQ+) people. Like ancient viruses, these biases pre-exist any of us walking the earth today, becoming, in some sense, part of everyone.
It takes effort – active, intentional, sometimes uncomfortable – to untether from these biases. As employees of the biopharma industry, we have a special imperative to shoulder the work of dismantling these biases in ourselves and in our own organizations and networks, not only to address the wrongs of the past, but because the work of innovation to save lives requires it. We need creative minds who think differently to work together to find better solutions for our patients. That is part of the reason why United Therapeutics Corporation (UT), like many other employers, supports employees in establishing employee resource groups (ERGs). We recognize that to achieve our public benefit purpose, we must recruit and retain smart, capable, creative people. We want to find those people wherever they are today, retain those who have joined us to solve the problems we face now, and nurture those future leaders who will build on these efforts to create the solutions of tomorrow. ERGs can help us do that.
We spoke with the following five employees, whom we call Unitherians, to discuss their work and the role of ERGs in advancing UT’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and helping us move forward on our public benefit objective to “be a destination employer”:
- Alyssa Friedrich, UT’s Executive VP and Chief People Officer
- Karren Jackson, Senior Director of the UT Oncology Program and chair of the women’s ERG called the Inspire Initiative
- Joshua Lee, Bioprocess Associate II and chair of the UT-Black Affinity Organization (UT-BAO)
- Bill Herrera, Executive Cardiopulmonary Specialist – Remodulin/Orenitram, and Lonnie Aschebrook, Cardiopulmonary Specialist – Remodulin/Orenitram, co-chairs of the LGBTQ+ ERG called oUT & Proud
All also shared what they would like to see next at UT.
About our ERGs
Our ERGs have sponsored educational webinars and book clubs, hosted celebratory events for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month, and Juneteenth, sponsored professional development opportunities, and engaged in direct service events.