Fireside Chats for Enterprise Teams
with Ella Samson
Founder of Emerge Collaborations and author of The Power of Emergence
Available now for booking through 2026
Understanding gender identity is one of the most effective ways for leaders to improve belonging for all employees.
Designed for enterprise teams, this intimate fireside chat creates a clear, human-centered entry point for leaders to explore gender identity and understand how it shapes workplace belonging. Through 30+ years of experience in strategic operations and deep personal storytelling, Ella creates a safe space for participants to deepen their understanding of gender identity, foster meaningful allyship, and improve belonging for their employees. These memoir-based conversations create safe spaces for learning, reflection, and meaningful action at every level. Pre-release fireside chats are available for booking now.
Fireside Chat Experience
“People with transgender medical history, as well as those who are gender-diverse, are gravely misunderstood by most. These experiences are nearly inconceivable, understandably, for those who have never struggled with gender identity.”
—Ella Samson, The Power of Emergence
Today’s leaders are navigating increasingly complex people dynamics, and the topic of gender identity remains widely misunderstood.
The Fireside Chat experience offers a safe, grounded space for enterprise teams to understand employee belonging through the lens of gender identity.
This intimate conversation is rooted in Ella’s upcoming memoir, The Power of Emergence, and connects personal storytelling with the operational realities that shape belonging at work.
Through honest, open dialogue, attendees strengthen their capacity for empathy, gain clarity on the lived experiences of gender-diverse and transgender employees, and learn effective language for supporting every member of their team.
Testimonials
-
"Working alongside Ella has been a pleasure and an honor to bring this fireside chat to The Look Forward series here at the Human Rights Campaign! Her storytelling creates a welcoming space for honest reflection and genuine curiosity, helping participants engage more deeply with gender identity and what true belonging looks like in the workplace."
— Riley J. Jelenick (he/him)
Associate Director, Workplace Equality, Human Rights Campaign -
"Ella’s openness and ability to explain her individual experience in an inviting way created such a warm and welcoming environment for everyone in the room. With that warmth, I think people felt comfortable asking important questions and engaging in a very impactful conversation. Ella’s approach to navigating conversations involving gender identity maximize people’s empathy and curiosity, which are two attributes that in turn increase the chances that someone will become an ally through these conversations."
— Am Law 100 Firm, Associate
-
"The questions were insightful and informed. …All of [Ella’s] responses were authentic and thought- provoking. ...[Her] story needs to be heard, and I really hope it can help people better understand gender identity.”
— Chief of Staff, Global Technology Platform
-
"This effortless conversation about Ella’s memoir made accessible seemingly unnavigable topics through the lens of emergence, tied by the common thread of overcoming fear and confusion. Ella’s courage and visibility were such a needed reprieve during a particularly tumultuous time for our community."
— Am Law 100 Firm, Pride Co-Chair
-
"I really loved everything she had to say... [an] extremely thoughtful and genuine exchange of ideas. It was altogether a beautiful interview.”
— Participant, Global Technology Platform
Applications for Your Organization
-
For Enterprise-Wide Impact
· All-hands meetings and town halls
· Culture-building initiatives
· Belonging and inclusion events -
For Leadership Development
· Executive team sessions
· Manager and people training
· Leadership development programs -
For Focused Groups
· HR and People teams
· Employee Resource Groups (Women's Networks, Pride/LGBTQ+ groups)
· Diversity and inclusion councils -
For Special Observances
· Women's History Month (March)
· Pride Month (June)
· Transgender Awareness Week (November)
Fireside Chat Packages
Basic Experience
A virtual, moderated event with a curated Q&A for attendees. Ella works with your moderator to craft discussion themes drawn from the memoir, creating an accessible entry point for teams to deepen understanding of gender identity and workplace belonging. Includes up to 3 hours of pre-event consultation.
Enhanced Experience
Our most popular package. Includes an in-person speaking event with memoir excerpts for internal marketing. Designed for organizations ready to create an intimate, shared learning experience. Includes all Basic features plus on-site presence and pre-approved content for promotion.
Premium Experience
Everything in our Enhanced Experience, plus a 30-minute post-event discussion with up to 3 select participants. Designed for leadership teams who want to process learnings and discuss organizational implications in a smaller setting. Ideal for CHROs, CDOs, and executive sponsors driving culture change.
Included in Every Package:
Pre-event consultation (up to 3 hours) to align objectives and approach details
Advance memoir access
Collaborative design session to refine discussion themes and ensure questions are vetted and approved
Practice session to ensure a well-prepared event
On-site support and logistics coordination (package dependent)
Marketing artifacts for internal event promotion
Curated Questions to Guide Your Fireside Chat
Our Question Bank provides a strategic, comprehensive starting point for designing your fireside chat with Ella.
With over 45 questions spanning personal narrative, gender identity, workplace strategy, and leadership insights, you can select and customize questions that align with your organization’s objectives and audience. The Question Bank draws from key themes and moments in the memoir, and you’re encouraged to also develop your own questions based on what resonates most with your context. Ella works collaboratively with you to finalize your question set and ensure the conversation drives meaningful dialogue and actionable insights for your team.
Sample questions from the Question Bank:
How did you understand gender identity before you emerged? What areas were confusing to you, and what do you think is still lacking clarity in how it’s widely understood today?
How should organizations measure whether they’re actually achieving belonging for gender-diverse employees, not just inclusion metrics?
For enterprise leaders who recognize their organization needs to improve but don’t know where to start, what’s the most important first step beyond policy updates?
Contact us to access the full question bank and start designing your enterprise's fireside chat with Ella.
Explore Our Resources
Understand the business imperative for gender equity and workplace belonging.
Navigate common questions about our services, approach, and working with us.
Build foundational knowledge of gender, sex, and identity terminology.
Access practical resources to deepen understanding of gender identity and belonging.