At a recent event with store teams in Orlando, Fla., Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement and Social Impact, Nelson Burke, mentioned to a small group in passing that Tapestry would be a sponsor of Orlando Pride in the fall. He was moved by the response.
“You could see in [one of the team member’s] emotions how she felt cared for,” Burke remembers. “Just by learning that Tapestry is going to be sponsoring Orlando Pride.”
That moment carried meaning. And it’s why the Prouder Together EBRG exists. Completely employee-led, Prouder Together doesn’t just host Pride marches and events, but is a source of inclusion in everyday spaces where people spend their working lives.
Behind that effort is a group of co-leads who take on this work around the world. Here are their stories.
A Secret Mission
Dean Herson, Director Customer Experience EMEAI Stores + Learning & Development was originally part of the global Prouder Together network before becoming co-lead of the chapter in EMEAI—a region that spans some countries where, as Herson puts it plainly, “being me is actually illegal.”
“Every day is Coming Out Day,” Herson says. “But in some regards, it’s also very much a ‘stay quite hidden.’ I see it as a secret mission for the people like me in countries who can’t necessarily say who they are or what they’re about.”
That reality is what drew Herson into EBRG leadership, and what keeps him there. Through Prouder Together’s work, community members in every country know someone is fighting for them, even when the support happens quietly.
“We have a unique opportunity at Tapestry with the most incredible workforce of amazing people… to connect with people from all over the world and create community,” Herson says.
Activism Turned Allyship
His UK communications pillar co-lead, Tara Cozzi-Lepri, joined Prouder Together EMEAI in 2024, and brings a different vantage point. Originally from the northern suburbs of Chicago, she’s been with Tapestry for 11 years, now as store manager at Coach Westfield Stratford City in East London, and is the only field-based co-lead in the EMEAI market.
Cozzi-Lepri’s background in 90s punk activism gave her an education early in her career in inclusion before it had a corporate name: “A lot of the bands were actually talking about these things…and being a really inclusive community,” she says. “I found my people. Ever since then, I’ve had this fire to be the best ally I can be.”
Her primary in-store responsibilities, and passion for creating inclusivity within Tapestry, are a balancing act. “It’s equally hard work for me, but good work,” she says. “I feel really lucky to do it.”
Inclusivity as Brand
In California, West Coast Senior Director Kellie Dolzynski has worked at kate spade new york for 13 years and been part of Prouder Together since its beginnings in 2021.
Her take on EBRGs is that they’re essential to company culture. “It’s not just ‘we sell handbags’ or ‘we’re building brands,’” she explains. “It’s building the autonomy of people and experiences. And that really speaks to what Tapestry believes in.”
Dolzynski says positive feedback goes beyond team members; she also sees how customers respond to representation. “You have that one conversation when you go to [one of our stores] where someone says, ‘thank you so much for amplifying our voice, making Tapestry a place that I can feel seen, heard, and respected.’”
Building an Experience
Morgan Foster, Sr. Manager, Global Talent in New York, who oversees Prouder Together’s culture and well-being pillar, considers EBRG involvement in the same way a brand considers building an experience.
“The way EBRGs are creating spaces and events, and curating experiences for connection—it’s a bit of a product,” she said. “We want people in the organization, no matter where you sit, to look at what we’re doing and say, ‘I want to be part of that or I would enroll in that.’”
Bridging the Gap
More than anything, Burke says that being a part of Prouder Together gives him a sense of agency for doing something good in the world. “There’s just so much impact that we can have through our people and the way that we show up in our communities.”
But ask any of the co-leads what keeps them up at night, and you’ll hear a version of the same answer: how do you reach the team member who’s only been at the brand for a few months, the ones working directly on the sales floor, or those who have no idea what an EBRG even is?
“When I think of wanting everyone to feel included, I want them to feel connected to the work we do,” says Cozzi-Lepri, who often briefs new store employees on what EBRGs are, and the variety of connections Tapestry offers.
Burke’s framing helps: participation doesn’t have to mean co-leading anything. It can mean attending a session. It can mean one hour of volunteer work. At a recent “Be Heard” listening session run by Prouder Together, fewer than 30 people joined, and some didn’t say a word. But “Just being there, just having that space created for them meant a lot,” Burke says.
That’s the version of access and belonging the co-leads are working toward: low barrier, multiple entry points, involvement at the right level for each individual. Show up however you can. Something will land.
“We’ve got thousands of team members all over the world who have a sense of feeling seen, heard, valued, and cared for through our EBRG’s efforts and Tapestry’s stance [on showing up as your most authentic self],” Burke says. “There’s so much power in that.”
