October 1 marked the start of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to celebrate and honor the valuable contributions of individuals with disabilities and neurodivergent experiences. Throughout NDEAM, PinAble, Pinterest's Pinclusion Group dedicated to advocating for and supporting people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals, will be hosting various events and creating safe spaces for recognition and commemoration.
We’re thrilled to introduce PinAble's Global Leads. Together, they bring diverse perspectives and expertise to champion inclusivity and equality in the workplace. Join us as we celebrate the talents and achievements of workers with disabilities throughout this month.
Meet Drew Soule, Sr. HR Business Partner
I'm Drew Soule, a Sr. HR Business Partner at Pinterest, and my journey has been nothing short of exhilarating. After earning my Masters Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Illinois, I took a leap of faith and supported space systems engineers and leaders for four incredible years. But my true calling awaited me at Pinterest, where I now focus on supporting the Monetization org and proudly serve as one of the Global Co-Leads for PinAble.
Beyond my professional life, I am a passionate foodie, constantly exploring new flavors and experimenting in the kitchen. Traveling is my ultimate adventure, as it allows me to immerse myself in different cultures and broaden my horizons. In addition to my love of food, I am absolutely captivated by the energy and connection that can only be experienced in a live music performance. My purpose in life extends beyond personal interests. As someone born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, I am deeply committed to advancing access and equity for individuals in wheelchairs. I work closely with a non-profit organization, striving to make air travel more inclusive and accommodating for everyone.
In addition to my professional and advocacy endeavors, I am blessed to share a special bond with my twin and our younger sister. They are my constant support and inspiration, reminding me of the importance of family and connection. My journey has been shaped by challenges, triumphs and an unwavering determination to make a positive impact. I am excited to continue pushing boundaries, fostering inclusivity, and creating a world where everyone can thrive.
Meet Andre Abreu, User Services and Support Specialist I
As we say in Brazil: Oi! I'm André, a Support Specialist from the Customer Ops team here at Pinterest for almost two years. Since I can remember, my career has been linked to communication and interpersonal skills, which is quite challenging for me as I experienced hearing loss in one of my ears.
At 12 years old, I decided to be a musician and started taking professional music classes. When I was 14, I discovered I was losing hearing. Years later, I found out I was still gradually losing my hearing for genetic reasons. The projections are that I will be completely deaf in this ear around 40 years old.
Nowadays, I don’t work with music, but my whole career and life started with it. One of the main struggles I had was to work with something where hearing was a key component. It was also hard to think that this is a thing that was not "made for me". The same thing happened when I moved to Advertising and started working with people and communication.
Starting a career with a challenge like that made it clear to me how the whole world could be so much better in accessibility. The issues I had with my hearing loss could be completely avoided if the social structures were at least kind of accessible. They were not, and this made my challenges (and for millions of others) so much more difficult. And because of it, my main goal is to create an accessible, safe space at Pinterest for Pinployees and Pinners.
Meet Catherine Badart, Data Scientist II
I’m Catherine Badart, a Data Scientist in the Monetization organization. I have been at Pinterest for one and a half years, and have been a Global Co-Lead for PinAble for one year. When I first started at Pinterest, I had just received my ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) diagnosis and was still in the midst of trying to figure out how to adapt my personal and professional life to this newfound understanding of myself. Eager to find that sense of community and connection, I took it upon myself to create a new Neurodivergent subgroup within PinAble. That’s how I got more involved with PinAble and eventually became a lead!
NDEAM is important to help build a more inclusive world for all. I often search for ways that I can continue to improve our processes like refreshing our resources about Workplace Accommodations and organizing discussions to empower employees in conversations with their managers and peers as it relates to Neurodivergence and living with disabilities. During NDEAM, PinAble hopes to bring visibility to all the small ways each and every one of us can make things just a little bit better for people with disabilities.
On the fun side of things, a common part of our introductions at Pinterest is sharing what we have been Pinning recently. My recent Pins range from knitting patterns to fall capsule wardrobe inspiration and endless Pins related to wedding planning. 🧶🍂👰🏻♀️I also enjoy tennis, running, yoga, dogs and baking.
Meet Angelo Bituin, Workplace Operations Specialist II
I’ve been with Pinterest for four years as a Workplace Services Site Manager in Seattle, managing our regional offices on the West coast.
I am a first generation Filipino American artist that, for most of my life, struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Without the resources to heal or recover, art was instrumental in my survival. Having gone through formal art school, I’ve been drawing and painting for about 15 years. If you’ve ever hopped on a call with me, you may have found yourself lost in all of the books, figures and artwork that adorns my home office. Nowadays, you can find me making art, going to antique shops, driving up and down the coast and hanging out with my family (fiancée, ferrets, and german shepherd specifically).
Thanks for joining us, PinAble Leads! We're so inspired by your stories and the work that you do.
At Pinterest, our PIndigenous Pinclusion Group led us in our Native American Heritage Month sessions and activations. In this blog article, you’ll meet two of our PIndigenous Global Leads and learn more about how we celebrated Native American Heritage Month.
Meet Madelyn Reyes, one of the original founders of our Latiné Pinclusion Group at Pinterest!
As we continue to celebrate Latiné Heritage Month, you’ll meet more members of our Latin@ Pinclusion Group and learn about their raizces, or “roots.” Meet Pegleess Barrios Sanchez, who manages our entire Pinclusion Group program!