How Certinia lives its values by championing inclusion and the LGBTQIA+ Community
Deb Ashton is Senior Vice President of Strategic Customer Experience and a Founder of Certinia. Deb has been instrumental in the growth and ongoing success of the Certinia business. In her current role, Deb’s mission is to work with our customers to understand their journey, ensure they maximize the value they derive from our solutions, and enhance the overall customer experience.
June is always a special month for us at Certinia. The conversations across the company get a bit deeper, the sense of community feels that much stronger, and we are all reminded of the importance of celebrating every voice.
As Co-founder of Certinia and SVP of Customer Experience, I’ve had the incredible privilege of watching our company grow from an ambitious idea into a vibrant global organization. When we started Certinia in 2009, we felt very strongly that we wanted to build a company where people are free to be their authentic selves, bring their best ideas and their full passion to work, and support each other as much as possible.
While it’s easy for a company to say it supports its people, it’s another thing to build that support into its cultural DNA. One of our core values at Certinia is to be Each Other’s Champion, where we foster a community of belonging that values our differences.
For the Pride ERG, that value is our mission in action. It’s the groundwork that allows us to create spaces where LGBTQIA+ employees and our allies can connect, share, and advocate for one another.
Our Pride ERG is one of several employee-driven groups here, alongside others like EmpowerHer, CUBE (Certinia Unites Black Excellence), The Village (supporting parents and caregivers), and PACE (Pan Asian Community for Empowerment).
Together, we work to translate our inclusive policies into everyday practice. We host discussions, share resources, and partner with other ERGs to make sure the conversation around belonging includes everyone. It’s how we create a place where different perspectives are actively embraced as a real advantage.
We’ve come so far since 2009, and celebrating International Pride Month in 2025 and seeing Certinians flourish as themselves is a full circle moment! And while the rainbow logos are a welcome sight every June, our work doesn’t stop on July 1st. The spirit of Pride—equality, authenticity, and belonging—is a year-round commitment from all of us.
So as we look past June, our focus is on continuing the momentum. For us, that means we will:
Amplify LGBTQIA+ voices by providing a platform for our employees to share their stories and perspectives at all levels of the company.
Encourage active allyship, because creating a supportive environment is a responsibility we all share.
Keep the conversation going by listening and looking for new ways to support the evolving needs of our diverse workforce.
Support our communities through volunteer work and other meaningful contributions to local LGBTQIA+ causes that are important to our team.
Building an inclusive workplace is a team sport. It requires intention, action, and the courage to champion each other every day. At Certinia, we believe that when we get this right, we’re building a stronger, more connected company and community.
