LGBTQ+ Identities and the Evolving Culture of FinTech

At DailyPay, we define ourselves as trailblazers, disruptors, innovators. Much of our company’s success comes from breaking from tradition and leaving behind outdated rules for how things should be done. This is especially true for our company culture.

DailyPay’s culture centers around every employee’s ability to bring their full self to work. We deeply value diversity, not only because it allows us to have more genuine interactions as a team, but because it opens the door for so many dynamic, new ideas that would never come to fruition otherwise.

This Pride month, we want to celebrate that commitment to diversity, inclusion and fresh perspectives. We’ve spotlighted three of our employees to share their stories about how DailyPay’s culture of acceptance has impacted them.

Darlene Miranda, Vice President of Product Management

Even though she had participated in LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at other companies, Dar remembers them feeling insular, without much support from allies or other groups. When she began her career at DailyPay, she was surprised at the level of support and active allyship, both from other ERGs and the company as a whole. The idea of being “stronger together” really permeates DailyPay’s employee experience, creating a culture of accountability and acceptance.

Dar, who publicly came out in business school, shared that she still felt uncomfortable openly discussing her personal life in previous roles at other companies. In the past, she also felt the need to desensitize herself to biases, both implicit and explicit, in the workplace. She often saw people turn the other way instead of advocating for their peers and putting an end to those types of conversations. 

However, that never stopped her from fighting for equality and justice. In her role at a large financial institution, she fought for adoption benefit coverage for same-sex couples and was successful in her efforts. Her strength and tenacity make her such a valuable asset to DailyPay’s team.

“I feel really comfortable sharing my truth at DailyPay,” Dar said. “I’ve never felt that I had to shy away from speaking about my wife or my son. The truth of who I am has never made me feel ‘othered’ here or raised any eyebrows.”

Josh Jackson, Product Marketing Director

Josh plays a huge role in the culture of diversity at DailyPay as one of the founders of the DailyPride (LGBTQ+) ERG. Because of DailyPay’s commitment to celebrating diversity, this is the first company where he felt comfortable being out since he began his employment. In his previous role in the financial sector, he didn’t feel comfortable coming out until marriage equality was federally recognized. Although it was a pivotal moment in his life, he still remained the only LGBTQ+ person who was out publicly on his previous team.

Josh notes that feeling at ease bringing his full self to work every day helps him feel more comfortable sharing his thoughts and ideas with his coworkers. At DailyPay, we don’t view the workplace as an environment where we should pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist or ignore societal concerns. We believe in encouraging genuine, open dialogue between diverse individuals, and we don’t shy away from difficult discussions on current events and the world at large. This is something Josh notes as a great strength.

Josh has many hopes for the future of LGBTQ+ employees, both in the FinTech space and beyond. The true, genuine allyship he has seen at DailyPay has deeply inspired and moved him. He wants the next generation of LGBTQ+ people who enter the workforce to feel like it’s totally normal to live their full lives inside and outside of work, without feeling awkward, intimidated or scared. He hopes employers continue to make this easier for employees, because everyone deserves the freedom to be out from day one.

“What used to feel like a burden early on in my career, or something I used to compartmentalize, has actually opened doors for me and helped me to connect with my coworkers more genuinely on a personal and professional level,” Josh said.

Anna Picagli, Copywriter

As a double major in Creative Writing and Gender Studies, Anna really wasn’t sure where her career path was going to take her. Although she wanted a fast-paced and engaging career, she never saw herself in the financial sector, believing that those jobs would be boring or unaccepting of individuals with diverse backgrounds or colorful personalities. However, after a series of “happy accidents” that nudged her career toward the FinTech space, she applied to a role at DailyPay. 

“I’d never gone on a job interview where so much time was spent explaining how the company would enrich my life and that’s what sold me on DailyPay. Not only was the office designed to be a fun, dynamic space, but the company culture was so focused on individual development and personal expression,” Anna said. “I knew that I was going to find my place here and that working hard for DailyPay was going to have so much return on investment.”

Anna notes that the ERGs play a huge role in bolstering that culture of being a lifelong learner. She is an active member of the DailyPride ERG and the VP of Marketing for DailyWomen. She strives to create and support programming that focuses on education, diversity, intersectionality and understanding. 

She too notes that she has only ever felt accepted and celebrated for bringing her whole self to work at DailyPay — a refreshing change of pace in her professional life that has been extremely personally fulfilling. She would like to thank Josh, Dar and all the other LGBTQ+ professionals who came before her for the hard work they have done to open these doors for her and for others.

Interested in a career at DailyPay? Check out our open roles here.