Episode 41: Luigi Lewin of GLAAD: Talking to the Movable Middle

Fiftyfaces Focus 2025 Pride Special

Luigi Lewin is Senior Vice President and Head of Partnerships at GLAAD. He formerly spent 25 years on Wall Street where he worked in a series of roles in sales, relationship management, operations and business development, until he left to move to the non-profit sector. GLAAD is the largest and most visible non-profit advancing LGBTQ+ acceptance.
Our conversation starts with Luigi's upbringing in New York City and how he developed an early interest in giving back through volunteering and local community involvement. We hear then about his journey to Wall Street, starting at Morgan Stanley in fixed income operations, and his international experience working in Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, and London.
Luigi recounts his experience of not being out on Wall Street and the challenges of hiding his identity, including the term "covering." We move then to his decision to leave Wall Street and join the non-profit sector and we talk about GLAAD and its work in promoting visibility and representation, particularly in media, and the impact of seeing characters and personal experiences reflected in film and television.
As for advice as to creating an inclusive work environment Luigi emphasizes the importance of leaning in with empathy and building relationships based on trust and mutual respect.
Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners LLC for supporting production costs of this series.