The 2027 Pride & Purpose Summit
The Pride & Purpose Summit convenes LGBTQ+ professionals, allies, and organizational leaders for a transformative experience focused on leadership, belonging, and meaningful impact. Through thought-provoking conversations, innovative ideas, and insights drawn from both research and lived experience, participants will explore new approaches to leading with authenticity, influence, and purpose.
Designed to foster connection across career stages and industries, the summit creates opportunities for emerging and established leaders to exchange perspectives, share challenges, and build lasting relationships. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to strengthen inclusive cultures, inspire positive change, and shape workplaces where people can thrive.
Taking place during Massachusetts Pride Month on June 10, 2027, the summit serves as a powerful space for learning, collaboration, and action. More than a one-day event, it is an opportunity to spark new ideas, broaden perspectives, and empower leaders to create a more equitable and inclusive future.
Pride + Presence
Learn the power of authentic storytelling for change, amplifying your unique voice to inspire and motivate others to action.
Resilience + Leadership
Grow resilient leadership strategies that will foster individual & collective well-being to support longevity and build community at the intersections of identities.
Science + Practice
Practice the language of research to drive data-based interventions in your organization.
Allyship + Mentorship
Gain insights into allyship behaviors and mentorship practices to support and advance the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders.
Empowering LGBTQ+ Professionals & Allies in Business, STEM, and Higher Education
LGBTQ+ professionals bring powerful insights, creativity, and resilience to the workplace—fueling innovation and advancing cultures of inclusion. This LGBTQ+ community learning event is designed to celebrate and strengthen that impact.
- Gain practical, evidence-based tools to navigate today’s workplace dynamics
- Develop resilient leadership strategies to support personal & collective well-being
- Engage in immersive, community-building experiences
- Elevate their voices and ignite the shared capacity to lead change
Whether you're a seasoned advocate or new to this journey, this event offers a powerful opportunity to grow your skills, foster inclusive cultures, and build lasting networks that will uplift and empower all.
Pride in Purpose, Power in Action
Faculty Director, Pride & Purpose
Dr. Mateo Cruz is an award-winning teaching-scholar at Bentley University. His primary research focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice (DEIJ), and change in groups & organizations. His research has been published in top management and psychology outlets including, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behavior, and Research in Organizational Change and Development and presented to academic and executive audiences in the US, UK, and South Africa.
Mateo teaches a wide range of courses including organizational theory, group & team dynamics, interpersonal relations, leading transformational change, and applied research. His teaching spans undergraduate, graduate, and executive audiences. At Bentley, he has received two “Innovation in Teaching” awards, the Joseph M. Cronin Award for Academic Advising & Mentoring, and the Dr. Earl L. Avery MLK Leadership Award. In 2025, Mateo received the national “New Educator Award” from the Management & Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS), a prestigious recognition of his classroom impact and groundbreaking research on teaching and learning in business education.
As a scholar-practitioner, Mateo’s work is guided by one central goal: To design and deliver evidence-based interventions that advance change leaders at the intersection of identities. Dr. Cruz views his work as a bridge between scholarship, leadership development, and social advocacy. He serves as Faculty Advisor to Bentley’s Center for Women and Business and sits on the Executive Board of Directors for GLSEN, the leading LGBTQ+ education advocacy group in the US. In 2024, Mateo was selected as an inaugural recipient of Bentley’s Presidential Faculty Fellowship which provided resources for him to direct Bentley’s first leadership summit for LGBTQ+ professionals and allies, now an annual event.
Mateo holds a Ph.D. in social/organizational psychology from Columbia University; an M.A. in organizational psychology from Columbia University; and a B.A. in social work/psychology from the University of Portland.
Advancing LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Business AND Education
LGBTQ+ individuals are highly educated, innovative, and influential leaders, yet opportunities tailored to their unique experiences remain limited in both academic and professional settings. This dual cohort model bridges that gap by offering an undergraduate program for 25 first-year LGBTQ+ students and an executive program for 25 LGBTQ+ change leaders. Together, these initiatives foster leadership, mentorship, and community, empowering undergraduates to thrive as future leaders while providing executives with the tools to amplify their impact and drive meaningful change. By connecting students and professionals, this program creates a powerful network of LGBTQ+ innovators committed to shaping inclusive workplaces and driving progress.
Bentley Invests in Advancing LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Business, Education, & STEM
In 2024, Bentley University selected Dr. Mateo Cruz as a Presidential Faculty Fellow for his proposal: Pride and Purpose: Investing in the Potential of LGBTQ+ Student Innovators and Change Leaders. The goals of Mateo’s proposal were (1) to establish a cohort-based model for undergraduate LGBTQ+ student innovators and, in tandem, (2) design a series of leadership development programs for LGBTQ+ professional and allies. Both initiatives aim to address barriers to advancement for LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace through business education and leadership growth.
Learn more about Bentley’s Presidential Faculty Fellows
Pride & Purpose Summit Sponsors
Supporting our Community
Pride & Purpose Scholarship
There are a limited number of attendance waivers, please inquire for more info!
Summit Dates
June 10th, 2027
Schedule Coming Soon
Summit Cost
Attendees:
Conference Fee: $160
Conference Registration includes full access to the Summit, lunch, snacks and beverages
Sponsors:
Advocate Sponsor - $1,000
Champion Sponsor - $2,500
Visionary Summit Sponsor - $5,000
Discounts
Bentley Alumni, Non-profits, Law Enforcement, Military, and Job-seekers in Transition: 50% automatic discount
Bentley Employees: Inquire about your discount
Group Discounts: Empower your leaders to learn together and grow together with a 35% group rate discount to companies that send three participants or more
Refund Policy
Bentley University will grant a full refund for cancellations received at least 30 days before the program start date. A 50% refund will be given for those cancellations made prior to fourteen days of the program start date. No refund will be granted for those cancellations received after that time. Unused registrations can be transferred to another person.