Through Rising Stars: Black & Out, the oSTEM D&I team strives to share the many faces and identities in the Black LGBTQ STEM communities. This video introduces you to Lianna Newman (no pronouns, please; just Lianna!), a full stack developer who discusses how growing up black meant receiving a blueprint at home for what is required to ‘get by’. Weaving together intersecting identities as a black, nonbinary, and queer individual mean Lianna regularly ends up educating others while at work. The emotional toll of being frequently misgendered and having dialogue short-circuited when white coworkers challenge Lianna’s statements as ‘too aggressive’ means Lianna often searches for remote work. Working remotely means less time spent educating on the job and more time honing Lianna’s skills as a developer. Lianna says that the true measure of building a diverse workforce goes beyond ‘checking boxes’ and focuses on elevating diverse individuals into visible positions of leadership, power, and management.