Ashley T Brundage

Ashley T Brundage is the Founder & President of Empowering Differences, and a Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion at PNC. During the interview process with PNC, she self-identified as a male-to-female transgender woman and subsequently was hired. Starting as a part-time bank teller, she worked in various other lines of business before moving to her current role in D&I in less than five years. Ashley credits her success to those closest to her for providing actionable allyship, including her two teenage sons, Bryce and Blake.

Since beginning transitioning in 2008, Ashley has worked tirelessly to promote awareness and acceptance of gender identity and expression. She works to accomplish this goal by volunteering in the community and holding educational sessions. She serves on the Corporate Advisory Council for the NGLCC-National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and as the past chair, and co-creator of their TGNC Inclusion Task Force. She chaired the successful bid to host the NGLCC convention in 2019, and Visit Tampa Bay named her their Tourism Champion for 2017. In 2018, she started serving on the board of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. In 2019, she was voted on the National Board of Directors for GLAAD. GLAAD works to accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ+ Community through media advocacy.

Ashley speaks locally and nationally about her transition, workplace equality, leadership, empowerment, and Diversity & Inclusion. She has also been interviewed in several publications and media outlets, including Fox, ABC, CBS, The Business Journal, the Miami Herald, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Milwaukee BizTimes, Tampa Bay Times, The Daily Beast, Fairygodboss, Bloomberg Businessweek, InStyle magazine, and Forbes.

Ashley has been recognized in many areas and has received numerous awards, including the 2015 PNC Performance Award, PNC’s highest employee achievement; multiple Circle of Excellence and Market All Star Awards with PNC; The University of South Florida 2014 Community Pride Award; 2015 St. Pete Pride Grand Marshal; 2015 Commendation–City of Tampa; 2016 Tampa Bay Business Journal BusinessWoman of the Year; 2016 Voice for Equality Award from Equality Florida; and the LGBT Leadership Award from the Florida Diversity Council. In 2017, she was awarded a Leadership Award from Metro Inclusive Health. Also, in 2017, she was a winner of the Inaugural People First Award by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, and the TBBJ Power 100 list, the most influential and powerful people in business. In 2018, she was given the Champion Award from international nonprofit Out & Equal as well as named one of Florida’s Most Powerful and Influential Women from the National Diversity Council. In 2019, she was named one of the Top 40 under 40 in the LGBTQ community nationally by Business Equality Magazine, TBBJ Outstanding Voice for the LGBTQ community, and the Inaugural Transgender Rising Star by Trans New York.