By Kelly Pellico
In honor of Pride Month, our client AMC Networks placed a spotlight on Vital Findings as an LGBTQ+ certified business and interviewed our founder Jason Kramer. I was inspired by his responses and thought that they were not only worth sharing but important to share. Here is an excerpt from that interview:
What is a fun fact about yourself?
Growing up in suburban Florida, I was addicted to the Nielsen ratings. I would check them every Wednesday in USA Today, and read all about which shows were winning and losing (this was the days of LA Law and Twin Peaks).
Who or what inspired you to create your business?
I asked my friends in the market research business what was missing from what they were getting. Overall, they were overwhelmed by huge PowerPoint decks, lots of data with no real story. I created Vital Findings to tell meaningful stories with research data.
What does June Pride Month mean to you?
Growing up in Florida in the 80s and 90s, being out wasn’t an option. I couldn’t imagine finding love, much less being married to a man I love and father to a 3 month old (as I am now). Pride Month for me is a time to count my blessings, give thanks, and recognize the sacrifice of all the LGBTQ+ pioneers who made my life possible.
How do you celebrate and amplify Pride Month in your business or personally?
When I got my first job in the mid-90s, I decided that I would be out. It’s colored all my business decisions since then, this idea that you should be your authentic self at work and in life. Vital Findings is 80% female, with strong LGBTQ+ representation and racial minority representation. We tell consumers’ stories for a living, so it’s important for us to reflect the diversity of those stories.
Thank you, AMC Networks, for shining a light on LGBTQ+ businesses. And thank you, Jason – you have joined the pioneers in making life even better for the next generation.