As Senior Manager of Brand and Industry Relations at Comcast Advertising, Lee Singletary has played a key role in curating the Comcast RISE Xfinity X1 content, which features stories about Comcast RISE recipients and our work to advance social justice and equality. He is also the co-leader of the Comcast Headquarters OUT@Comcast ERG and one of the creative leads behind the LGBTQ+ virtual experience, Pride World. Singletary recently spoke with Suzi Nash from Philadelphia Gay News about some of the innovative programs he’s been working on and why he’s passionate about his role at Comcast. Read their conversation below to learn more.   

Q: What did you major in at college?

A: I went to school for business with a journalism minor. After college I put acting, business and journalism together to become a television producer at CBS Philly. I started as a news assistant, manning the news desk and following up on leads. My father is a private investigator, so growing up hearing his stories made the work seem familiar. Soon after, I heard about a producing job that had opened up. I was just a newbie, but I marched into the news director’s office and explained why I was the perfect fit. And I got the job! 

Q: What was the biggest story that you worked on?

A: Hurricane Sandy, it was monumental. I lived in Chinatown, not far from the station but they put me up at a hotel so I wouldn’t get clobbered by blowing debris getting to work. Everyone in the newsroom was assigned to different tasks, and people’s roles were getting switched around. Somehow, I got assigned to write the sports block! I know nothing about sports, so I went to our sportscaster, Beasley Reese, and handed him my notes in chicken scratch and he kindly rewrote it. I was there for about 3 1/2 years but after a while the news can take a toll on you. You’re reporting on devastation and tragedy, great moments too of course, but I didn’t like having to report the doom and gloom. I thought holistically about where I wanted my career to go and I realized that a lot of what drives programming was advertising and that’s where I wanted to be. Comcast gave me the opportunity to do that and I joined what was then called Comcast Spotlight (now EffecTv), the ad sales division of Comcast.

Q: What are some of the fun things you’ve been able to accomplish there?

A: I wear a few different hats at Comcast, my title is Senior Manager of Brand and Industry Relations at Comcast Advertising. I’m also the editor of Xfinity’s Comcast RISE destination as well as the co-leader of the Comcast Headquarters Out@Comcast Employee Resource Group (ERG), which is the ERG for LGBTQ+ Comcast employees and allies. 

Q: Tell me about the OUT@Comcast ERG.

A: We have nine ERGs that span different intersectional identities, Out@Comcast is the one for LGBTQ identifying individuals and allies. It really enhances employee engagement and works to create a home where people feel comfortable bringing their authentic self to work each day. It also provides leadership skills, volunteer opportunities, networking, etc. In 2016, NBCUniversal launched its international ERGs and it’s really been exciting, especially during this crazy period we’ve been in to connect with people all over the world. 

Q: Tell me about the project you worked on for Pride Month.  

A: Yes, our Virtual Pride World. When the pandemic first started to become a thing, we had no idea what an impact it would have on Pride. We had events we were scheduled to sponsor, brunches and a lot of in person things. It happened so fast, we barely had time to pivot and come up with something new. We started doing several low lift events, virtual networking opportunities, career and resume building workshops, but this year since we’ve all been living with this, we tried to up it a little and do bigger things. I conceptualized the idea of a virtual pride experience. Along with two co-workers, we worked on the idea and it became a global platform for LGBTQ+ employees to attend that was really fun.

Q: Tell me about the Comcast RISE program.

A: Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment. It’s a program for small businesses owned by people of color and it helps provide marketing resources, technology make-overs, capital resources, etc. It’s part of our commitment to fight injustice and inequality against any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or ability throughout the U.S. I personally have responsibility to curate, and I created the Comcast RISE destination on Xfinity X1 which allows you to just say, “Comcast Rise” into your voice remote and it brings up information and resources, and stories from the recipients of the program. According to the NGLCC, there are 1.4 million LGBTQ run companies in the U.S. and the pandemic has disproportionately affected minority business owners, so I’m super passionate about this program which is designed to help.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not creating virtual worlds?

A: Apart from watching TV? I love building websites, it may seem like work, but I’ve been building websites since I was 16-years-old and I love it. I love getting involved with friends and family and nonprofits who need a little help.

Read Lee’s full conversation with Suzi here.