Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of those with Latin heritage. At Inspire, we’re recognizing our Hispanic team members and the impact they make every day.
Gabriela “Gaby” Allende joined Inspire as Arby’s Public Relations Manager in 2022. After a year and a half with the company, she reflects on how she jumped in with both feet, leaving both the PR agency world and her home of Puerto Rico for the first time.
“I worked as a PR professional for a little over 10 years in San Juan, Puerto Rico,” shares Gaby. “I got my first job at a boutique agency, managing their food and spirits account. That first job helped me find my true passion: FOOD!” Relocating to Inspire’s Atlanta Global Support Center and joining the company’s family of food and beverage brands seemed like the perfect fit.
“Arby’s is such an engaging brand to work on. Its personality is quirky, smart, witty, and a risk taker; all things I see in myself,” says Gaby. “It’s easy to work on a brand that resonates with you on a personal level. Put simply, I get the most enjoyment from working on brands that bring other people happiness.”
While she immediately loved her Arby’s team, Gaby was juggling the joy of her work with feeling homesick. “For me, being part of a group that shares my culture – or at least my language! – eases a little of that homesickness.” To connect with other team members who share that desire, Gaby joined ¡Inspirate!, Inspire’s business resource group (BRG).
“I think Inspire is great at making everyone feel included, and ¡Inspirate! gives me the opportunity to celebrate my Puerto Rican roots,” says Gaby. “BRGs have the ability to bring people closer together by giving them the chance to share their culture and heritage with team members from other backgrounds.”
This year, Gaby is leading ¡Inspirate! as co-chair and helping foster Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations across Inspire. Most recently, the Atlanta Global Support Center enjoyed an afternoon of salsa dancing lessons and an onsite taco food truck, hosted by ¡Inspirate!
“This was definitely my favorite moment with my BRG to-date,” says Gaby. “It’s all about putting people and relationships first. It’s like Maya Angelou said: ‘People may forget what you said and what you did, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel’.”
To learn more about how Inspire is fostering a supportive workplace for our team members, visit the Inclusion & Diversity page of our Careers site.
