Telling Abraham's story with pride

"It's not easy to love when you've been rejected, but true peace starts with you! In the end, accepting and loving who you are, with your perfect imperfections, is how you tell the world that nothing and no one can keep you from living a happy and successful life." Abraham Moreno is an Account Strategist at Criteo. He is also an active member of the LGBTQ+ community. We thought we'd share his incredible journey, as we kick off Pride Month!  

Abraham's journey of inspiring inclusion started in Mexico City. As the city was struggling with unparalleled pollution levels, Abraham's childhood was marked by environmental challenges that often forced the city's residents indoors, on top of the constant fear and uncertainty - including the kidnapping of fellow schoolmates when Abraham was only ten years old. His mother ultimately sought a safer environment to raise her children and Abraham left Mexico City for a smaller town nearby; A move that brought its own set of challenges. There, the community lived by more conservative values, making Abraham’s struggle with self-expression and acceptance quite challenging. But despite a vivid fear of rejection, Abraham courageously chose to embrace his sexuality openly at the age of 16. His life took a turn for the better there. His mother's and uncle's efforts to support him ultimately inspired him to instill the same sense of self-confidence in others. “I've been out since I was 16, and since then, everywhere I go, I try to make people feel comfortable so they can freely express and be who they want to be,” says Abraham. “Feeling comfortable with being queer or being any kind of different.” 

From there, Abraham's relentless search for authenticity propelled him to embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment across the globe. Though he experienced the realms of international trade, it was during his experiences as a volunteer in communications in Tanzania and subsequently as a national director for human resources in Rwanda that he resolved to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in diverse and often challenging environments. In Rwanda, despite societal discrimination against sexual orientation, Abraham took up the task of raising awareness and promoting inclusivity in the community. “I would like the LGBTQ+ community to be as inclusive as we want other people to be with us.” Traveling led him to learn from diverse cultures, traditions, and mindsets, which greatly enriched his understanding of inclusivity and diversity. After moving to Brazil with his husband, Abraham found a home at Criteo. “Joining Criteo was a breakthrough in my career,” explains Abraham. “Most of the time, I worked with banks, which can often be pretty conservative in their culture. So, joining Criteo made me realize that there's another side of the corporate world as well - and it’s incredible.” By being his true authentic self and openly advocate for inclusion and diversity in everything he does, Abraham greatly contributes to building a safer, more supportive, and open workplace at Criteo. We are utterly proud to count on people like Abraham who inspire others with their bravery and openness every day. Thanks to them and the great projects carried out by our Criteo Cares community, each day, we come closer to building a workplace genuinely supportive of diversity.  

“At Criteo, we don't celebrate Pride just during Pride month. We have events all year long; we celebrate our identity all year long. We sit at the table, and we actually speak for ourselves. It’s not just us and them, we are all together. And that makes us stronger.”