An erstwhile community organizer, Hikes—who tops Fast Company’s 2023 Queer 50 list—is reimagining workplace culture at the ACLU and leading its strategic efforts to protect civil rights. Amber Hikes could never have predicted the shape their career would take. In December, three years into their tenure as the ACLU’s chief equity and inclusion officer, Hikes was appointed the deputy executive director overseeing strategy and culture.