Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This episode of Meaningful Impact tells the fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of the launch of True Name by Mastercard. made possible by the courage and unrelenting commitment of Lucas Crigler, the visionary, and Cheryl Guerin, the internal champion at Mastercard.
Background: Lucas Crigler, a transgender man, was outed at a New York deli by the female birth name printed on his credit card, which no longer matched his gender identify. Terrified for his safety, Crigler ran out of that deli, returning to his office at a big advertising agency. It just so happened that Crigler was assigned that day to brainstorm Pride ideas for Mastercard. So, Crigler proposed what became known as ‘True Name’ by Mastercard, which allows transgender and non-binary people to use their chosen first name on credit and debit cards. Citi, BMO, and many other banks now offer the Mastercard True Name feature to over 900 million customers in 32 countries.
This episode is the second of a two-part series which is both a cautionary tale and a much-needed reminder that it’s still possible to make a meaningful impact for marginalized people even in today’s supposedly ‘Go woke: Go broke’ environment.
Transcript: The full transcript of this episode and reference materials are available at meaningfulimpact.com/podcast/true-name-by-mastercard
Subscribe to Meaningful Impact wherever you listen to podcasts.
======================================================
*MEANINGFUL IMPACT PODCAST*
Get inspired by stories about purpose-driven leaders who overcome enormous challenges to achieve a triple win: a win for a philanthropic cause; a win for their companies; and a win for their project teams. Each episode of the Meaningful Impact podcast reveals surprising, behind-the-scenes stories about the development of award-winning advertising, cause marketing campaigns, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
▶️ Listen on YouTube Music: meaningfulimpact.com/youtube
▶️ Listen on Apple Podcasts: meaningfulimpact.com/apple
▶️ Listen on Spotify: meaningfulimpact.com/spotify
▶️ Listen on Amazon Music: meaningfulimpact.com/amazon
➡️ Episode transcripts: meaningfulimpact.com/episodes
======================================================
*CONNECT WITH MEANINGFUL IMPACT*
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This episode of Meaningful Impact tells the fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of the launch of True Name by Mastercard. made possible by the courage and unrelenting commitment of Lucas Crigler, the visionary, and Cheryl Guerin, the internal champion at Mastercard.
Background: Lucas Crigler, a transgender man, was outed at a New York deli by the female birth name printed on his credit card, which no longer matched his gender identify. Terrified for his safety, Crigler ran out of that deli, returning to his office at a big advertising agency. It just so happened that Crigler was assigned that day to brainstorm Pride ideas for Mastercard. So, Crigler proposed what became known as ‘True Name’ by Mastercard, which allows transgender and non-binary people to use their chosen first name on credit and debit cards. Citi, BMO, and many other banks now offer the Mastercard True Name feature to over 900 million customers in 32 countries.
This episode is the second of a two-part series which is both a cautionary tale and a much-needed reminder that it’s still possible to make a meaningful impact for marginalized people even in today’s supposedly ‘Go woke: Go broke’ environment.
Transcript: The full transcript of this episode and reference materials are available at meaningfulimpact.com/podcast/true-name-by-mastercard
Subscribe to Meaningful Impact wherever you listen to podcasts.
======================================================
*MEANINGFUL IMPACT PODCAST*
Get inspired by stories about purpose-driven leaders who overcome enormous challenges to achieve a triple win: a win for a philanthropic cause; a win for their companies; and a win for their project teams. Each episode of the Meaningful Impact podcast reveals surprising, behind-the-scenes stories about the development of award-winning advertising, cause marketing campaigns, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
▶️ Listen on YouTube Music: meaningfulimpact.com/youtube
▶️ Listen on Apple Podcasts: meaningfulimpact.com/apple
▶️ Listen on Spotify: meaningfulimpact.com/spotify
▶️ Listen on Amazon Music: meaningfulimpact.com/amazon
➡️ Episode transcripts: meaningfulimpact.com/episodes
======================================================
*CONNECT WITH MEANINGFUL IMPACT*
Get social media updates announcing excellent examples of mutually-beneficial corporate citizenship:
linkedin.com/company/meaningfulimpact
twitter.com/csr
instagram.com/causemarketing
facebook.com/meaningfulpodcast
✉️ Subscribe at meaningfulimpact.com/subscribe
✉️ Contact us at meaningfulimpact.com/contact
