Diversity and LGBTQ champion David Mixner talks to us in today's Pride Spotlight about the incredible work that Barilla is doing to create inclusivity and diversity.

Mixner has spent his entire career fighting for civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and even environmental issues. His big project now is working with the Global Diversity and Inclusion Board for Barilla.

Barilla is found in homes everywhere, as it is considered one of the best pasta brands on the market. However, the company endured controversy with the LGBTQ community in 2013. This caused the company to take a step back and re-evaluate the brand's values. When asked about why he's so proud to work for Barilla, Mixner said:

"Instead of issuing the usual press release, 'oh, we're sorry and we'll do better in the future' and then just moving on, because of the leadership of Guido Barilla, he said that's not acceptable - we made a mistake, so not only are we gonna correct that mistake, we're going to become the best in the field of diversity and inclusion of any company in the world."

Guido Barilla was right in his efforts - Barilla now has a 100 percent rating with the Human Rights Council Corporate Equality Index.

David credits his good friend and actress Shirley MacLaine as his leadership inspiration. He said:

"She taught me the importance of an artist's ability to change the world through art, and that often, an artist could reach more people in a movie like 'Philadelphia' on AIDS than all the organizing in the world."

Be on the lookout for more from David Mixner and Barilla soon!