Category: Diversity and Inclusion

Togethxr—A Women’s-Focused Media Platform

Togethxr is a media brand that is tied to four legendary athletes from a diverse cross-section of sports. Cofounder and chief content officer Jessica Robertson says that Togethxr has a culture that recognizes that women’s sports is “ground zero for every single -ism that’s in culture – which means this is a brand that is going to touch issues of race, gender, sexuality, human rights, voting rights, and so much more.” Check out this article in Fast Company to learn more about this up and coming brand!

Interview with Melissa Bradley: The Importance Of Giving Underserved Entrepreneurs The Tools To Grow

Melissa Bradley

Melissa Bradley is the cofounder of Ureeka, a community where entrepreneurs can gain access to the expertise needed to grow their business. Ureeka’s mission is to democratize economic opportunity by enabling community and reducing the cost and risk associated with transitioning from a small to medium business. Bradley is also the founder and Managing Partner of 1863 Ventures and cofounder and Managing Partner of Sidecar Social Finance. In this video, Forbes‘ Maneet Ahuja sits down with Melissa Bradley and discusses access to capital, managing a business during a recession and the overhype of venture capital.

Women Entrepreneurs of Color Share Their Biggest Business Hurdles

This recent piece in Inc. shares three tips for overcoming some of the biggest challenges women of color face in entrepreneurship. These tips include the importance of getting your finances in order so you can establish good credit, looking after your mental health and developing a success-oriented mindset. Check out the link to read the full piece.

Beth Ford – CEO of Land O’ Lakes Shares Career Advice

Beth Ford was appointed CEO of Land O’ Lakes in 2018. Her appointment marked the first time a woman had led Land O’Lakes in its 101-year history, and Ford also became the first openly gay woman to become a Fortune 500 CEO. She credits her mother with some of the best career advice she ever received – that being “If you want something, you should ask for it.” Ford carried that lesson into her personal and professional life as she has made a priority of speaking up for herself. To read more about her experiences, read this article from CNBC.

New Work Rules For Marginalized People

This article featured in Fast Company highlights the five lessons from Alan Henry’s new book, Seen, Heard, and Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized. His book is intended as a guide for employees who find themselves often marginalized – including people of color, women, and those in the LGBTQ+ community. It is also a great read for leaders who want to make sure that their companies and teams are serving all employees well. Some suggestions from the book include: learning to collaborate, leveraging remote work options to work best for you, acknowledging when it is time to leave toxic work environments that aren’t likely to change, and making sure to have a solid work-life balance as well as time for reflection.

Vera Wang Tapped as Barbie’s Latest Female Visionary

In recognition of her contributions to the fashion industry, Mattel has announced its latest Barbie honoree as Vera Wang. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Wang first became one of the youngest editors at Vogue and then became the design director for accessories at Ralph Lauren before finally becoming an entrepreneur when she opened her own boutique in 1990. How wonderful that Barbie can reflect trailblazing entrepreneurs in women’s fashion! Read more about the story in WWD.

Syrian Women Leading In Refugee Communities

Unconventional times can create impactful change. Syrian women have begun to be elected as camp leaders in their Lebanese refugee communities. While these women would have been expected to stay at home in their native Syria, the turmoil caused by war has begun to shift some of these traditional norms. One of the female leaders who heads up camp of hundreds of refugees, Hind Al-Haad, stated,”Circumstances can either form obstacles or push [women] forward.” Learn more about these amazing women in this BBC piece.

More Black Women Leave Jobs In Favor of Launching Businesses

According to this piece from The Guardian, there has been a marked increase in black women launching their own ventures over the past few years. Some of the increase is attributed to challenges from the pandemic and some to historical gender/race pay disparity in the workplace. That said, the article also shares that black women have a long history of entrepreneurship and the pandemic is forcing the world to recognize that. Per the article, “women of color make up only 39% of women in the US but represent 89% of new women-owned businesses. Within that demographic, Black women are leading the charge at 42% of new women-owned businesses, followed by Latina women at 31%.”

3 Ways the Government Is Stepping Up to Support Small Business in 2022

According to this article from Inc., small businesses can look for support from the US Government (via the Small Business Administration) in three areas:

1. Help with securing federal contracts (there will be higher procurement goals for small businesses businesses-especially those run by women, veterans and those located in historically underutilized business zones

2. Added money for resources (allocating additional funds for the agency’s staffing needs may help alleviate some of the customer service and processing glitches the agency encountered during the pandemic)

3. Elevating women-owned businesses (The SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership will now report directly to the Office of the Administrator)

COVID’s Impact on Women’s Finances

Logo for NPR's Marketplace

Sallie Krawcheck, one of the highest-ranking women on Wall Street from positions at Bank of America and Citigroup, is the CEO of Ellevest, a digital financial company for women that she co-founded in 2014. In this interview with NPR’s “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal, she shared thoughts on what the COVID pandemic has specifically meant for women’s personal finances.

According to Krawcheck, “if pay is what you bring in, wealth is what you have and keep.” Prior to COVID, women’s wealth was approximately 32 cents to a white man’s dollar – and only one penny if only considering Black women. In this discussion, Krawcheck mentions how this has only become more severe during the pandemic and also shares strategies to close the gender wealth gap.