Secure Your Intention: Why You Need To Power Up At Women’s Equality Day Conference
Alicia Ontiveros, writer/director of Veros Productions, shown here on a recent project, will lead a panel at the 2023 Power Up Conference and Concert on Women’s Equality Day.
It’s a fact. Networking works— especially for women across all industries and identities.
Take The Lead’s Power Up Concert & Conference on Women’s Equality Day offers unique opportunities for networking, learning, sharing, skill-building, strategic planning, understanding, and expressing your intentions on how and why to create the career and life you always imagined.
“@Takeleadwomen ‘s Power Up Concert & Conference on #WomensEqualityDay offers unique opportunities for #networking, learning, sharing, skill-building, strategic planning, understanding, and expressing your intentions on how and why to create the #career and life you always imagined. ”
“The Power Up Conference is a great launching pad for anyone in the midst of a life pivot — personally or professionally,” says Alicia Ontiveros, Writer/Director of Veros Productions, who will be leading a panel highlighting success stories from the inaugural 50 Women Can Change The World in Media and Entertainment cohort through Take The Lead.
“It's a great opportunity to work through any doubt or hesitation that is holding you back and set yourself up for a year of growth and success,” Ontiveros says about the Power Up Conference lineup.
Register here for the 2023 Power Up Conference: Lead Your Intention
Her contribution to the conference showcasing the 50 Women Can Change The World cohort offers “a great opportunity to show how Take the Lead is accelerating parity through a cohort model that leverages the power of the group's collective expertise and influence to elevate and advance women to leadership positions,” Ontiveros says.
““It’s a great opportunity to work through any doubt or hesitation that is holding you back and set yourself up for a year of growth and #success,” Ontiveros says about the @Takeleadwomen #PowerUpConference lineup.”
Read more on this year’s Power Up conference speakers
With the historic and ongoing urgency for gender equity in leadership and all industries—not just media and entertainment—the necessity for connection and networking with powerful women leaders is critical in order to achieve leadership and pay parity.
A 2021 study shows that “trust factors in a female business network” led to women entrepreneurs having “higher expectations” for themselves and their workplaces. The results showed that “female business network initiatives may constitute an inclusive policy of women entrepreneurship,” and lead to more success.
According to Open Access Government, the benefits of mentorship, role modeling and networking are vast, particularly with women in STEM.
“Employers, especially those who are moms, may provide mentorship and role models for women in STEM fields. Creating mentoring programs, networking opportunities, and panels with outstanding women who have successfully juggled parenting with their STEM jobs are a few examples of how to do this,” Open Access Government reports.
In other words, when women support other women, the bar is higher and more inclusive, paving the way for more women to succeed.
Another 2021 study found from thousands of participants that “motivation, networking, socio-cultural, business environment, training and development, and financials have a significant positive influence on the performance of the women entrepreneurs.”
The full Power Up schedule on Women’s Equality Day, August 23, at the University of California-Los Angeles and virtually, highlights the expertise and knowledge of scores of leaders aiming to share precisely how and why you can pivot, reimagine and create your path with power.
“The full @Takeleadwomen #PowerUpConference schedule on #WomensEqualityDay, August 23, at @UCLA and virtually, highlights the expertise and knowledge of scores of #leaders aiming to share precisely how and why you can pivot, reimagine and create your path with power. ”
Read more in Take The Lead on the conference here
The timing of the Power Up Conference aligns with acknowledgment of a sustained gendered pay gap in the U.S. and across the world.
According to HR Digest, “The gender pay gap has far-reaching consequences for women, their families, and society as a whole. Women who are paid less than their male counterparts have less money to support themselves and their families, which can lead to financial instability and poverty. This, in turn, can lead to a host of other problems, such as poor health, decreased access to education, and limited career opportunities.”
Health equity and access is a key component of the Power Up Conference. Pandia Health founder Sophia Yen is on a mission for every woman to have accessible birth control, and she will share her ideas and strategies, as she did at the 2022 Power Up Conference in a hugely popular session.
“Health equity and access is a key component of the #PowerUpConference. @PandiaHealth founder Sophia Yen @teenmd is on a mission for every woman to have accessible #birthcontrol, and she will share her ideas and strategies, as she did at the 2022 Power Up Conference in a hugely popular session. ”
Read more in Take The Lead on Sophia Yen
Yen, CEO and founder of Teen MD, told Take The Lead recently, that in a post-Dobbs decision culture where the health of women and reproductive justice is in danger, it is best to “Get active and angry, not apathetic. Volunteer, organize, don’t lay down and die. It is about choice and bodily autonomy, my body, my future.”
Also speaking at the Power Up Conference is Éva Goicochea, founder of Maude, a company that has the goal to revolutionize sex education and sexual health. “In 2020, Dakota Johnson joined the team as an investor and Co-Creative Director. Together with our team and medical advisory board, we look forward to changing the industry and creating a company that stands for modern intimacy—all people welcome,” Goicochea says.
Healthcare is an industry besieged by a gender pay gap, as a high percentage of the healthcare workforce identify as women.
“Occupational segregation is a major contributor to the gender pay gap,” HR Digest reports.
“Healthcare is an industry besieged by a gender #paygap, as a high percentage of the #healthcare workforce identify as women. ”
“Women are often concentrated in lower-paying roles, while men are concentrated in higher-paying roles. To address this, companies need to take steps to promote gender diversity in all roles, including leadership positions. This includes developing programs to recruit and retain women in traditionally male-dominated roles and promoting women into leadership positions.”
Individuals, managers, leaders and team members need to work towards this goal, and implement strategies. To ensure parity is achieved is a large part of the conference, as well as panels and speaker content at Power Up where learning to address, curb and eliminate unconscious bias in systems is addressed.
“Unconscious bias can also contribute to the gender pay gap,” according to HR Digest. “To combat unconscious bias, companies need to provide training to managers and employees to help them recognize and overcome their biases. This can include training on topics such as diversity and inclusion, cultural sensitivity, and unconscious bias.”
A new study from Syndio says the pay gap feeds into a confidence gap for women, which hinders women from seizing their power to change roles in the workplace.
“A new study from @syndioinc says the #paygap feeds into a confidence gap for women, which hinders women from seizing their power to change roles in the #workplace. ”
The Syndio study shows, “69% of women feel anxiety or worry about negotiating pay, while nearly half of all men feel confident about it, with 16% of men seeing it as a positive boost to their perception.” This declaration of a Confidence Gap “between men and women means men are almost twice as likely to ask for higher salaries than women, and more likely to get them.”
Read more in Take The Lead about Power Up Conference 2022
Addressing the issues of gender, pay, parity, power and intentioning are crucial to those who are facing a pivotal moment in their careers as well as those who are planning to advance further in their chosen industries.
“ Addressing the issues of gender, pay, #parity, power and intentioning are crucial to those who are facing a pivotal moment in their #careers as well as those who are planning to advance further in their chosen industries. ”
“These days there is so much distraction surrounding us all the time,” says Ontiveros.
“Building the skill of leading with intention is more necessary than ever. Choosing a path for yourself and setting intention for your life is a key ingredient to being happy and healthy. It's something you have to do frequently to make sure you don't drift off track, because you know what they say: If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.”
She adds, “As a participant, I've always left the Power Up Conference feeling reinvigorated, hopeful, and with a clarity of vision that allows me to move forward with intention toward my life and career goals.”
““As a participant, I’ve always left the @Takeleadwomen #PowerUpConference feeling reinvigorated, hopeful, and with a clarity of vision that allows me to move forward with intention toward my life and #careergoals.” — Alicia Ontiveros, Writer/Director of Veros Productions.”
Leadership Takeaway of the Week:
“Choosing a path for yourself and setting intention for your life is a key ingredient to being happy and healthy. It's something you have to do frequently to make sure you don't drift off track, because you know what they say: If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.”— Alicia Ontiveros, writer/director, Veros Productions
