Pitch Perfect: Take The Lead’s Entrepreneur Winners Share Success

All they had was 90 seconds. The 11 women leaders who pitched their new ventures at the recent 50 Women Can Change The World in Entrepreneurship graduation event to a panel of judges kept it short and sweet.

Lisa Gates, CEO and founder of Concierge 4 B2B, won first place in the pitch competition.

“The pitch experience was a fantastic experience,” says Gates, who won the $2,500 prize for her company, Concierge 4 B2B, that she describes as a human resources, payroll strategy, executive support and recruiting business. With 160 full-time employees, Gates says she has a $1.5 million monthly payroll.

Women Career Success, EntrepreneurMichele WeldonJanuary 26, 202450 Women Can, EntrepreneurComment

9 ways to Take The Lead even in a terrible year

2020 came dancing in with such hope.

2020 was going to be Take The Lead’s year to scale up after seven years of building our credibility, developing our unique methodology of accelerating women’s advancement in leadership, and proving that it works. We’d earned the opportunity to grow exponentially. We had an amazing year of programming planned. Symbolically, 2020 being the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women the right to vote after seven decades of struggle, seemed like the perfect time.

But just as the suffrage amendment was flawed by not assuring voting rights to Asian, Indigenous, and Black women, 2020 brought to light many deficiencies. Like those punching balloons that keep popping back up for more, it seemed like every time we thought it couldn’t get worse, it did.

Media Upheaval: Take The Lead Responds With Expanded 50 Women In Journalism Cohort

The media landscape is perhaps at its most chaotic and disrupted in history with firings of top editors, resignings, furloughs, shutdowns, accusations of racism and sexism in content, coverage and workplace culture.

Anna Wintour, the legendary Vogue editor, says the magazine’s culture is by her own admission “hurtful and intolerant,” and rarely promotes black staff. The co-founder and top editor of Refinery 29, Christene Barberich, resigned after accusations of racism. The Bon Appetit editor resigned over racist allegations. Conde Nast is accused of systemic racism.

The Power in Uncertainty: Women In Law Take The Lead For Change and Fairness

“Being uncertain doesn’t mean you are powerless,” said Jami McKeon, chair of Morgan Lewis, the largest law firm in the world led by a woman.

Speaking on the recent online panel, “Building a Better Legal Profession: Diversity, Inclusion, Technology, and the Teams of Tomorrow,” co-sponsored by Take The Lead and University of Texas’ Center For Women in Law, McKeon said COVID-19 and the most recent protests and developments highlighting injustice in the past few weeks have changed the legal profession and practices—especially for women, particularly women of color.

Changing The World: 50 Powerful Women Journos Take The Lead

The crisis COVID-19 presents to everyone across the globe is dramatic, life-changing and career-shifting. At Take The Lead, hearing some good news about women who make news can be a welcome pivot. A comprehensive report from the inaugural 50 Women Can Change The World in Journalism program reveals remarkable results.

Why Take The Lead?

I talked with Ms. Magazine’s Carmen Rios about why I pivoted one my career to women’s leadership parity, why Take The Lead focuses it’s 50 Women Can programs on depth and impact rather than mere numbers, and much more.

Where Is She? Fix the Gender, Race Gaps In Media

...“D+” for gender and racial diversity, combined, and a sixth consecutive “F” for lack of gender equity, according to the “Racial and Gender Report Card,” commissioned by the Associated Press...

ParityMichele WeldonMarch 1, 201950 Women Can, 50 Women Can Change The World, equality, journalism, Michele Weldon, parityComment

Money Does More Than Talk: Take The Lead Launches 50 Women Can Change The World In Finance

“Women with money and women in power are two uncomfortable ideas in our society,” Candace Bushnell, author and creator of the Sex and The City franchise, reportedly said.

EventMichele WeldonAugust 10, 201850 Women Can, 50 Women Can Change The World, 9 Power Tools, events, Gloria Feldt, Michele WeldonComment

Carry the Spirit of Seneca Falls: Gender Parity in 2018 and Beyond

Gloria Feldt’s Remarks at Take The Lead Fundraising Event. Linda Stein’s Gallery, 100 Reade Street, NYC, July 18, 2018

50 Women Can and Do: Take The Lead Changing the World In Media And Entertainment

The Time’s Up movement has brought sharp focus to the gender inequities in Hollywood, moving beyond the catharsis of truth-telling to action and solutions-based initiatives. Take The Lead is aligned with the urgency to act with a new four-month program,