I have been secretary of almost every organization I’ve ever belonged to. It started with when I was a Girl Scout. I suppose I was chosen to be secretary because throughout elementary school I carried around a notebook and pencil to write stories. And I quickly learned that she who holds the pencil gets to tell the story of the meeting her way, even with the constrictions of Roberts Rules of Order.
Read MoreIt was the first of many smart choices for the team that created Unqork, a software development app, that recently raised $80 million in venture capital and has grown to 160 employees in two years. Jane Tran, vice president of strategy, says that the url name “Uncorked.com” costs $500,000, and the url “uncorq” cost $14.99 on GoDaddy.com.
Read MoreThe last seven days have been nothing short of amazing. So my column this week is largely a pictorial with brief commentary on several categories of advances for women and gender equality unrolling before our eyes if we can only see and appreciate them. Yes, I know the news is full of narratives about difficulties and disparities women face, and they are real.
Read MoreVery few women have the resources of Melinda Gates to commit billions to causes they believe in. But every woman can have a cause to believe in and commit to it. That commitment can include pooling together small donations for a larger impact, donating valuable time and services and volunteering time to be a board advisor, mentor or someone who gives her professional acumen and services to help the cause and organization for free.
Read More“This shows what happens when you tell the most difficult stories without fear,” says Nikole Hannah-Jones, accepting The Ripple Effect Award at the 25th annual Studs Terkel Community Media Awards from Public Narrative in Chicago. The New York Times columnist who created the 1619 Project of “print, audio podcasts, school curriculum, essays, stories, poetry and historic reframing” defining the context of 400 years of slavery in America, has received accolades and awards across the country for the effort.
Read MoreImagine for a moment what the world would be like if men and women held fair and equal shares of top leadership positions across every sector. What are the words you would use to describe such a world? Last weekend, I got to do one of the things that keeps me so powerfully committed to this mission of gender parity in leadership by 2025.
Read MoreCelebrating Women’s Small Business Month there is a lot to be positive about in the latest news: numbers are up for businesses overall, revenue and employment, especially for Black women-owned businesses. New from American Express, The 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, shows the growth from the percent of women-owned businesses of all businesses has grown from 4.6% in 19721to 42% in 2019.
Read MoreAs the rights of LGBTQ workers were recently considered in two cases before by the U.S. Supreme Court, there are other business initiatives to support LGBTQ employees and be more inclusive. But workplaces and companies need to do more.
Read More“Appoint yourself,” Elaine Welteroth, author, journalist, “Project Runway” judge and former editor in chief of Teen Vogue, told a crowd of close to 2,000 at the 34th annual Chicago Foundation for Women luncheon. “We have a responsibility to make a difference right where we are.”
Read MoreGrowing up in Cleveland, Halle Tecco heard her mother tell of the struggles and heartbreak of her 10 miscarriages and a stillbirth, before adopting her and her brother, and then giving birth to her sister when Halle was 16. Her own struggles with infertility led Tecco to found Natalist, a science-backed company launched recently with $5 million in capital aimed at assisting consumers with their own reproductive health.
Read MoreNo victory laps just yet. A new report from The Center for American Women And Politics at Rutgers University shows a disruption of the gendered view of national politics, if not quite a victory. While the 2018 midterm elections revealed that “women candidates disrupted the (White male) status quo in American politics and challenged assumptions, and they outperformed among non-incumbents at nearly every level in both primary and general elections,” the 2020 elections are still hazy on the horizon, the report states.
Read MoreThirty years ago this year The Women’s Bean Project started with $500 and a cup of bean soup. The idea that founder Josey Eyre had in 1989 was to transform the lives of homeless women in Colorado Springs to employed workers living independently with their families. So Eyre bought $500 in supplies to make bean soup mix and quickly sold $6,000 in mixes on the initial investment.
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