Making History: 10 Black Women Leaders Inspire With Advice, Purpose, Action

At the close of Black History Month, which began in 1915 in this country, and was made into law in 1986, Take The Lead salutes 10 Black women leaders across industries and influence. Diving into their contributions and keen advice for leaders today, there is so much wisdom to glean that moves far past one month of the year. And into forever.

In spite of Google eliminating its visual salute to the month and the Department of Defense declaring it erased—as well as Women’s History Month and National Disability Employment Month—Take The Lead acknowledges the depth and breadth of Black women in business, entrepreneurship, education, media and all of American culture far past the calendar mont of the year.

Parity, Leadership/Political a...Michele WeldonFebruary 28, 2025gender parity, racial equity, womens leadership, women, leadership adviceComment

The Good, The Bad, and The Promising For Women in Generative AI Workforce

The historic and ongoing tech workforce gender gap is replicated in the Generative AI field, with the latest introduction of global giant DeepSeek competing with Chat GPT and other players. Today, only 22% of the AI workforce is women.

The possibility is that as GenAI expands its reach, access and innovation, the roles of women in AI leadership can blossom to equity.

Parity, Changing the WorkplaceMichele WeldonFebruary 7, 2025AI, Technology, Parity, Leadership, Womens LeadershipComment

The “D” Word: How To Lead So Everyone Can Thrive In DEI-Restricted Workplace

A movement by any other name would be just as crucial.

New presidential assertions claim diversity is immoral and has led to reverse discrimination, so the D word for diversity is banned.

The recent White House executive order calling for the elimination of Diversity Equity and Inclusion efforts, programs and initiatives in federal agencies, as well as foundations, businesses, the U.S. Airforce, corporations, universities, legal and medical associations, non-profits and more organizations and companies across industries has prompted different largescale responses.

Changing the Workplace, ParityMichele WeldonJanuary 31, 2025DEI, diversity, Equity, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Inclusion, Gender EquityComment

Subject: Today! You Can Lead the Change in 2025 (Let Me Explain)

A decade ago, after I found that despite being half the workforce, women held only 18% of senior leadership positions, I co-founded Take The Lead with a bold vision: to prepare, develop, inspire, and propel all women — of all diversities and intersectionalities — to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across every sector by 2025.

Thanks to supporters like you, we’ve moved the needle by 10 points, or 56%, in 10 years, despite the pandemic and a tsunami of political and economic challenges.

Gender Parity, ParityGloria FeldtDecember 31, 2024Donation, Female Leadership, New YearComment

Investing in Parity: Podcast Episode with Gloria Feldt

Catherine Gray, the host of “Invest In Her”, interviews Gloria Feldt, a nationally acclaimed expert on women, power, and leadership with expertise from frontline leadership experience, a bestselling author, and in-demand keynote speaker.

Career success, Parity, Ambition / IntentionGloria FeldtAugust 19, 2024Podcast, Women Leaders, gender equality, LeadershipComment

Why U.S. Urgently Needs Leadership Gender Parity: How Power Up Conference Gets You There

If women vying for top spots at work are overlooked at many U.S. workplaces claiming they are too emotional, why then did the new movie about a young girl experiencing emotions of anxiety, envy and embarrassment just become the largest global box office hit with $1 billion in ticket sales?

Perhaps it’s because the story of Riley experiencing a breadth of emotions in the new Disney animated sequel, “Inside Out 2”, is fictional. But it may be resonating with females of all ages and particularly leaders who say the biased perception of their emotionalism is a barrier to the C-suite in real life.

Event, ParityMichele WeldonJuly 5, 2024Power Up Conference, gender parity, Workplace CultureComment

Sex, Camera, Power: How Filmmakers Affect Gender Bias in Workplace and Beyond

What you see is what you get. And what you don’t see is what you don’t get.

Nina Menkes, award-winning filmmaker, director and creator of the new documentary, “Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power” anchored a recent panel following a screening in Chicago at Facets on the historic visualization of characters identifying as women and how that mandates how systems treat half the world.

Change Leadership, Gender Parity, Women Career Success, Parity, MediaMichele WeldonDecember 9, 2022women in film, media, gender bias, Leadership ToolsComment

How Do You Go from Grief to Joy?

How do you go from grief to joy?

This week I write about how the examples of recent moments of communal grief--the 21st anniversary of 9/11 and the death of Queen Elizabeth II—can inform us as we grapple with personal grief. And I share a phone call that helped me process my grief by creating a lasting legacy in memory of my husband, and the resulting joy. Read the full story here...

Women’s Equality Day: How Take The Lead Delivered Strategies to Power Up For the Big RE

Just one day a year is designated Women’s Equality Day in the U.S.

The other 364 days a year, Take The Lead is also working to prepare, develop, inspire and propel women across all industries and sectors to reach parity in leadership by 2025. And on Women’s Equality Day, August 26, the 2022 Power Up Conference, The Big RE: REthink, REwire, REcreate, kicks off virtually and in person to address the solutions possible to succeed on the path to equity.

Why Risks Pay: WMarketplace Co-Founder, CEO, Power Up Conference Speaker on Women Creating Wealth

“I weigh fear against, ‘What if I didn’t try that?’”

Being what she calls risk-tolerant has worked well for Kate Isler, co-founder and CEO of TheWMarketplace, who also calls herself an “activist, wife, mother, partner, friend, businessperson and sister.”

“I never want anyone to think I go into this blindly, especially when you are the breadwinner and have responsibility for five people,” says the married mother of three sons, 31, 27 and 23.

Shades of Gray: Leadership Advancement Tips From Former Ukraine Ambassador

“All of a sudden whispers become large shouts,” Marie Yovanovitch, former ambassador to Ukraine, told a crowd recently at the Chicago Humanities Festival.

Talking about her politically-forced firing from her position as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in 2019 after 33 years of foreign service and three ambassador posts, Yovanovitch adds, “This is not anything I imagined would happen to me.”

Be Uma: Founder, CEO, Author on Manifesting Your Success With Confidence

She has always liked moving fast.

At seven years old, growing up in greater London, Rita Kakati-Shah told her physician father and zoologist mother (who was also a classically trained singer and dancer) that she intended to be a formula race car mechanic or race car driver.

Solutions For You

Solutions For Companies

About

Read & Listen

Events

View Newsletter Archive

Info

Action