This profile is published as part of Pledge 1%’s Women Who Lead series, which celebrates women in the Pledge 1% community who are creating change within their workplace and communities.

Kriss Deiglmeier is CEO of Tides, a philanthropic partner and nonprofit accelerator working with innovative partners to solve society’s toughest problems. Kriss has more than 20 years of senior executive experience that spans business, social enterprise, nonprofit, academic and  philanthropic sectors. She is recognized as a pioneer in the field of social innovation and has presented nationally and internationally on social innovation, social entrepreneurship, design thinking and public-private partnerships as well as guest-lectured at universities around the world.

In 2016, Pledge 1% joined forces with Tides as a special initiative.

What inspired you to work in this industry?

I started in the corporate sector with a traditional business background. What moved me into social change work was, first, I wanted to do something with impact that pushed the boundaries around innovation. I also was really drawn to the people and performance side. I wanted to work with an organization that cared about people, impact and performance, in a field that tends to care about one or two of those things but not all three.

I also love messiness! I love working at the intersection of business, government and civil society. I’ve worked in a number of organizations that are at that nexus, because I feel like it pushes me – and all of us – to think differently. If you’re always working with the same folks who think like you, it just reinforces your thinking and doesn’t push you as much.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received to help you in your career?

Find a great boss! Especially when you are starting your career, don’t get so caught up in what the company is, or what the job title is. When you’re taking a bold step in your career, it’s all about who your boss is. You’ve got to believe you can learn from them, and that they are a role model.

I had great bosses and mentors that wouldn’t micromanage, but they also wouldn’t let me go over a cliff. There’s a balance there – you want someone who will give you just the right amount of autonomy.

Do you serve as a mentor to women in your field?

I have served as both a formal and an informal mentor, and I have a strong preference for informal mentor relationships. I believe that every boss you have should be a mentor, and if you are a manager, you should be a mentor. When we come to work, it’s personal and professional. The best thing to do is find somebody who will commit to your development as an individual.

What’s the advice you’d give yourself 5 years ago?

As an older professional now, I don’t have mentors, I have networks of women that have my back and inspire me. In your younger career days you think about mentorship, but as you grow, what you really need are peers that can support you.

I wish someone had told me about 10 years ago to focus on building networks of support more consciously and earlier. I think it’s hard – you’ve got a family, you’ve got work, you’ve got kids. But in hindsight I wish I had had those support networks when I was younger – they could have helped with transitions differently. Mentorship is an older model – I think we should focus on networks that can provide emotional support.

What other thoughts do you want to share with women in the social sector?

I believe that women in social change fields are particularly suited to be successful. The field is messier, and change doesn’t happen in quarters – it takes time. By and large, it takes collaboration and deeper listening skills. Women leaders are inherently suited to take on those challenges.

As a field right now, hopefully we are learning the consequences of traditional male leadership. An “I know everything” leadership style will never work in the social change field.

My big takeaway from this past election is that we need to redefine what leadership looks like. We wholeheartedly need to embrace women leaders and a woman’s style of leadership. Sharing power, collaboration, integrity, listening is as important as being smart and doing the hard work. We still have only about 20% women in elected positions and on Fortune 500 boards. We are finally starting to get more women in CEO positions but we have a long way to go.

This profile is published as part of Pledge 1%’s Women Who Lead series, which celebrates women in the Pledge 1% community who are creating change within their workplace and communities.

Charlotte Creech is the CEO of Patriot Boot Camp.  Read the full interview with Charlotte below to learn more about her experience and advice for women working in tech.

Q1:  What inspired you to work in this industry?

My husband’s military service in the Air Force is initially what prompted me to start a tech company. Watching his disjointed and frustrating experience transitioning out of the military left me thinking there had to be a better way to connect and match veterans with the best fit higher education programs at scale. I partnered with a fellow MBA classmate who witnessed the same problem while serving in the Coast Guard, and together we launched a tech startup to build a solution. As non-technical founders trying to build a SaaS product, we were fortunate to be selected to attend Patriot Boot Camp, where we received world-class mentoring from the Techstars network to help us execute our vision.

Following my experience, I now have the privilege of working with other veteran and military spouse startup founders to help them launch and grow companies of scale and impact via Patriot Boot Camp’s program.

Q2:  What would you tell women who are looking to work in tech?  Any advice on how they can build their career?

The best way to learn and succeed is by doing! It’s easy to be intimidated by “tech” when you don’t have a technical background, but anyone can learn and join in. You don’t need to be a software developer to break into the industry. Think of a topic you’re passionate about, find someone who’s building a scalable solution to address it, and get involved as an employee, mentor, volunteer, beta user, etc.

If your goal is to build your own solution, surround yourself with experienced mentors and advisors that have the skills and subject matter expertise you are lacking so you can learn from them and make informed decisions.

Q3:  Is your company a Pledge 1% member or do you personally give back to your community? If so, how do you give and to what cause?

Yes, Patriot Boot Camp is a proud Pledge 1% member and partner. We also encourage our alumni to become members and incorporate philanthropy into their business model. We find that military & veteran entrepreneurs already have a strong commitment to give back and #givefirst. Pledge 1% makes it easy for them to do so!

Q4:  Do you serve as a mentor?  What does mentorship mean to you?

In my current role, I view myself as more of a facilitator and network connector to stellar mentors than a direct mentor. However, I always look forward to working with founders and lending my experience and guidance when asked.

To me, mentorship is about helping others advance without expecting anything in return. I’m a big believer in the Mentor Manifesto created by David Cohen from Techstars.

Q5:  What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received to help you with your career?

I’ve been fortunate to benefit from the experience and coaching of many great mentors, but one piece of advice that continues to drive my decision-making is this: choose the one thing that you want to be the best at in the world and focus relentlessly on executing.

This was advice that Nicole Glaros from Techstars gave me to help redirect product development for my startup, but I find myself coming back to it in both professional and personal contexts. Time is limited and resources are scarce, so don’t waste your efforts focusing on things that don’t matter or on trying to be all things to all people. Take pride in doing one thing really well, and grow from there.

Q6:  What’s the one piece of advice you would give to yourself 5 years ago?

Plan less! Be focused and work hard, but don’t try to predict or architect the future. The beauty of life lies in the journey and there are many paths that lead to meaningful outcomes. Don’t waste time stressing out over trying to pick the right “one.”

This profile is published as part of Pledge 1%’s Women Who Lead series, which celebrates women in the Pledge 1% community who are creating change within their workplace and communities.

Stephanie Herrera is a Salesforce MVP who works at Spredfast as the Director of Salesforce and Business Operations.  She got her start in Technology 19 years ago at Dell.  After Dell she went on to work for a few startups as well as Apple.  After Apple she focused 100% of her energy on the Salesforce Platform.  Stephanie also has 3 Salesforce certifications.  She lives and breathes Salesforce, so much so that in January of 2014 she founded, and continues to lead, the very first Salesforce Women in Tech chapter in Austin that now has chapters throughout the U.S. as well as globally.  She also founded and has been leading Salesforce Saturday since March of 2015 that allows for work within the Salesforce platform to help grow individual skill sets within a team environment.  The concept has spread throughout the community, producing several new chapters throughout the U.S., India and the Netherlands.  Stephanie has also worked with Veterans and spouses of Veterans to help them get started in a career in Salesforce and has been a mentor within the Austin Partners in Education program for the last 3 and a half years.  Stephanie provides mentoring to children, teens, and adults in both their personal and professional lives.  As a result of her mentoring within the Saleforce Community and the Austin Community in general, she was rewarded as a finalist for Mentor of the Year at The Austin Under 40 Awards in 2016.

Q1:  What inspired you to work in this industry?

I love the Salesforce industry, but stumbled upon it by accident and I am so glad I did! The platform itself allows me to combine both my problem solving and creative interests into one. It also allows anyone that works in its ecosystem so many opportunities. I haven’t had to go “looking” for a job since 2011 when I left Apple to start my Salesforce Admin career back up!  The community is like a family and we actually like to refer to ourselves as “Ohana”. Technology is constantly changing, and you have to work to keep up with it. With the Salesforce community, it makes this easier to do and the community is invested in helping you succeed! My community is what BUILT ME! SO, the community is what inspires me to continue to work within this industry.

Q2:  What would you tell women who are looking to work in tech? 

Go for it! There is no better time in history than now to be forging a career in tech as a woman! When I first started working in tech 19 years ago at Dell, I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer, much less use it! I didn’t let that stop me, I knew I was capable of learning and that’s just what I did, and I’m so happy I did! The people I met in tech are not only directly responsible for the success I have experienced, but they have become some of my closest friends and have provided some of my fondest memories in life. You don’t have to have a Computer Science degree to get into tech. I only have a semester and a half of college and it was for a Business degree. I’d also like to think tech is more inclusive now than it was 19 years ago, and I don’t regret for a second having made this move. IF more women don’t get into the world of tech, then how will we ever close that gap? You have nothing to lose and so much to gain! More and more women are taking the reins and leading the way, so that more women can transition into tech easier. I’ve been so fortunate to meet and know some of these women, and I’m blown away by how dedicated they are, to paving the way for women in tech. Don’t let their hard work go to waste!

Q3:  Any advice on how they can build their career?

It starts and ends with your network, which should be made up of family, friends and co-workers. These are the people that will help develop you and let you know of future opportunities for professional growth! Add them all to your LinkedIn network, and make sure you keep your LinkedIn profile up to date with at least all of your previous roles and responsibilities. Also, Be RESOURCEFUL! Find a community of like-minded people who do what you want to do. People really do want to share their knowledge on how to succeed in their fields. Ask questions, lots of questions and then apply the advice and do the work! Then when someone asks questions of you, pass the knowledge on as well! Keep paying it forward, it will come back to you tenfold! From within this community find a Mentor. Also find a champion where you work. Also, Always Be Learning! Take any opportunity to expand your knowledge.  Read as often as you can, whether its online articles or books, just Keep Learning! For example, if you don’t know the difference between a Mentor and Champion, google it. There is a difference! If you invest in your network, your community and your continuous education you will succeed! Again, make sure you are updating your LinkedIn and other social media channels you are using for your personal brand. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, google it, be resourceful! Go in search of answers, don’t wait for someone to give them to you. IF you do all of this, your network will start to pay off for you in more ways than one!

Q4:  Is your company a Pledge 1% member or do you personally give back to your community? If so, how do you give and to what cause?

In my local community I work with Cloud Co-OP and the Merivis Foundation. Merivis and Cloud-Coop both help military vets transition into a career in technology by training them on the skill set needed to get a job in the Salesforce ecosystem and by either hiring them to work for them or helping them find job placement.  I’ve also started working with PepUpTech.org, which is an organization that is dedicated to enabling community based organizations to offer computer science and technology programs to underrepresented people! Also, Spredfast gives back to our local communities and encourages its employees to do the same. We have the hashtag #BeNiceAndSocial to help promote the spirit of giving!

Q5:  Do you serve as a mentor?

Yes! Mentoring is my world, and this too happened by accident. My first “mentor” type role happened when I worked at Dell as a Sales Coach, and it was something that just came very naturally that I really enjoyed. I founded and lead the first Salesforce Women In Tech chapter here in Austin in January of 2014, and have been leading it since and we meet every single month. I also founded and lead Salesforce Saturday here in Austin and have been doing so since March of 2015 and we meet EVERY Saturday.  With both groups I serve as a mentor, along with other amazing mentors in the community, that helps them not only build their skills but also helps them grow professionally in their careers based on our experiences in tech and the advice we’ve received from our mentors. I’ve also been working with http://www.austinpartners.org/mentor since 2013. I’ve been very fortunate to have been mentoring the same little boy since he was in the 2^nd grade and he is now in the 5^th grade and I have to come to terms with him entering junior high next year! As you can see, I am very passionate about mentoring and it’s because the mentors in my life, that have contributed to my success, have made life better not just for me and my children but also for those that I have the opportunity to mentor.

Q6:  What does mentorship mean to you?

Wow, I could write a novel about this question, but I won’t. I’ll do my best to keep it simple. Mentorship changes lives for both the mentee and the mentor! If you can contribute to the success of another, why not do so? We change the world, one person at a time, and one of the most effective ways of doing this is through mentorship. As mentors, we teach others how to help others and through mentoring, we make the world not only a better place, but a more informed place. When we can make someone else’s life a little better, they will pay it forward and society as a whole benefits!

Q7:  What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received to help you with your career? 

Career like a Man and don’t allow yourself to be Intimidated! The BEST career advice was something I read back in 2011 (It was an article on LinkedIn) about the differences between men and women when it came to applying for a job. Men will apply for a job that they are only somewhat qualified for, whereas women will only apply for jobs they are 100% qualified for. Now this is common knowledge, back then, it wasn’t.  Men take the risk and will rise to the occasion even when they may not be qualified for the role. It was a defining moment for me! I was tired of working 2 jobs, 7 days a week! It was at that moment, that I decided I was going to be more like a man, and start applying for jobs I wasn’t 100% qualified for, and it worked! The AVP of Legal Solutions that hired me as a Salesfore Admin, Scott Zimmerman, made the comment that “Stephanie WAY oversold her advanced excel skills, but EVERYTHING else she brought to the table was worth it!” He was right, the job called for experience with Pivot Tables, Ad Hoc Reporting and V-lookups, all of which I had no idea what they were at the time, much less how to do them, but I knew I could LEARN them, because people in my network told me I could. In the past, I allowed myself to be intimidated with what I “thought” was a lack of experience and expertise. Once I let go of that, I was finally able to fully reach my potential! This was the last time I went “looking” for a job and ever since then, the roles have come to me! ANY new role you take on, you are going to have to LEARN the ins and outs of it. As a matter of fact, the next role I went to, I was sought out by Neil Garrett the Director of Analytics at the time, again as a Salesforce Admin. He told me “You’ve brought more to the role than I knew we needed.” So, don’t sell yourself short, you have more to offer than you may even realize!

Q8:  What’s the one piece of advice you would give to yourself 5 years ago?

I would have told myself to have been fearless SOONER! To not doubt myself as much as I did, and to follow my instincts more. I also wished I had realized sooner, that you don’t have to be an “expert” to take that next step in your career or to help people! You just have to have the passion to learn and share what you’ve learned.  For this reason, this has become one of my favorite driving quotes in my life: “It’s not where you’re from; it’s where you’re going. It’s not what you drive; it’s what drives you. It’s not what’s on you; it’s what’s in you. It’s not what you think; it’s what you know.” ~ anonymous

Anutthara Bharadwaj is a Group Product Manager at Atlassian. Read the full interview below to learn more about Anu’s career journey and what inspires her to lead.

Q1:  What inspired you to work in this industry?

I have always been interested in technology – from writing games as a 11 year old on my first PC to getting patents for technological innovations at Microsoft. The best thing about this industry is having the chance to touch the lives of millions of users through something I can create.

Q2:  What would you tell women who are looking to work in tech?  Any advice on how they can build their career?

We are on the cusp of several technological innovations that have the potential to revolutionize human life as we know it. Some of the biggest problems of our time – climate change, energy equality, health care, all have solutions rooted in technology. There’s never been a better time to work in technology. Don’t let anything discourage you from your chance at shaping the future of the planet.

Q3:  Is your company a Pledge 1% member or do you personally give back to your community? If so, how do you give and to what cause?

Atlassian is a founding member of Pledge 1% and the culture of giving is inherent among Atlassians. I am on the board of a non-profit org, Global Sisters, that we support via the Atlassian Foundation. I’ve had the good fortune of being able to take a sabbatical last year to work on wildlife conservation projects in Africa and community development projects in India. Over the years, I’ve been able to donate money to causes I am passionate about, but the chance to spend an intense period of time on those causes was more fulfilling and enlightening than I had imagined.

Q4:  Do you serve as a mentor?  What does mentorship mean to you?

Yes, over the last decade, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor over a 100 people, from various arenas – colleagues, ex-reports, entrepreneurs, students. I’ve had the good fortune of having great mentors throughout my career and mentoring is my way of paying it forward.

Q5:  What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received to help you with your career?

The best advice I’ve received is to not be afraid of failing. Contrary to what you’d expect, in the tech industry, it is encouraged to fail fast. Thanks to the fast pace of technology, the more number of things you try in a shorter amount of time, the likelier it is that you succeed. To do that, you have to be willing to fail. And learn from those failures. I’ve learned this from experience several times during my career.

Elise oversees internal and external training initiatives, certification, enterprise education and global program development at MediaMath through the New Marketing Institute (NMI) where she leads a global team of 29, touching 16 different countries.  She joined MediaMath in January of 2012, bringing with her 15 years of experience managing, facilitating and building targeted training programs from the ground up.  She launched NMI shortly thereafter – in Q2 of 2012.  In the 4 years since launch, she’s led the charge in building a team of training professionals who share in her passion for educating and empowering the new generation of marketing professionals.

Successfully transitioning from the financial sector as a global trainer at Thomson Financial (Thomson Reuters), Elise started out her digital marketing career at Right Media (acquired by Yahoo) where she transformed their internal training program and founded Right Media University for the Sales, Operations and Technical Support Teams. By ensuring training curriculum aligned with the overall strategy she was able to directly impact company culture by driving individual, team and organizational performance.  Elise continued her career at Macys.com within the e-commerce division, facilitating and developing curriculum for the New York employees focusing on merchant, marketing, platform and leadership skill development across the organization. By identifying department specific and business needs Elise was able to directly contribute to the corporate vision, ensuring high performance.

Elise maintains a strong presence on the board of prominent industry and L&D organizations such as the IAB and ATD. She holds a seat on the IAB Board and is also part of the IAB Digital Leadership Program, which helps foster growth for the next generation of digital marketing and advertising executives. She has also joined the Association for Talent Development (ATD) as a member of the ATD Forum Advisory Group, helping to shape forum activities through thought leadership and collaboration.

Elise holds a B.A., in Communications, PR & Advertising along with a M.S., in Instructional Leadership and Business Communications from Robert Morris University. Elise resides in Bergen County New Jersey with her husband and two children. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, going to concerts, playing basketball, watching sports, mentoring and providing career development coaching to former and current student-athletes who are making a transition into the corporate world.

Jen Consalvo is the Cofounder and COO of TechCo Media, a content, news, and events organization focused on better connecting and educating entrepreneurs, and amplifying startup communities everywhere. Started as a grassroots event to connect local communities, Tech.Co now has millions of global readers, works with industry leading brands, and is the go-to place for tech startups and enthusiasts. She is also a startup investor and advisor, and a founding member of NextGen Angels.

Prior to Tech.Co, Consalvo led product development teams in a range of product areas such as digital imaging, community & social platforms and personalization. Much of her career was at AOL, planning and building products used by millions of people globally. Her deep network across the global technology community enabled her to introduce many entrepreneurs to AOL resulting in interesting new relationships and in some cases, multi-million dollar acquisitions. The most enjoyable part of her role was working together to find areas of potential partnership with these young companies.

Jen serves on the digital advisory board for The Nature Conservancy and for the Master of Arts in Media Entrepreneurship program at American University.

Jen was nominated by Nevada’s TBAN for 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year, listed by Business Insider in their 100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter, named a 2013 and 2011 Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine, was featured in DC Modern Luxury Magazine in “The Smart Set”, in the Washington Post cover story “Digital Nomads Choose Their Tribes” and also in the Huffington Post story “What is Work? Cutting Yourself Free With Heart“. Over the past few years, Jen’s products have been featured in such places as WashingtonPost, TechCrunch, CNET, Mashable and more.

To learn more about Jen’s experience and advice for women in teach, read the full interview below.

Q1:  What inspired you to work in this industry?

I worked at AOL for about 13 years. When I first started there in 2006, it was already a pretty big place, but it still had many startup-like qualities to it, so I knew what it felt like to create new products and be at the forefront of an industry. During my last few years there, I was spending a lot of time in our Silicon Valley office evaluating startups and connecting with the startup and investor community. It really energized me and got me excited to figure out how I could take all of my years of experience building products and partnerships at AOL and apply it to the efforts Frank had started around his side project, Tech Cocktail (now TechCo Media), which had a mission to provide community, content, connections and resources to startups around the country. I loved working with the startup community. To me, there’s nothing more important than people taking their unique ideas and talents and bringing them to the world. More people need to be encouraged and supported in these endeavors, so that’s what we do.

Q2:  What would you tell women who are looking to work in tech?  Any advice on how they can build their career?

If you’re a computer engineer, start building your network and support community early. While everyone should have a support community, I think female engineers can especially benefit from building that professional network and sharing experiences. And if you don’t have a technical background but want to work in tech, don’t be intimidated by any aspect of the tech world. There is nothing you can’t pick up or learn by asking questions. I know so many men who have jumped into the tech world, and even founded companies, who had no technical background at all. So don’t ever feel limited by a lack of technical knowledge.

Sadly, when I first started coding, I was actually surprised that I was able to do it! Not that the work was always easy, but it was a huge realization for me that coding wasn’t as mysterious and scary as I had built up in my mind. I would also remind women that there are many different roles in the tech world that have nothing to do with coding. You can be a designer, project manager, product manager, marketing person, lawyer, etc within the tech space. Or a startup founder!  At AOL, I quickly decided I didn’t want to focus my career around coding, and preferred product management, which opened up a whole new creative world for me, and led me into business, management, and leadership roles.

Q3:  Is your company a Pledge 1% member or do you personally give back to your community? If so, how do you give and to what cause?

Yes, TechCo Media took the Pledge this year and we’re excited to create new ways to give back to our community. In the past we’ve hosted social events and festivals that incorporated various charities that focused on the digital divide or teaching entrepreneurship to kids.

Q4:  Do you serve as a mentor?  What does mentorship mean to you?

My mentorship has typically been informal, but over the years I’ve advised dozens of founders and women in tech. I’ve always been willing to sit down for coffee or jump on the phone to talk to people about their careers. I think it’s because I’ve been so fortunate to have had terrific mentors and advisors who have always made time for me.

Q5:  What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received to help you with your career?

Don’t let anyone disregard you. Stand up tall, speak with conviction and know that you have something valuable to offer. Learn as much as you can and make sure that at the same time you’re building your confidence. Don’t wait until you know it all to move to the next level – learn along the way and cultivate an attitude of career learning.

Q6:  What’s the one piece of advice you would give to yourself 5 years ago?

Don’t be afraid to be disliked. At various times in my career, I’ve been told to smile more and be less direct. That was bad advice! As a leader and manager, it’s critical that you get very clear about your needs and communicate them. That doesn’t mean to be rude or insensitive. It just means that it’s important to make sure people understand what you need and know that you mean business.

From the team at Beanworks:

What if we all gave 1% of our time? At Beanworks, we take community giving to heart. As a team, our employees have embraced giving back as an integral part of our company, so it’s with great pride that we announce Beanworks has joined the Pledge 1% Initiative, a global movement that encourages and challenges companies to make a positive impact within their respective communities. The initiative has been successful at promoting a model of early-stage corporate philanthropy, as a way to promote the integration of philanthropy and business and to make it easier for founders and business leaders to give back.

Pledge 1% launched as a partnership between a small group of companies and foundations in December 2014, and now boasts a membership of more than 1,500 companies in 40 countries around the world. This initiative is also supported through a vast ecosystem of partners, including nonprofits, incubators, investors, venture capital firms, accelerators and co-working spaces. Through the Pledge 1% website, companies pledge 1% of their equity, profit, product or employee time in service of their communities. Take a look at the full list of companies who have taken the pledge alongside Beanworks here.

As part of our pledge, Beanworks will be giving 1% of employee time to projects within our community.

One of the ways we plan to fulfill this pledge is through our volunteer time-off policy, which has been a staple at Beanworks for some time already. Through this policy, employees can take paid time off during the year to volunteer for causes that excite their unique interests and talents.

We also plan to create opportunities for our team to volunteer together. Last year, we supported Startups Care, a Vancouver initiative to fight hunger together with The Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Check back in for updates on our progress and to see where our team members volunteer this year!

This profile is published as part of Pledge 1%’s Women Who Lead series, which celebrates women in the Pledge 1% community who are creating change within their workplace and communities.

 

Kimmy Scotti is the Founding Partner at 8VC and Co-Founder and CEO of Monthly Gift.  She has been working in both positions for about 18 months. Read the full interview below to learn more about what inspires Kimmy and how she leads two companies.

 

What inspired you to work in this industry?

I’ve always been interested in evaluating how things work, and figuring out how to make them work better – even since I was a little kid – which is why I became an entrepreneur.  Being inside of the entrepreneurship community exposed me to other companies and businesses and started my investing career as an angel. Being a VC inspires me to be a better founder, and being a founder inspires me to be a better VC – on both sides of the equation I’m evaluating how things work and figuring out how to do them better.

What would you tell women who are looking to work in tech?  Any advice on how they can build their career?

 To not be afraid to take on big problems: big, hairy, science problems… tackle something that feels bigger than you. Don’t sell yourself short.

Also – don’t be intimidated by how male-dominated the space is. Being one of few women makes you stand out in the crowd. The phrase #GIRLBOSS was basically meant for women in tech. Being female doesn’t single you out, it makes you singular.

Is your company a Pledge 1% member or do you personally give back to your community? If so, how do you give and to what cause?

Our company is involved in Pledge 1% through our work at Grand Central Tech. We also have philanthropy baked right into our business. For every box of feminine care products that we sell, we give one day of products to a woman in need. We do this through our partnership with Days for Girls, who aims to help women both internationally and here at home.  We are devoted to changing the language around women’s health – this is one of the many ways in which we aim to achieve that.

Do you serve as a mentor?  What does mentorship mean to you?

 I actually do my mentoring through Venture for America, which is another cause I care deeply about. I’ve been lucky enough to have really strong mentors, and I know the value that they’ve had for me so paying that forward is really important to me. Also, because there’s a lack of women in this space, it’s important that as you step into your own power, and that you bring the next generation up with you.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received to help you with your career?

 Nicole Williams (of WORKS by Nicole Williams) taught me that balance is bullshit, and that you can’t really achieve it. Because it’s unachievable, the quest for it puts an incredible amount of pressure on you. If you can focus only on what you’re doing when you’re doing it, people will feel fed by the time you spend with them. When you’re with someone at lunch, engage only with them – not your phone. When you’re in a meeting, don’t think about what you have to do afterwards. Spending 100% of your energy doing something is imperative, so that when you aren’t doing something, it isn’t craving more of you.

 What’s the one piece of advice you would give to yourself 5 years ago?

The main lesson is to be your own biggest believer, and really know what your value is. Don’t let anyone (just because they’re a billionaire or are more successful than you at that moment) tell you that you’re not valuable or make you feel small.

One of Addteq’s culture goal for 2017 was to campaign for women in tech, starting with the women within our company. We had a few brainstorming sessions to explore ways we could implement and sustain a program. During these brainstorming sessions we realized that Addteq was already participating in activities to empower women’s advancement, achievement, and education. To further our activities and establish awareness, we created a program within Addteq, ” We are With Women”. This program is open for both men and women to join. The goal of the program is to empower women’s advancement, celebrate women’s achievement, promote women’s education, and raise awareness about gender disparity. Amanda Deol, SVP at Addteq, championed for the “We are With Women” initiative and pledged it on behalf of the #BeBoldForChange campaign.

What is “We are With Women” Program

Empower Women’s advancement

• Mentor a woman and sponsor her goals


• Invite women into situations where they’re not already present or contributing


• Take a junior female colleague to a major meeting or event


• Cheer and Brag (Hour of Code) – Invite girls from the local areas to promote involvement in STEM by including them in tech innovations.  Women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but only 29% of the science and engineering workforce. National Girls Collaborative Project


• The program champions will receive $50 credit towards Blue apron delivery


• Women in tech will receive 1 year of free amazon fresh subscription, so they can have more time to advance their career goals

Celebrate Women’s achievement

• Celebrate women’s journeys and the barriers they overcome


• Launch even more awards which showcase women’s success


• Drive recognition and credit for women’s contributions

 

Promote Women’s Education

• Offer opportunity to continue education with a tuition reimbursement program and offer flexible work schedule


• Gear Iris foundation to promote women in engineering by:
  
  
  
  • We are launching a mentorship program where one can become an Iris foundation ambassador:
    
    
    
    • Mentor women or young children to encourage continued education
    
    
    • Provide support in overcoming challenges, acquiring employment, and enjoying a balanced life
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Electing the first female student to receive the Iris Foundation’s International Scholarship award. According to the Department of Labor, only 11% of all engineers in the U.S. are women. Among computer programmers, the situation is better – but not much. “Women account for only 26% of all American coders.” (via Wired) Sukhbir Dhillon, Founder & CEO of Addteq, reserved funds specifically for the social cause to help with the development of talented female engineers. Suvarana Maji was the first recipient of this scholarship award. Addteq’s goal is bring more women into engineering and tech by supporting STEM.
  
  
  
  

 

Promote Gender Equality

• Addteq currently considers and hires women for different job roles. Addteq’s HR’s 2017 goals are to hire more women for the open positions


• Addteq is enhancing Parental Benefits:
  
  
  
  • Including fully paid leave for birth moms and adding a new perk of Parental Leave:
    
    
    
    • Effective October 1, 2016, Addteq employees are entitled to six weeks of paid leave, up to 100% of their annual pay (in combination with Federal FMLA)
    
    
    • Any employee who welcomes a new child (a new mother/father by birth, foster, or adoption) are eligible for the benefit
    
    
    • Policy combination of New Mom and Bonding Time with up to 100% pay
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

 

How We Launched “We are With Women” Program

We launched the program on March 8th, International Women’s Day, by wearing pink, red or purple into the office. We also encouraged offsite staff to send us pictures of their attire via Hipchat. Here is snapshot of our program launch.

Step 1

We sent a quick HipChat message to everyone

 

Step 2

We started the morning with delicious donuts (that were decorated with our campaign theme) and coffee.

 

Step 3

The team wore red, purple, and pink to get in the spirt. The offsite folks even sent a picture of their attire via Hipchat.

Offsite team member sent us a picture to show off her support for the campaign.

 

Step 4

We shared ideas about how to grow the program and enjoyed a team lunch!

Offsite team member sent us a picture to show off her support for the campaign.

 

Step 5

We shared ideas about how to grow the program and enjoyed a team lunch!

 

How we are going to sustain the program

By taking the pledge of #BeBoldForChange. Team members can become part of our ” We are With Women” program:

1. Take the Pledge Sign up for BeBoldForChange Pledge.


2. We plan to meet once a month for ” We are With Women” lunch to discuss the program and share ideas.


3. Cheer and Brag (Hour of Code)  – Invite girls from the local areas to promote involvement in STEM by including them in tech innovations.


4. The program champions will receive $50 credit toward Blue Apron delivery.


5. Women in tech will receive 1 year free Amazon fresh subscription so they can have more time to advance their career goals.