Originally pubished on uipath.com.
On Our Path to Automation for Good
Daniel Dines
The UiPath journey began with 10 people in an apartment in Romania. As our company has grown into a multinational business operating in nearly 30 countries, so has our belief in UiPath’s role and vision for impact in the world. Today, we aim to change the status quo for both our customers and society as a whole to create a brighter future. We aim to be at the forefront of critical conversations about what automation can do for us all – and how to harness technology for good – conscious of both our short and medium-term business goals and longer-term societal ones.
Our Company’s strong values, and more importantly our foundation of humility, have guided us through this past year and allowed us to be more responsive to the reality unfolding before us. This has been a defining moment for our society – and a defining moment for UiPath. We strive to be a brand of inspiration. We believe in the transformative power of automation to bring out the best in people, and the potential of people to bring out the best in our world. Ultimately, everything we do is grounded in a greater purpose: to accelerate human achievement and to liberate the boundless potential of people.
In support of our values and this greater purpose, I am pleased to share that UiPath is joining the Pledge 1% movement, and in doing so, joining an impressive network of entrepreneurs and companies across the globe such as Salesforce and Atlassian that have committed to philanthropic efforts. As part of our Pledge, we are committing to donate 2,810,082 shares of our Class A common stock over the next ten years to fund our social impact and environmental, social, and governance initiatives. We plan to continue to commit both our time and our rapidly evolving automation platform, in addition to our equity, to support our initiatives.
The surface level benefits of enterprise automation software are clear: save time, decrease costs, and speed up work. But our customers’ business goals aren’t simply to save time. They, like us, have greater missions to achieve. Now more than ever, leaders have to be connected to the world outside their organizations. From sustainability to social good, automation offers a practical path to achieving those goals that not only help organizations create a better work environment, but impact society around them.
At UiPath, we seek to promote the use of automation to encourage people to strive to learn more, do more, and have more fulfilling careers. We believe this commitment will help to make automation a force for good across our world.
While we’re proud of the successes we’ve seen, we know our work here is still just beginning. Our goal is, and always will be, for UiPath’s people, technology, and purpose to come together for good. We’ll never stop striving for better. Our purpose will always guide us, and our values will always push us forward – toward a better future for all.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
What is your name and title?
Linh Judin, Founder and Managing Director at Open Lock Marketing.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
My main role is to grow revenue and profit by creating, developing, and executing robust digital marketing strategies for new and existing clients. Working with both B2B and B2C clients worldwide, I’m responsible for managing my global staff to ensure all projects are successfully delivered.
How did you get here? Please share any quick stories from past work experiences.
Determination, luck, and support – that’s how I got where I am now. I say “luck” because I realize that I’ve been blessed with meeting people who believe in me and gave me a chance to succeed.
In your opinion, what’s the #1 decision or move you’ve made that has helped advance your career?
The #1 decision I’ve made that has helped me advance in my career is believing in myself. There are things that can be taught and learned but knowing your self worth and valuing your own time are two things you have to figure out on your own.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned this past year?
The most important lesson I’ve learned this past year is the importance of balancing work and life. When things get busy or when there are a handful of projects with overlapping deadlines, it’s easy to get caught up in work. As a mother of 2 young children, I struggle with my own guilt of not being ‘present’. This past year taught me the importance of prioritizing and delegating tasks so that I could balance my work and life better.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
Not being taken seriously.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
I have a handful of mentors that are near and dear to my heart. To me, mentorship means a mutually respected relationship where both parties are learning from one another. Typically, the mentee seeks advice from the mentor (who is generally more knowledgeable or experienced) but I find that there are times where the mentor learns new things from the mentee — things such as patience and perspective.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Knowledge is key. Immerse yourself in whatever field it is that you’re passionate about so that you can bring the information, your opinions on the matter, and your value to the table.
What is one thing companies can do, big or small, to help create an environment that advances women into leadership positions?
To help create an environment that advances women into leadership positions, companies can lead by example and have women in actual leadership positions.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish in the next year?
One thing I hope to accomplish in the next year is company growth. I’d like to see our team grow by 25%.
Is there a cause that is particularly close to you? If so, why this cause and how did you get involved?
There are so many different causes that are close to me! Prison reform, professional development, and children education are all causes that are particularly close to me. I used to volunteer with Year Up, Reading Partners, and Students Rising Above because I wanted to leave the world in a better place through our children.
When did your company join Pledge 1%? What does your impact program mean to you?
I started the application in 2019 but didn’t get a chance to ‘activate’ the membership because I couldn’t find a time (within my timezone) with the interviewer. I’ve always admired Pledge 1% and what it stood for. Even though Open Lock Marketing is not “officially” part of Pledge 1%, we’ve been donating 1% of our time to help local communities get more brand exposure by helping them create and execute campaigns.
What do you like to do outside of the office? Any interesting (or unique) habits or interests?
I find new ways to entertain my kids and I’ve also started an e-commerce website selling baby toys.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
Permission Marketing from Seth Godin
What’s been the one (or two!) things that have helped you navigate this past year? Any tips or tricks to dealing with remote work?
If you have to share an office, invest in some noise cancelling headphones
Alliance of VCs commit to helping portfolio companies set aside stock for social impact on path to IPO; $1B in new philanthropy already ignited in the last year by companies like Coinbase, UiPath, and Unity
(San Francisco, Calif. – June 8, 2021) — Pledge 1%, a global movement to inspire, educate, and empower all companies to leverage their assets for good, today announced the launch of Boardroom Allies. The founding group of top venture capitalists (VCs) have committed to unlocking $5 billion in new philanthropy over the next five years by partnering with Pledge 1% to advise their portfolio companies on how to set aside equity for social impact prior to their liquidity events. Amidst a heightened focus on the role businesses play in fostering societal change, Boardroom Allies will play a pivotal role in ushering in a new era of corporate giving.
“This past year, we’ve seen more companies demonstrate that they have an important role to play in tackling the toughest challenges of our time. Shareholder, employee, and customer expectations are changing. It’s exciting to see business leaders step up to meet this moment by leveraging their assets to address pressing social, environmental, and racial justice issues. Doing so is not only the right thing to do; it’s also a business imperative,” said Laela Sturdy, General Partner at CapitalG and Board Member of UiPath.
“We’re seeing a new trend of companies setting aside equity prior to an exit to sustainably fund their social impact and ESG efforts for years to come,” said Neeraj Agrawal, General Partner at Battery Ventures. “By providing equity model standards, a definitive CEO playbook, and experienced consultation, Pledge 1% has been fueling this trend.”
With the support of Pledge 1%, many of the most successful exits of the last year, including Coinbase, Digital Ocean, Olo, UiPath, and Unity Technologies have committed equity for good on the road to their IPOs, joining industry leaders driving the Pledge 1% movement such as Atlassian, DocuSign, Twilio, Okta, Salesforce, Slack, PagerDuty, Upwork, and Zuora. Many top pre-IPO companies such as Canva, Guild Education, Crunchbase, and Puppet have also made the commitment. Collectively, their equity pledges have already ignited billions of dollars in social impact funds.
Recognizing that standards and best practices optimized by company stage were required to streamline the equity pledge process, Pledge 1% developed a step-by-step guide for companies to formalize equity pledges: the CEO Playbook and a Companion Guide for CFOs and GCs. A key strategy outlined in the CEO Equity Playbook is finding and leveraging a boardroom ally to serve as a thought partner to the CEO as he/she navigates equity model selection, timing, and building a coalition of board support.
As the Pledge 1% team accelerated efforts to help venture-backed companies set aside equity prior to their liquidity events, VC board members became not only powerful partners in helping CEOs, but also catalysts of the movement, encouraging other portfolio companies to formalize equity pledges as well. Thus, Boardroom Allies was born as a vehicle for VCs to advocate for change.
“Boardroom Allies is a first-of-its-kind alliance of forward-thinking investors from top VC firms who’ve committed to helping companies set aside equity for social impact — not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s also a smart business decision,” said Amy Lesnick, President and CEO of Pledge 1%. “The launch of this program represents a major milestone in our goal of empowering all companies to leverage their assets for good, and gets us one step closer toward a world where setting aside equity for social impact is the norm.”
“Working with Pledge 1% to make an equity commitment makes sense on many levels,” said Seth Levine, Partner at Foundry Group. “Setting aside pre-IPO stock for social impact should be a standard business practice to strengthen employee engagement and build purpose into a company’s DNA. As a founding Boardroom Ally, I encourage other VCs to join this coalition and CEOs to reach out to Pledge 1% and their board members for the support to make this a reality.”
“CEOs of late stage companies are sometimes cautious to propose an equity pledge to their Boards. However, from our perspective, this is increasingly a natural step in IPO readiness,” said Byron Deeter, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. “We imagine a future in which an equity pledge could be part of every significant technology S1 filing as customers, employees, and investors put increasing value on how companies show up as corporate citizens.”
As part of its launch, Boardroom Allies is announcing the following founding members:
*Directly advised/supported and/or currently supporting portfolio company to set aside equity
| Name | Firm | Equity commitments within firm portfolio |
| Andrew Braccia* | Accel | Atlassian, Code42, DocuSign, Lookout, PagerDuty, Slack, UiPath |
| Richard Wong* | Accel | Atlassian, Code42, DocuSign, Lookout, PagerDuty, Slack, UiPath |
| John O’Farrell* | Andreessen Horowitz | Coinbase, DigitalOcean, Lookout, Okta, PagerDuty, Slack |
| Ajay Agarwal* | Bain Capital Ventures | AvidXchange, DocuSign, Gainsight, SendGrid |
| Enrique Salem* | Bain Capital Ventures | AvidXchange, DocuSign, Gainsight, SendGrid |
| Matt Harris* | Bain Capital Ventures | AvidXchange, DocuSign, Gainsight, SendGrid |
| Chelsea Stoner | Battery Ventures | Coinbase, Gainsight, Olo |
| Neeraj Agrawal* | Battery Ventures | Coinbase, Gainsight, Olo |
| Roger Lee* | Battery Ventures | Coinbase, Gainsight, Olo |
| Chetan Puttagunta | Benchmark | Upwork, Yelp, Zuora |
| Eric Vishria | Benchmark | Upwork, Yelp, Zuora |
| Miles Grimshaw | Benchmark | Upwork, Yelp, Zuora |
| Peter Fenton* | Benchmark | Upwork, Yelp, Zuora |
| Sarah Tavel | Benchmark | Upwork, Yelp, Zuora |
| Byron Deeter* | Bessemer Venture Partners | Auth0, Canva, Gainsight, Guild Education, PagerDuty, SendGrid, Twilio, Vlocity, Yelp |
| Ethan Kurzweil* | Bessemer Venture Partners | Auth0, Canva, Gainsight, Guild Education, PagerDuty, SendGrid, Twilio, Vlocity, Yelp |
| Kent Bennett* | Bessemer Venture Partners | Auth0, Canva, Gainsight, Guild Education, PagerDuty, SendGrid, Twilio, Vlocity, Yelp |
| Niki Scevak* | Blackbird Ventures | Canva |
| Laela Sturdy* | CapitalG | UiPath |
| Aileen Lee | Cowboy Ventures | Crunchbase, Guild Education |
| Seth Miller | Fearless Ventures | Not publicly disclosed |
| Mike Jung | Founders Circle Capital | Auth0, DocuSign, Gainsight, Twilio |
| Brad Feld* | Foundry Group | AvidXchange; Crucible Acquisition Corp. I, II, and III; Rally Software; SendGrid |
| Ryan Mcintyre* | Foundry Group | AvidXchange; Crucible Acquisition Corp. I, II, and III; Rally Software; SendGrid |
| Seth Levine* | Foundry Group | AvidXchange; Crucible Acquisition Corp. I, II, and III; Rally Software; SendGrid |
| Philipp Stauffer* | FYRFLY Venture Partners | SendGrid, Twilio, Altoida, Mobi, Beekeeper |
| Julie Maples* | FYRFLY Venture Partners | SendGrid, Twilio, Altoida, Mobi, Beekeeper |
| Kim Moore | Glynn Capital | DocuSign, Okta, Slack, Zuora |
| Jackie Glynn | Glynn Capital | DocuSign, Okta, Slack, Zuora |
| David Glynn | Glynn Capital | DocuSign, Okta, Slack, Zuora |
| Doug Pepper* | ICONIQ Capital | DocuSign, Guild Education, Pluralsight, Skilljar |
| Alda Leu Dennis | Initialized Capital | Coinbase |
| Andrew Lee | Initialized Capital | Coinbase |
| Brett Gibson | Initialized Capital | Coinbase |
| Garry Tan* | Initialized Capital | Coinbase |
| Jen Wolf | Initialized Capital | Coinbase |
| Kim Mai-Cutler | Initialized Capital | Coinbase |
| Somesh Dash | Institutional Venture Partners | Coinbase, Slack, UiPath |
| Jules Maltz | Institutional Venture Partners | Coinbase, Slack, UiPath |
| Pete Solvik* | Jackson Square Ventures | DocuSign, Upwork |
| Rajeev Batra* | Mayfield Fund | Crunchbase, Skilljar, SmartRecruiters |
| Rishi Garg | Mayfield Fund | Crunchbase, Skilljar, SmartRecruiters |
| Tim Chang | Mayfield Fund | Crunchbase, Skilljar, SmartRecruiters |
| Peter Sonsini | New Enterprise Associates | Code42, Salesforce, Upwork |
| Rick Yang | New Enterprise Associates | Code42, Salesforce, Upwork |
| Dave Zilberman | Norwest Venture Partners | Not publicly disclosed |
| Tim Connors* | PivotNorth Capital | Cloud Apartments, Stremium |
| Jeff Brody | Redpoint | Guild Education, Twilio, Zuora |
| Scott Raney* | Redpoint | Guild Education, Twilio, Zuora |
| Alex Kayyal | Salesforce Ventures | Auth0, Crunchbase, DocuSign, Gainsight, Guild Education, Twilio, Vlocity, SmartRecruiters |
| John Somorjai* | Salesforce Ventures | Auth0, Crunchbase, DocuSign, Gainsight, Guild Education, Twilio, Vlocity, SmartRecruiters |
| Matthew Garratt* | Salesforce Ventures | Auth0, Crunchbase, DocuSign, Gainsight, Guild Education, Twilio, Vlocity, SmartRecruiters |
| Ron Conway* | SV Angel | Coinbase, Crunchbase, Lookout, Okta, PagerDuty, Slack, Twilio, Upwork, Weebly |
| David Yuan* | Tidemark | Not publicly disclosed |
| David Cohen* | Techstars | DigitalOcean, SendGrid, Twilio |
| Jason Seats | Techstars | DigitalOcean, SendGrid, Twilio |
| Nicole Glaros | Techstars | DigitalOcean, SendGrid, Twilio |
| David Pakman | Venrock | Not publicly disclosed |
To download Pledge 1%’s CEO Equity Playbook and Companion Guide for CFOs and GCs, visit P1.equity/today. To learn more about how to set aside social impact at your company or join this alliance of top VCs as a Boardroom Ally, email allies@pledge1percent.org or visit pledge1percent.org.
About Pledge 1%: Pledge 1% is a global movement that inspires, educates, and empowers every entrepreneur, company, and employee to be a force for good. Over 12,000 members in 100 countries around the world have used Pledge 1%’s flexible framework to ignite billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours in new philanthropy. To learn more about Pledge 1%, and how your company can get involved, visit pledge1percent.org.
Since the start of the pandemic, our Pledge 1% community has demonstrated a commitment to working together and supporting those who are most in need.
Right now, the gap between countries that can and can’t afford the COVID-19 vaccine is growing. To end the pandemic everywhere, we must continue to play our parts as businesses, and as individuals.
That’s why we’re pleased to share that we teamed up with a coalition of companies to launch the Go Give One Coalition Challenge, a campaign that gives everyone, everywhere the opportunity to help end the pandemic. Our goal is to raise $5 million, which will pay for one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The money will go directly to Gavi COVAX AMC, which funds COVID-19 vaccines for lower-income countries, helping protect those who need vaccines the most.
This isn’t the time to go it alone. Every business, everywhere can help. Join us in helping to raise funds for Gavi COVAX AMC and invite your employees and external partners to take part in the challenge by donating, starting their own peer-to-peer fundraising challenge, or sharing the challenge with their own friends and family.
To engage your employees and external partners, please utilize the Go Give One Donation Challenge Communications Toolkit. In this toolkit, you will find everything you need to promote the challenge to your employees and external partners including details on the campaign rollout, sample email messaging, social media assets, and more.
The only way forward is together. Go give one today and help us reach $5 million so everyone, everywhere gets vaccinated > www.gogiveone.org/coalition
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
What is your name and title?
Melissa Frugé, Chief Legal Officer & Executive D&I Sponsor at FinancialForce.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
I am responsible for all legal, risk and compliance matters worldwide. I also serve as the executive sponsor to our Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
How did you get here? Please share any quick stories from past work experiences.
I have a wonderful career journey starting with supporting a mix of start ups to public companies in the corporate group at DLA to serving as the General Counsel of high tech companies. I partner with phenomenal execs and Boards to scale companies effectively through smart organic growth, acquisitions and IPOs.
In your opinion, what’s the #1 decision or move you’ve made that has helped advance your career?
Going in house to work with a supportive team that enabled me to grow as a professional and strategic, pragmatic legal counsel.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned this past year?
This year has been a continuous reminder that we are resilient and can grow and succeed in a variety of ways by getting creative and exercising grit.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
Effectively overcoming the various obstacles and biases that most men simply don’t have.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
Yes! I’ve always been active in having both mentors who provide meaningful advice and empathy and sponsors who actually help to open doors. These people have helped use their experiences and connections to help me and I always try to do the same for others.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
View your career as an ever evolving journey, never a destination, and be open to the various paths forward that can present themselves, or which you can create. Welcome those twists and turns you didn’t expect. Lean in to learn and grow stronger from the hills along the way.
What is one thing companies can do, big or small, to help create an environment that advances women into leadership positions?
Actively educate the workforce on the power, need and impact of a diverse environment. Nurture and grow the diverse employees you have to make everyone feel welcome. Lead from the top and then ensure this happens at all levels.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish in the next year?
I set intentions at the start of each year instead of resolutions. At the end of the year, I strive to be able to say I confidently stayed true to them during the year. A couple of the key ones for me are to pursue excellence and integrity in everything I do and in all facets of my life.
Is there a cause that is particularly close to you? If so, why this cause and how did you get involved?
Diversity & Inclusion. I have a mixed family and these issues are dear to my heart, so I have always volunteered in my professional career to contribute as well.
When did your company join Pledge 1%? What does your impact program mean to you?
A few years ago as an example of our commitment to doing the right thing.
What do you like to do outside of the office? Any interesting (or unique) habits or interests?
I love meditation and yoga to stay grounded. I love travel and learning about various places, cultures and ways of living — and I hope to get back to my travels soon!
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
Yes, always and way too many to share. One of my long time favorites is The Alchemist by Paulo Cuelo.
What’s been the one (or two!) things that have helped you navigate this past year? Any tips or tricks to dealing with remote work?
A consistent practice of gratitude. I always have things to be grateful for and it is an easy way to shift your perspective to a positive one.
Business as a force for good is a top-of-mind topic. The last eighteen months have proven the power and the important role businesses have when it comes to tackling problems in our interconnected world. What it means to be a successful company has changed as leaders integrate ESG programs and other initiatives into their business DNA. This includes formalizing their equity pledge in advance of a liquidity event.
The shift is real and imminent. We’re seeing some of today’s hottest and most successful companies set aside equity before they reach IPO or acquisition, whereas more and more top VC firms are supporting this commitment to social good.
At this year’s SaaStr Enterprise, Pledge 1%’s CEO Amy Lesnick spoke with Rich Wong, General Partner of Accel, and CEOs Yvonne Wassenaar of Puppet and Dan Springer of DocuSign about their Pledge 1% strategies and how setting aside equity is not just the right, but the smart thing to do. Here are our 3 takeaways from the event:
- There is a moral imperative to help if you are in a position to support the communities you operate in. Companies – especially large ones or those in industries with larger stock and social value – have not only the ability but an obligation to make a positive impact on the world they are shaping.
- Giving back creates a company culture that attracts top talent who are proud to work with your mission and values. Economic incentives help attract top talent, but it’s the central drive and mission of a company that really brings people on board. Formalizing an equity pledge and joining Pledge 1% is a great way to attract people who are passionate about their work and excited to work at a place whose values they believe in.
- VCs and investors should support companies who pledge equity and integrate the Pledge 1% model into their business plans. This is a growing trend, and as more and more companies join Pledge 1%, an increasing number of investors are realizing the value of supporting founders who have this vision.
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To learn more, watch the full recording of the conversation below or if you are a company, download the Pledge 1% CEO Equity Playbook and learn how you can join business leaders around the world in setting aside equity today for impact tomorrow.
We also invite VCs and investors to email our team to learn more about our tools and program for investors!
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
What is your name and title?
Yasmin Grigaliunas, CEO & Co-founder at World’s Biggest Garage Sale.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
An entrepreneur of impact and a circular economy pioneer in Australia, driving this industry forward by innovating, collaborating, connecting and mobilising multiple stakeholders towards a shared vision, all while providing social good.
How did you get here? Please share any quick stories from past work experiences.
I am a doer. It excites me to build things and drive motion forward. I love the hard, the stretch, the impossible, not because I’m anything extraordinary, but because we’re all ordinary people capable of extraordinary things. We just need to believe in ourselves.
In your opinion, what’s the #1 decision or move you’ve made that has helped advance your career?
Mine was when Mark Sowerby (Queensland’s First Chief Entrepreneur) told me that my ‘hobby’ of running a once a year annual World’s Biggest Garage Sale, was actually 4 years of running a business.
The big question he asked me was could I afford to quit my job and go all in?
That was in 2017…. I quit my job less than a week later and haven’t looked back since.
It hasn’t been easy, I won’t pretend or portray that, but I wouldn’t make a different decision if I had the chance to relive that moment.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned this past year?
I was chatting (ok, perhaps ranting one day) with the team and I came up with this – to best describe our year
Effort + Execution = Evolution
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
The bias, it’s a real thing, although I never spend a great deal of time sitting in any negative about it. With less than 3% of VC funding flowing to female founded ventures globally, the issue is real.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
Mentors are lifeblood. It’s important though to recognise, that mentors are only as good as the mentee – it’s always a bidirectional and circular relationship that has natural flow in all directions. The one word I think of when it comes to mentors is:
#Coachable (be coachable – it will serve you well in life – even when it hurts).
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
You are better than you think you are, exponentially stronger than you realise and you already have the capacity and capabilities to do what you sit and admire others for. Get out there and DO IT. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, the better situation, the ‘one day’ timing – there is no better time to shine than now. Start today……
What is one thing companies can do, big or small, to help create an environment that advances women into leadership positions?
Collaborate and Connect – but not because it sounds good….actually go deep in the ACTION stages, get your hands dirty and bring together diverse entities to multiply outcomes.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish in the next year?
Scale, Scale, Scale.
We will accomplish a capital raise…..(but argh….I dislike even writing that, because it’s such a ‘game’ and I’m not a game player). I prefer HOT (Honest Open Transparent), even though it might burn at times. I’d much rather just fast track things so we can get on with it – but I know that it doesn’t work that way. Most importantly, the opportunity to scale our team, bring on new talent to provide jobs and expand our reach for People, for Planet and for Purpose.
Is there a cause that is particularly close to you? If so, why this cause and how did you get involved?
The SDGs are the cause I care most about – driving action globally for a better world for all. I am not the type of person to be put into a box – I’d rather the ‘all-sorts’ so that there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Equity over Equality…..
Not my words – but – Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
When did your company join Pledge 1%? What does your impact program mean to you?
We joined in 2018, back when I was in SF for a trip with the Accelerator we participated in. Impact is the very fabric of our business. If I’m going to be in business, it needs to be as a force for good. While being rich in wealth is what some desire, for me, I want to be rich in love, rich in life and I know that the circular and sharing economy has the capacity to even things out a LOT. I have often said that we need to evolve the P&L report to a PLI report, which records Profit/Loss/Impact. Now where are the new Fintech founders to solve this one?
What do you like to do outside of the office? Any interesting (or unique) habits or interests?
I am a 2x Ironman Finisher (that’s the brand name…not my doing) and as it turns out, I was pretty good at it in the day. It’s been a looonnnnggg time since I’ve raced, I will go back one day, but it’s expensive and time consuming, neither of which I have in abundance right now.
I’m also a runner – having completed 2019km in 2019 and more than 2020km in 2020. 2021 is a little stagnant, but I’m feeling out a new challenge. I also ran more than 650 consecutive days, including 110 days of 10kms a day! I love doing extreme things – just because it feels good to stretch.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
I love 5AM Club by Robin Sharma AND Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.
One is HARD and one is SOFT. These two bipolar forces will give you a taste of what life is like as a founder and entrepreneur. I love Audible and will have many books going at the same time, choosing a title based on what I think I need to energise me at the time of listening.
What’s been the one (or two!) things that have helped you navigate this past year? Any tips or tricks to dealing with remote work?
What’s helped us is transparency, authenticity and good old fashioned hard work. It’s been a challenge (for us all), but rather than whine about things we cannot change, our team focused on controlling what we could, which was ultimately our own capabilities and capacity – then we stretched and stretched and stretched. There were some little snaps along the way (as to be expected), but our trust and love (yes love) for each other, really meant that we made sure we would make it through.
In relation to remote work, I’ve worked remotely since giving birth to our first daughter almost 15 years ago. Being an early adopter, it meant that there wasn’t even a speed bump (for me or the team) when it came to adapting with flexible or remote work. I love to live life well outside of the comfort zone, and it’s only recently I recognised the comfort I now feel in this space. What it’s taught me is that when I think and feel the crazy stuff, then it’s highly likely something in it worth exploring.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
What is your name and title?
Beth Rustin, Founding Partner at Jamesbeck.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
I am a Founder and Partner of Jamesbeck, a retainer-based executive search firm that specializes in recruiting senior level talent for investment management companies. We employ fifteen people, of which twelve are in the US.
How did you get here? Please share any quick stories from past work experiences.
I began my career in banking but decided that I wasn’t a big company person. At the age of 25, I found my way to Institutional Investor, a top notch financial media company, where I learned so much about the industry that I currently serve. After seven years there, I went into executive recruiting and after seven years with a firm, co-launched Jamesbeck in late 2002.
In your opinion, what’s the #1 decision or move you’ve made that has helped advance your career?
I took a risk in starting my firm in the midst of a recession but we had conviction and starting in a slow period allowed my partners and me to get our processes and systems in place before the market turned. We were ready when that happened a year into launching Jamesbeck.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned this past year?
Breathe and be grateful for good health, family and supportive friends in life and business.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
I work in a field where many male competitors socialize with their clients over dinner, drinks, sporting events, etc. I never felt comfortable doing that as a woman.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
I had a mentor at Institutional Investor who is still a dear friend even though we see each other only a few times a year. She taught me how to be a strong woman in business and to not always agree with clients but to challenge them when appropriate. She showed me that having opinions and a voice is not disrespectful but that clients can benefit from my insights (as long as I could back it up!).
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Don’t leave the workforce to have a family. Do both and tell your employer that you are committed to your career even if it comes with a family!
What is one thing companies can do, big or small, to help create an environment that advances women into leadership positions?
Give them the flexibility to work from home when their children are little.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish in the next year?
Take a real trip! I miss traveling!
Is there a cause that is particularly close to you? If so, why this cause and how did you get involved?
I am passionate about philanthropy and give to many organizations but I am on the Board of Trustees for The Educational Alliance, a NY-based agency that serves a variety of underserved populations in lower Manhattan. A dear friend of mine brought me onto the Board when she was the organization’s first Chairwoman in 2013. Ed Alliance provides a lifeline and various educational programs for New Yorkers of all ages including seniors who often times fall through the safety net. I see the impact we have on ordinary New Yorkers and it feels very good to be a part of it.
When did your company join Pledge 1%? What does your impact program mean to you?
In 2018. It shows our entire team from Partners to Administrative Assistants that we are a firm that wants to give back and we have everyone in our firm select organizations to support.
What do you like to do outside of the office? Any interesting (or unique) habits or interests?
I love to eat, drink wine and hang with my family and friends. And I love SoulCycle and Forward Space for staying in shape!
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
I just finished a great book called Hidden Valley Road and I am a podcast junkie. Lately it is all politics, all the time, like Pod Save America and The New Abnormal.
What’s been the one (or two!) things that have helped you navigate this past year? Any tips or tricks to dealing with remote work?
I typically start my day taking a long walk and listening to The NY Times Daily. Having this routine has been calming and is a great way to start my day. I miss my colleagues so rather than call them, often times call them on Teams Video so I can actually see them while speaking!
Early this week, we announced the collective effort of our Global Coalition to support organizations responding to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in India. Together, we have unlocked over $28M worth of donations from the Bay Area and globally to address the need for medical supplies, food relief, and vaccine awareness and distribution.
We are grateful for the immense support this coalition has shown, and to the many companies who have helped drive this impact in India and beyond, including: Adobe, Appfire, Atlassian Foundation, Auth0, Autodesk, Box, Cisco, Coupa Software, Crunchbase, DocuSign, Dropbox, EdelGive Foundation, Flexport, GitHub, HP Foundation, LogMeIn, Lookout, Marqeta, Medallia, NetApp, Okta, Inc., PagerDuty, Palo Alto Networks, Pledge, Pledge 1%, Puppet, Inc., Pure Storage, Rand Properties, Remitly, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, Silicon Valley Bank, TIBCO Software Inc., Twilio, Uber, Upwork, Unity, VMware, Vodafone Americas Foundation, Walmart, Western Digital, Workday, and Zoom Video Communications.
This initial commitment between 43 companies has inspired more companies around the world to initiate their own efforts, including GyanSys, Brite Systems, NeuNet Consultants, Fury Group, CSA Consultants Pvt Ltd, Warlows Legal, Synaptics, and Unbounce. It’s clear that COVID-19 knows no borders, and we are extremely proud and grateful to our members who continue to pledge their support to communities that need it the most.
We greatly appreciate your participation and ongoing leadership. If you are interested in contributing to this initiative, visit Go Give One or you can read more about the organizations and causes we are supporting in our earlier announcement here.