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.
Cynthia Asije
CEO, Adirelounge
Paris, France
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
My current tole is the CEO and Creative Director for Adirelounge. A sustainable fashion company that creates sustainable fashion products and textile fibres from banana waste.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Embrace Equity.” What does this mean to you? How can we build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive?
“Embrace Equity” is a theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, which aims to promote gender equity and inclusion in all areas of life, including the workplace. As a founder of a sustainability textile startup, embracing equity means ensuring that women and other underrepresented groups have equal access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making power within the company. This includes implementing policies and practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as flexible work arrangements, training and development programs, and transparent hiring and promotion processes.
To build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive, we need to address systemic barriers and biases that prevent women and other marginalized groups from fully participating and thriving in the workplace. This involves taking a proactive approach to diversity and inclusion by identifying and addressing implicit biases, promoting equal pay and benefits, and creating a culture that values and respects diversity.
Do you have any mentors or role models who have helped you on your personal journey?
Yes I do have mentors and role models that has helped me in my journey. Having a mentor or role model has been incredibly beneficial in personal and professional growth. Mentors and role models can provide guidance, support, and advice based on their own experiences and expertise. They share their knowledge and insights, offer constructive feedback, and help identify strengths and areas for my personal improvement.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
One valuable piece of advice is to “be true to yourself.” This advice has helped me to stay authentic and honest with myself, to follow my own values and passions, and to not compromise my beliefs or principles for the sake of others.
The past few years have brought many new and unprecedented challenges. What keeps you motivated or inspires you to stay optimistic?
In the face of new and unprecedented challenges,I often find motivation and inspiration in small wins and successes. Celebrating progress, no matter how small, helps me stay motivated and build momentum towards my goals. Focusing on the positive and taking small steps towards progress helps me stay optimistic and hopeful, even in the face of challenges.
Pledge 1% helps companies of all sizes and stages leverage their assets for social good. Why do you think it’s important that companies prioritize social impact? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
In recent years, there has been an increasing recognition that businesses can and should do more than simply generate profit. Companies have the potential to create positive social and environmental impact, in addition to financial returns. Prioritizing social impact can bring a number of benefits to companies, such as improving their reputation, attracting and retaining employees, and building customer loyalty. It can also help companies address some of the pressing social and environmental challenges facing the world, such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation.
Pledge 1% is an initiative that encourages companies to pledge 1% of their equity, profit, product, or time to support social and environmental causes. By making this pledge, companies can leverage their assets and resources to make a positive impact, regardless of their size or stage of development.
At Adirelounge social impact is at the core of what we do, we work with farmers communities and help them earn more with the waste, also work with artisans in underserved communities and pay them over 2.5X the minimum wage.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Resilient
Do you have any unique or useful life hacks to help get through your day?
Start your day with a simple routine: Having a consistent routine can help set the tone for the day and provide a sense of structure and stability.
Use a to-do list: Writing down your tasks for the day can help you stay organized and focused.
Take breaks: It’s important to take breaks throughout the day to avoid burnout and stay refreshed.
Practice gratitude: Focusing on the things you’re grateful for can help shift your mindset and boost your mood.
Overall, incorporating small habits and routines into your day can help you stay focused, energized, and positive. Find what works for you and make it a part of your daily routine.
Do you have any go-to apps or tools use love to use?
I love Canva ! Has made my life so easier.
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
One of the major things I am looking forward to this year is raising external funding for Adirelounge. We have bootstrapped from day one and would now like to raise funding to help us reach our goals and scale faster.
- Increased the number of technology companies willing to commit their time and skills to digitally supporting nonprofits from 159 to 1063, a 660% increase over 2020-2021.
- Saw more than 30% of the companies they match engage in more than one project.
- Helped more than 115 nonprofits via their #TechForUkraine campaign
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.
Katie Stasiulewicz
Director of Sales and Success, NextChapter
Columbus, OH
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
I oversee the sales, customer success and marketing departments at NextChapter which is a cloud-based software application for attorneys to prepare, manage and file their cases online.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Embrace Equity.” What does this mean to you? How can we build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive?
As a manager, my goal is to create a safe and comfortable work environment for all employees. I am a strong advocate for equal pay behind the scenes, regardless of race or gender, until workplaces start to implement more transparent salary and benefit policies.
Do you have any mentors or role models who have helped you on your personal journey?
I have been lucky to consistently work for female leaders. Each has played an immense role in mentoring me, believing in me and supporting me to grow my role in ways that align with my personal skills.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Be your own best advocate
The past few years have brought many new and unprecedented challenges. What keeps you motivated or inspires you to stay optimistic?
My team. I work with so many kind and intelligent teammates that believe in the work they do and also allow me to build personal relationships with them. Being able to advocate for them and help them grow within their career is what keeps me motivated.
Pledge 1% helps companies of all sizes and stages leverage their assets for social good. Why do you think it’s important that companies prioritize social impact? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
NextChapter offers bankruptcy software and bankruptcy can be looked at as such a taboo subject but it’s not all negative. Monetary stressors can happen to anyone, sometimes very unexpectedly and that is a huge burden on individuals and families. To be able to offer our product pro bono to attorneys that are willing to help their clients pro bono is a win-win.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Calm. I don’t tend to overthink a ton, especially at work. And I hope that inspires my team to not hold on to common stressors.
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
Definitely more travel! I try to visit at least two countries per year that I haven’t been to before. That is something I don’t take for granted after losing the freedom to travel during the pandemic.
Originally posted on channelfutures.com
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a long-standing value at Salesforce, and they believe that businesses can be a powerful platform for change. That value doesn’t stop at their doorstep.
Beyond the tens of thousands of people Salesforce employs directly, the company has an ecosystem of more than 11,000 partners around the globe and over 200,000 credentialed experts who help their joint customers get the most out of Salesforce. And the Salesforce ecosystem is projected to grow to almost six times the size of Salesforce by 2026, creating 9.3 million jobs.
Salesforce sees ensuring that a diverse talent pool is prepared to fill these roles and start new equitable businesses in the ecosystem is an important way to grow their impact exponentially.
“We’re committed to our equality goals and working across our ecosystem with employees, partners and customers to drive progress and increase business value,” said Lori Castillo Martinez, Salesforce’s chief equality officer. Martinez is a member of Channel Futures’ 2022 DE&I 101, which recognizes individuals driving DE&I in the information and communications technology channel.
The company’s first Partner Ecosystem Equality Report showcases how far they’ve come in ushering in diverse, equitable and inclusive partner businesses in the United States. It also establishes a transparent benchmark for tracking progress toward equality in Salesforce’s Partner Ecosystem.
An Inclusive Workforce
A key strategy for promoting ecosystem equality is enabling those historically left out of the tech industry to skill up and connect with potential employers at partner companies. Salesforce has measured their progress on this front by tracking:
- Hiring through the Salesforce Talent Alliance, an initiative that connects partners with skilled candidates trained on Salesforce’s free online learning platform Trailhead, with an emphasis on inclusion. In all, Salesforce Talent Alliance has helped 22,000 individuals from all walks of life start their careers in the Salesforce ecosystem. Partners who pledged to work with Talent Alliance candidates reported that 27% of the hires in 2022 came from ethnically and/or racially underrepresented groups in technology, 38% of whom were women.
- Attendance at career fairs to look for open positions within the ecosystem. In the past year, Salesforce saw strong participation in career fairs; of these individuals, 40% were Black, 13% were LatinX, and 21% were new immigrants and refugees.
- Completion of Salesforce Fundamentals, a free three-week course that prepares job-seekers for their first roles in the ecosystem. In the past year, 55% of participants were women and 44% identified as underrepresented minorities (URMs).
- Participation in the free live learning experiences that Salesforce sponsors on Clicked, which enable people to practice their skills, build portfolios and explore career options in the ecosystem. Sixty-seven percent of those seeking jobs at partner companies through Clicked were women and nearly half were URMs.
Going forward, Salesforce will continue to drive a pipeline of diverse new talent prepared to fill in-demand roles within the ecosystem.
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.
Sam Hartsock
Co-Founder & Partner, qb. consulting.
San Francisco, CA, USA
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
Sam leads qb.’s strategy, materiality, and stakeholder engagement services, helping Fortune 500s to rapidly growing SMEs design resilient and responsible business strategies that put people first. Alongside leading client work, Sam manages qb.’s day-to-day operations and works to execute the company’s vision: to create a world where all organizations prioritize inclusive, diverse communities and invest in climate resilience, with partner in all things qb., Noemí Jiménez.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Embrace Equity.” What does this mean to you? How can we build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive?
To me ‘Embrace Equity’ means you are doing the self work. What can be overlooked is creating the conditions to have conversations with ourselves that build inner awareness of race, privilege, and power in day to day moments. You have to first supportively challenge yourself. Then you’ll be ready to show up, actively listen, and codesign equitable solutions with communities whether that’s where you live or inside the company you work for.
Do you have any mentors or role models who have helped you on your personal journey?
Yes. From day 1, my mom and gran. I am blessed to have these women by my side. They are my rock, my source of faith, my safe place, and the ones who taught me to question the status quo. Other mentors (whether they know it or not!) have been Ayesha Barenblat, Founder and CEO of Remake, Alison Taylor, Professor at NYU Stern and ED at Ethical Systems, and Sonali Arurkar, Executive and Leadership Coach. The way these women have managed teams, led organizations, advocated for change, and used their voices and power permanently shaped me.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
The one piece of advice that has never left me came from Brittany Packnett’s TedTalk. She said:
“Confidence is one of the main things missing from the equation…[It] is the necessary spark before everything that follows. Confidence is the difference between being inspired and actually getting started, between trying and doing until it’s done…[Yet], finding confidence is not a solo sport. It requires permission, community, and curiosity, and it’s something we can and must spark in each other.”
Confidence is the magic mix needed for transforming business as usual and solving our greatest social and environmental challenges.
Packnett goes on to say that when we have a world that isn’t “intimidated by confidence when it shows up as a woman or in black skin or in anything other than our preferred archetypes of leadership”, we can unlock a future where justice is real and inequity is outdated. Knowing that confidence is the missing piece and that it shouldn’t be exclusionary or privileged reminds me of the need to uplift others in everyday moments.
As managers, as leaders, as colleagues, as clients, and even as consultants, we have the opportunity to help others grow their confidence seeding future changemakers.
So I always ask: Who’s confidence I am building and does it reflect the diversity of voices needed to change our world?
You can watch Brittany Packnett’s full TedTalk here.
The past few years have brought many new and unprecedented challenges. What keeps you motivated or inspires you to stay optimistic?
The people I get to work with every day at qb. Our consultants are a diverse collective of impact and content strategists, writers, analysts and community engagement specialists who are committed to working putting people first in the work we do. They show up everyday humble and hungry. They are new moms, under grad and grad students, and career shifters and I am continuely inspired by and learn from the people I work with.
Pledge 1% helps companies of all sizes and stages leverage their assets for social good. Why do you think it’s important that companies prioritize social impact? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
My cofounder, Noemí, and I starated qb. because we saw the need for a sustainability/ESG consulting firm that truly centered the “S”. qb. was founded on the premise that diversity, equity and inclusion are good for business. That there must be more diversity in who is consulting on sustainability strategies. And we were committed to impact from day 1, donating 1% of our profits since 2017. Orignially this solely went to the Internaltional Rescue Committee but as we’ve grown we’ve gotten to diversify the organizations we donate to focusing on local community groups that advance equity and justice.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Curious
Do you have any unique or useful life hacks to help get through your day?
Yes! The Urgent vs Non Urgent + Important vs Non Important 2×2 matrix. I belive this is called the: four-quadrant “Eisenhower Decision Matrix” for importance vs. urgency. I used to start my day by drawing this matrix and filling in each box. It quickly (and visually) help me understand what required my attention and when and more importantly what I could delegate. Today, I use this more as an ongoing mindset. As an entreprenuer, you have alllll the types of asks come your way. It’s been such a helpful to clean my mind space.
Do you have any go-to apps or tools use love to use?
No. I try to keep my systems and platforms limited. People were only meant to be so efficient.
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
Personally, yes! This year I am finally getting my puppy baby a backyard. I’ll be making good on an 11-year promise. Ginger has been doing a lot of city living with me and we’re are finally moving back to the burbs. Professionally, my team spoke at GreenBiz this year about a 12-month climate justice listening tour we conducted. The engagement and the conference were both milestones for us. I’m excited to see the ripple effects of this work and turn what we heard into action as we work with the client and the local community to codesign a climate equity strategy.
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.
Dana Bryson
SVP of Social Impact, Study.com
Denver, Colorado, USA
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
Dana Bryson leads Study.com’s social impact and double bottom-line strategy, working to build new mission-aligned partnerships, and manages the company’s policy and strategic positioning.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Embrace Equity.” What does this mean to you? How can we build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive?
This year’s International Women’s Day theme of “embrace equity” is very personal to me. At the age of 15, I represented Denver as part of an official Sister Cities Delegation, as we visited our Sister-City of Nairobi, Kenya for the U.N. Conference on the Decade for Women. While in Nairobi, I attended and participated in the International Women’s Forum with my mother and brother, and volunteered my time working in the “Peace Tent” to offer feminist analyses on gender equity by Adrienne Rich and Charlotte Bunch, that my mother had published as part of a feminist press she created while also working as an attorney. I am a biracial woman of color whose parents had the first legal interracial marriage in Virginia four days after the Supreme Court struck down that state’s anti-miscegenation law in the landmark case of Loving vs. Virginia.
Embracing equity in all forms has been an integral part of my life. This mindset has followed me throughout my career, most recently in my current position as the Senior Vice President of Social Impact at Study.com, where I design and lead our work to Make Education Accessible. Having spent more than a decade in executive positions in Oakland, Washington, D.C., and Denver and having substantial education in public policy, I design and build data-driven initiatives that have a tangible and measurable impact on equity in education and student learning outcomes.
Data is still the queen and through Study.com’s programs, our team is gathering and analyzing robust data and gaining great insights about the outcomes of our collaborative interventions. I’m looking forward to evaluating it all from a quantitative point of view so we can double down and continue to improve our initiatives to help make education accessible.
While I love working to build systems and frameworks to support a more just and equitable society, my work feels the most rewarding when our program participants–real people–share the impact of our initiatives on their lives, families, and career. I call that equity in action.
For example, our Working Scholars program offers working adults the opportunity to earn a debt-free bachelor’s degree, and since its inception, over 150 students—more than half of whom identify as first-generation college students–have completed their degrees, and more than 20% report a salary increase directly related to their participation in the Working Scholars Program. One of our 2022 graduates, Tiaka Hyatt-Geter, told us that she was able to receive a fast-tracked promotion at her job that was only possible once she finished her degree. In her own words, “It’s very expensive and costly to remain in poverty. Had I not gone back to school [through Working Scholars], it would have been impossible for me to remain in the Bay Area.” These real-life stories motivate me and our team as we aim to achieve equity and unlock educational opportunities through our work.
For good or for bad, the commitment to an equitable and inclusive workplace starts at the top when a company’s leadership team values diverse perspectives in the pursuit of business goals. Organizational culture must reflect and reinforce a strong foundation of and commitment to open-mindedness and transparency across the organization in decision-making processes. This leadership ethos needs to mirror a broader culture of trust and understanding, where all employees feel heard and valued. In addition, having a leadership team comprised of people with different backgrounds and life experiences, and who trust each other and work together to create clear goals, helps to foster an environment where inclusivity and equity are prioritized.
Company leaders should seek out diverse perspectives from employees at all levels and assure them so that they can feel comfortable sharing their experiences and ideas. I firmly believe that authority should be pushed down in an organization, allowing all employees to provide input and play a more active role in shaping the company’s culture, direction, and results.
Do you have any mentors or role models who have helped you on your personal journey?
Robert Bobb has been a significant mentor and role model in both my professional and personal journey. As the longest-lasting Black city manager in the country, Robert has extensive experience in municipal government, serving the cities of Oakland and Washington D.C. I had the honor of serving with him in Oakland, California and also was his Chief of Staff when he was city manager of Washington D.C. The impact of his mentorship on my career continues today as I work to lead from my values, question decision making, and keep the voiceless in mind when I choose what to speak out about. Although we don’t work together on a professional basis currently, I still carry his words of wisdom and leadership advice with me every day. His advice to “hire good people and get out of their way” is one piece of wisdom that has stayed with me as I’ve grown and built teams over the years.
As a City Manager, Robert held his colleagues to the highest standards, expecting and insisting on excellence, but not perfection. He understood mistakes would be made along the way, but he empowered us to strive for quality and thoughtfulness of the work we delivered. He has also consistently demonstrated courage as a leader as he spoke truth to power on countless occasions, knowing that there may be backlash. Robert taught me that it’s okay to make unpopular decisions when you are staying true to your beliefs as a leader.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Dr. Camille Cates Barnett, another career mentor who served as the city manager of Austin, Houston, Dallas, Philly and Washington, D.C. once advised me to “Shut up and quit it.” The “shut up” half of the phrase reminds us to choose what to share and with whom and not to shop around for validation of your decision once it is made. And to successfully “quit it,” we must silence the voices in our heads that tell us that we’re not good enough or don’t deserve to be where we are.
Sharing information with others is a way to democratize power, but it is different than oversharing, which fails to respect boundaries and can even result in your information being used against you. The key is to stop doubting yourself and trust in the abilities you have.
The past few years have brought many new and unprecedented challenges. What keeps you motivated or inspires you to stay optimistic?
My family, breathing, and Earth itself are my sources of optimism despite the challenges that persist in our world. I know firsthand the absolute joy of motherhood, and being a mother is just divine. My parents’ activism has made them role models for me in both my career and personal endeavors as I work to bring people together in a more just world. As a 25-year practitioner of yoga, I experience firsthand how the simple act of breathing relieves chronic or acute stress. Mother Earth is screaming, and I hear her call. She calls me to the mountains and to continue my 25+ year work as an urban farmer and advocate, and to continue my work toward environmental justice and a healthy planet.
In the almost three decades I have spent working to make this a better world–as an advocate, activist, founder, funder, board chair, advisor, and executive leader–I have extreme professional curiosity in challenging companies and brands to scale their impact and to lead from their values. In these challenging times, Pledge 1% is in a unique position to educate, advocate and convene, and push companies of all sizes and stages to leverage their assets for social good.
Pledge 1% helps companies of all sizes and stages leverage their assets for social good. Why do you think it’s important that companies prioritize social impact? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
As the Senior Vice President of Social Impact at Study.com, I lead the company’s efforts to Make Education Accessible with its “double-bottom line” strategy, by building partnerships with others who are aligned with our mission. Study.com has donated $27 million through two national education initiatives, l) Working Scholars program, which offers working adults the opportunity to earn a debt-free bachelor’s degree, and 2) Keys to the Classroom, which aims to accelerate pathways to certification for educators by helping them prepare for and pass their teacher certification exams.
Did you know that a major barrier for aspiring teachers is passing their teacher certification tests, a problem that is exacerbated among teacher candidates of color? Nationally, fifty percent of teacher cadets fail the Praxis exam on the first try, and a quarter never pass. These pass rates disproportionately affect people of color–38% of Black students never pass the exam. In response to ongoing teacher staffing issues exacerbated during the pandemic—ranging from classroom vacancies to the lack of educator diversity–we launched Keys to the Classroom in late 2021 to diversify the teacher workforce and accelerate educator pathways by providing free teacher certification test prep support to aspiring teachers. Since its launch, the program has expanded into 20 states and has thousands of participants enrolled, half of whom identify as people of color and 60% of whom identify as 1st generation college graduates.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
It’s technically two words: “radical kindness.” The principles of yoga have guided me in understanding who I am, who I want to be for others, and how I can best serve as a leader. Radical kindness is one value that I’ve deeply integrated into my psyche, and I bring this mindset into the workplace every day. My goal as a manager and an executive, and as a human, is to lead consciously and with compassion in every interaction.
Do you have any unique or useful life hacks to help get through your day?
Say a blessing every morning before your feet touch the ground. Write your ideas with markers on massive sheets of paper. Always start with a clean sheet and use colors. Observe what you see, then draw the connections and watch what appears. Notice when you need to find 10 minutes to sit in silence, then do it and watch your productivity and focus skyrocket.
Do you have any go-to apps or tools use love to use?
As a parent of a 10 and 12-year-old, I love using apps and tools that make it easier to understand what’s happening in children’s worlds. I have several education/school-related apps on my phone, and my favorites are those that help streamline communication and save time. In addition, my plant identifier, garden shovel, and handheld lemon juicer are my go-to tools for my garden and home.
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
For six years I have been a Board Chair of World Child Cancer USA, and I am proud of our work in low- and middle-income countries and of the 8,000 children we treated last year in thirteen countries. In 2021 we met with the Secretary General of the World Health Organization and urged the WHO to create a new global goal for survival rates for pediatric cancer — 60% by 2030, which is more than double the current global cure rate.
As a board member of Conservation Colorado, I work to support candidates and policies that protect the Earth and her natural resources, and I am inspired by our 10-year-old daughter’s leadership on these issues in our community.
Finally, as an Urban Farmer and the Chair of the National Advisory Board of Denver Urban Gardens, I am working with the leading doctors, researchers, advocates and organizers to grow food and grow community, at scale.
On a recent birthday, I committed that I would take one nature vacation every year with a close group of female friends, and this year we are off for a 10-day hike and soak in Iceland.
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.
Florencia Cattelani
COO, CloudGaia
Martínez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
The COO is a manager with broad responsibilities that range from managing day-to-day operations to providing strategic advice. They oversee daily administrative and operational functions, reporting directly to the CEO and being second only to this person for company affairs.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Embrace Equity.” What does this mean to you? How can we build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive?
It’s a fact that diverse teams give better results. In my opinion, the first thing we should do is to start being conscious of our bias. And second, reach out to minorities, understand different cultures and which things we should do differently. Mix teams, try to build some in company spaces (i.g. internal projects) where we define mixed teams (from different areas, backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, gender). Include in the holiday calendars holidays from different religions.
Do you have any mentors or role models who have helped you on your personal journey?
Liz Wiseman
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
“Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”
The past few years have brought many new and unprecedented challenges. What keeps you motivated or inspires you to stay optimistic?
Every challenge is an opportunity to learn something new, to explore different ways of doing things, to probe yourself that you can adapt. My purpose in life is to never stop learning. I feel alive when I have new stuff to learn.
Pledge 1% helps companies of all sizes and stages leverage their assets for social good. Why do you think it’s important that companies prioritize social impact? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
Companies are a big change engine. We have the power to change people’s life and we need to use this power in an intelligent way. I had the chance to support students during the pandemic. You can see more details here.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Resilient
Do you have any unique or useful life hacks to help get through your day?
I give prizes to myself when I accomplished my tasks. For example, I’m a huge fan of Diet Coke. If I have to finish a presentation, I motivate myself by saying “when you finish, you’ll be rewarded with a huge glass of Diet Coke”.
Do you have any go-to apps or tools use love to use?
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
I’m in the process of moving abroad while raising a toddler and working as a COO. My goal is to survive
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.
Paulwyn Devasundaram
Founder, Medoo
Sydney, NSW, Australia
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
Founder of Medoo. We’re an early stage startup building software to support coaches (and managers, therapists or anyone who takes on a coaching role) accelerate the growth process for their clients and help them reach new heights of inner development.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Embrace Equity.” What does this mean to you? How can we build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive?
Embracing Equity to me means putting the humans (staff & customers) above all else. I truly believe that doing so will create the space for the business to thrive.
Embracing Equity to me also means taking the long term view, and consistently making progress towards creating workplaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging. This means being intentional about the kind of workplace culture we want to create, being intentional about modelling the behaviours that cascade down from leadership, and being intentional about the incentives for career progress.
None of this is easy, it takes time and consistent effort. But these consistent efforts will compound over time!
Do you have any mentors or role models who have helped you on your personal journey?
– Anu Bharadwaj, President of Atlassian
– Emma Jones, Founder of Project F
– Brendan Humphreys, Head of Engineering at Canva
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
“Be brave and courageous, because all you have is now” – Ronni Kahn
The past few years have brought many new and unprecedented challenges. What keeps you motivated or inspires you to stay optimistic?
I love what we are building at Medoo, and it’s easy for me to stay motivated because I am passionate about what we are building.
This is not to say that I’m doing this all on my own: I have an incredible amount of support from friends, family, old and new colleagues, to name a few. They have given me their time, expertise and support, often for free, because they believe in what we are building.
Pledge 1% helps companies of all sizes and stages leverage their assets for social good. Why do you think it’s important that companies prioritize social impact? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
We’re a pre-revenue startup at the moment, so we pledged 1% of our time. Last year, we did a cleanup dive in Sydney as part of our 1% activity. It opened our eyes to the sheer volume of pollution in our oceans, and it was heartbreaking to see the impact that it has on our beautiful marine life.
While this one dive may not make the biggest difference, we believe that every little bit matters. And we’re ever more motivated to increase our impact work, as we scale up our business. Imagine what we could do if every business contributed in some way! This is why I love Pledge 1%.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
I’m going to break the rule and use two words ‘Blue Flame’: A flame that burns hot and bright, and yet is cool and soothing at the same time.
I think this captures the feeling that I try to create within my inner self, and what we hope people can create for themselves with Medoo.
Do you have any unique or useful life hacks to help get through your day?
Life hacks’ implies to me that there is some little trick or small thing that unlocks a magical level of productivity or success.
I don’t think life works this way, and the reality is pretty simple: consistent effort gets rewarded. Humans are terrible at being consistent, so a person who shows up every single day, and makes progress will create a compounding effect that gets rewarded over time.
Do you have any go-to apps or tools use love to use?
Medoo
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
We’re launching Medoo to the public very soon! And we’re planning to apply to YC this year.
Originally posted on Watershed.com
New Relic’s journey to net-zero in less than two years
New Relic‘s mission is to empower the world’s engineers with a data-driven approach to creating great software so they can build better digital experiences. New Relic serves tens of thousands of engaged customers and is the most widely used observability platform in the world. The company was founded in 2008, went public in 2014, and now has 2,300+ employees across the globe.
Last week, New Relic announced a net zero 2030 goal and publicly committed to set a near-term Science-Based Target. But two years ago, New Relic was just at the beginning of their climate journey.
Expanding climate knowledge
When New Relic was first building out its ESG portfolio, understanding its carbon footprint was a top priority at the Board and executive level. There was mounting interest from stakeholders, investors and employees to understand their emissions, but nobody had the direct experience to tackle the problem. New Relic identified an internal lead and kicked off the hunt for a partner to help fast track a data-driven climate plan.
“We knew that the end game was to build a climate strategy, but we couldn’t build a climate strategy without knowing our impacts.”
– Simone Wren, Director, Business Operations + Environmental, Social, Governance Practice
Finding the right data-driven partner
New Relic knew that measuring its carbon footprint would be critical to any future action, and wanted to be hands-on in its approach. As a data company itself, New Relic was attracted to a platform that provided access to dashboards and insights about its emissions over the course of the year versus a one-time annual snapshot. “Watershed gives us a view into our footprint data so we can understand and investigate all year long, and continue to make progress on it,” says Simone. “Repeatedly hiring consultants each year to conduct long and intense measurements wasn’t as appealing.”
Erin Dieterich, New Relic’s Senior Director, Social Impact and ESG, says that “measuring our footprint using Watershed was as easy as promised.” But while having an accurate baseline footprint is essential for setting and making progress on goals, the pandemic made it challenging to make assumptions about what a “normal” baseline would be. With Watershed, New Relic was able to retroactively benchmark three years of emissions data so it could understand historical changes as it reported emissions data for the first time.
“Having multiple years of data helped us bring more granular insights into building out our climate goals. Now we can say: okay, travel last year was a little abnormal because of the pandemic so that’s not a great baseline for us, but let’s look at the year before.”
– Erin Dieterich, Senior Director, Social Impact and ESG
Numbers leaders can count on
With years of footprint data on hand and guidance from Watershed’s team of experts, New Relic felt prepared to create a longer-term strategy. “Our overall footprint helped us determine what our strategy would be,” says Simone. “Knowing the numbers for each subcategory for our emissions helped us focus our energy in places where it will count. For example, we’re prioritizing emissions from our supply chain and thinking less about employee commuting since our employees are mostly remote.”
New Relic’s C-suite can use Watershed to ensure the company is driving towards real climate impact. Erin reflects, “Before, it was easy to get stuck in a loop of hypothetical situations about our company’s growth and how that might impact targets.” Now, they can make those decisions using real data.
“Watershed’s Reductions Module showed us our projected emissions and planned reductions, alongside our forecasted business growth and a forecast of carbon credit prices. Armed with this concrete data, our C-suite leaders were able to align on our net zero by 2030 plan.”
– Erin Dieterich, Senior Director, Social Impact and ESG
Setting an example for peer action
Just as New Relic determined its supply chain should be a key area of climate focus, the team is seeing this same focus from potential customers. “RFPs used to ask you to check a box if you have a climate program or not,” says Erin. “Now, more and more, we are being asked for more comprehensive information related to our footprint and plan for reduction.” With a climate plan now in place, New Relic is well-positioned to win more business.
New Relic’s team is approaching the future with excitement, and an eagerness to develop in-house expertise that it can use to spur climate action in other companies. “Our Watershed team understands climate science, follows trends, and points us to research that helps us make decisions based on our unique business,” Erin shares. “While we’re just at the beginning, our team is very committed to this learning journey where we’re getting smarter each year and paying it forward.”
“Wrapping your head around climate doesn’t need to be an overwhelming, years-long process. Our example demonstrates that in less than two years you can have data-driven targets and start taking action. Climate change is too critical for us to not each consider how we push change forward for each of our organizations. Incremental efforts based on data are a great first step for any company to take. ”
– Erin Dieterich, Senior Director, Social Impact and ESG
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.
Lori Appleman
Founder, Redline Minds, LLC.
Knoxville, TN
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
I am still very customer-facing as I also plan out all strategy and am a social media influencer for ecommerce.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Embrace Equity.” What does this mean to you? How can we build workplaces that are more equitable and inclusive?
Embrace Equity simply means all people have equal opportunity for any company role and to be compensated equally based on qualifications and the role. I think that I have done a great job and my inclusive team is extremely diverse. I seek out qualified individuals directly from a diverse pool which works better for me than a job post and will interview/test all. Then the best person gets the job.
Do you have any mentors or role models who have helped you on your personal journey?
My dad (now gone)
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
My dad once told me a story about someone he was interviewing answered the “where do you see yourself in five years” question with “in your job.” Instead of sending the applicant away, he said “well then, let’s map out what you need to do to get here.” He turned out to be a fabulous hire and spoke at my dad’s funeral 20 years later how my dad really helped his career. I’m not afraid of hiring someone who “wants my job.” They will have to learn a lot and show off their leadership skills along the way. That makes for a great hire.
The past few years have brought many new and unprecedented challenges. What keeps you motivated or inspires you to stay optimistic?
Admittedly, some days it is hard. When I’m challenged to continue forward I remember that as an employer, I “feed” far more than myself and my dogs. Everyone who works on me is counting on their job to feed their household. This reminds me that my role as a leader extends to taking care of my team. When I see early career people bloom, this is incredibly rewarding.
Pledge 1% helps companies of all sizes and stages leverage their assets for social good. Why do you think it’s important that companies prioritize social impact? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
The easy answer is that we’re all part of society and should absolutely leave a positive impact. The more thorough answer is that assisting others with reaching their goals brings up the quality of life for the entire community one person at a time. As an example, I dedicate many hours each month helping small store owners grow their business. I do this via a few mediums, primarily Facebook groups, a large meetup for ecommerce that I own, and other events, podcasts, etc. The majority of people who benefit from this assistance can’t afford help of our caliber. I really enjoy watching them succeed whether or not they ever become a paying client.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Empathetic. I really care how others feel and try hard to consider that before I think or act.
Do you have any unique or useful life hacks to help get through your day?
Don’t laugh, but my corgi insists on greeting everyone for every Zoom. I let her up on my lap for a few seconds. It makes people smile, lightens the mood and has become a trademark for us. I love that I’m connecting physically with another living creature over the course of my work day which is otherwise spent alone.
Do you have any go-to apps or tools use love to use?
Clickup runs our business and I love that it pretty much does everything.
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
I’m looking forward to growing our revenue past the current plateau and doing more traveling. On my list was to win at least one decent design award for our firm. We just hit that last week!