Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Holly Copeland, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability & Impact at Horizon Therapeutics.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
My role involves creating, building and executing our CSR, Sustainability & Impact strategy while also managing the philanthropic portfolio of the company.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
To be intentional and authentic when connecting with others, regardless of their position or status.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
Effectively communicating the value of impact work relative to the business and bottom line.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
Yes. Mentorship involves having someone in your life that has your best interests in mind and can help guide you with sound advice through a particular situation or time in your life.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Take as many 1:1 introductory meetings as possible. Buy them a coffee and ask great questions. Listen. Take notes. You can learn something from every encounter, even the bad ones.
Cultivate the good ones over time. Before you know it, you’ll have a solid network that you can leverage when needed.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment?
Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo.
What is something coming up that excites you?
The 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment!
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Erin Michelson, Founder & CEO, Summery.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
As a sole, female founder, I oversee every aspect of our business—product development & delivery, sales, marketing, & customer success, operations. Of course, I’m simply the point person representing the hard work and dedication of our amazing team at Summery. We’ve been able to build and expand so quickly because of our culture of shared values that enables us to operate at the highest level.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
My best decision was to truly believe that we could help individuals be more personally and professionally fulfilled by providing the tools to measure, assess, and activate individual values. By taking this risk and recruiting an incredible team of behavioral, cognitive and data scientists, we are now working with startups and Fortune 500 companies like Salesforce, global foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and higher education organizations around the world.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
There are countless studies showing that despite out-performance, women business owners only receive about 2% of all venture capital.
In our case, this lack of available funding translated into a determination to prove product-market fit and an early focus on generating revenue. Not taking capital early on turned out to be the best way to prove our model and grow our client base.
When did your company join Pledge 1%? How long have you been working on your impact program?
Summery joined Pledge 1% within months of launching because the framework—donating 1% of our time-product-profit—is so easy to implement and aligned with our mission. The primary way we meet our commitment is to open our flagship product to the public: The Kind Quiz, which enables individuals to better understand and activate their social impact values. Upon completing the 5-minute quiz, you receive a 3-page Kind profile and are matched with like-minded celebrities. Summery then makes a donation to a nonprofit organization that reflects your collective values.
What is something coming up that excites you?
We are launching The Kind CoLab, a global community designed to engage, educate, and empower individuals who seek to discover and activate our unique kindness through curated content, activities & events. Join the fun at www.summery.ai.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Lauren Duffield, Strategic Partnerships & CSR at xocial.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
I am the CSR leader at xocial, and spend my days forming strategic partnerships for world-changing campaigns!
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Attending Tony Robbins Business Mastery!
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
Being told to take the emotion out of it.
Emotion and empathy is our competitive advantage as women!
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
Yes. I have had 2 mentors in the past and continue to keep in touch with them both. Mentorship has been, and always will be, a major part of my career. I love learning from people have already experienced what I am going through. I also follow Tony Robbins and Rachel Hollis closely. They will always be my digital mentors.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
This statement is becoming cliche for a reason; fail to learn. Just do it. You can only plan so much. A-B test. There is no one way of doing anything!
What woman inspires you the most? Why?
Rachel Hollis. She is the most authentic, public facing female leader I know. She built her business from the ground up and was an average Jane. One of my favorite quotes of hers is, “Don’t play small to make others feel comfortable.”
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
I am currently listening to Dean Graziosi’s Millionaire Success Habits.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Neha Sampat, Founder and CEO at Contentstack.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
The main focus of my role as CEO is to represent the company and our interests, facilitate sustainable growth and unblock things to help my team and organization move the ball forward towards our vision and mission.
Vision: Our vision is to pursue equality and use technology to break down barriers for better human connection.
Mission: Our mission is to make Contentstack indispensable for organizations to tell their stories and to connect with the people they care about through inspiring, modern experiences.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Hire smart people who give a damn, and learn from them everyday.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
I thought it would be appropriate to call out a few key challenges that women CEOs in tech often face.
- Access to funds: For example, males are 63% more likely to raise capital than women, with all other things equal. Research also shows that 95% of venture deals and dollars are going to companies without a single woman in the top management suite.
- Subconscious bias: We live in a society that has been trained subconsciously to think about the capabilities of men and women differently. There are organizations making real change and taking action by analyzing and correcting salary inequities or removing names from resumes to prevent gender bias in screenings. With awareness, this is slowly changing but there’s more work to be done.
- Uneven playing field: According to Center for American Progress, women hold almost 52% of all management and professional-level jobs, yet they lag substantially behind men in terms of their representation in leadership positions. I strive to help the technology industry overall become a more level playing field. There are organizations like the Girl Scouts that help to train girls into leaders, and organizations like Springboard that turn women into incredible CEOs.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
I’m fortunate to have great mentors throughout my career, including many of the women of Springboard, an organization that supports entrepreneurial companies led by women.
Mentorship is about taking what you have learned and paying it forward. I try to pay it forward by helping budding female entrepreneurs get to the next level in their businesses. I help guide entrepreneurs with investor decks, customer relations programs, customer growth, hiring strategies, and more.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
The best life advice I’ve ever received came from an entrepreneur I truly admire. I only wish it had sunk in even earlier in my career. This individual has impacted his entire community and literally millions of people with his work. He once said, “Don’t think about what you can get from someone or something. Think about what you can give.”
He gave several examples of how he has given back selflessly and relentlessly in his world. This mentality has shaped how I think about building my career, my companies, my home and all of my relationships. It has not only made me a better entrepreneur, but a better citizen of the world.
What woman inspires you the most? Why?
None other than the Notorious R.B.G. Ruth Bader Ginsburg dedicated her life to fighting for women’s rights, LGBT and racial equality. Her role as a justice in the Supreme Court has shaped history and she will always be known as a woman who beat the odds to make her mark. Regardless of her health and personal struggles, she shows up and continues to be a force to be reckoned with — and in my opinion — one of the most admirable people alive today.
When did your company join Pledge 1%? How long have you been working on your impact program?
We took the Pledge in 2018. Our impact program has taken several forms since we started our series of companies, most regularly in the community in India where our engineering office sits.
Today, we are focused on COVID-19 relief for that region in India, supporting a local trust that has committed to feeding over one million people in this region. The Trust is also committed to providing PPE and additional facilities for overrun health institutions for the isolation and care of COVID-19 patients.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
I’m currently reading Shoe Dog a memoir by Nike co-founder Phil Knight. The book chronicles the history of Nike from its early struggles to its evolution into one of the world’s most recognized and profitable companies.
I’m also watching various Masterclass lessons these days and am especially loving the authentic tutorials from some of the most talented chefs in the world!
What’s something coming up that excites you?
Besides pandemic relief and the ability to start interacting with people again, I am looking forward to launching my new project, Dreammakers.
This podcast will feature interviews with change-makers, visionaries and interesting people who happen to enjoy drinking wine together. In addition to conversations with inspiring people, the podcast aims to broadcast unique dreams of individuals around the world and potentially connect them with someone who can help make that dream come true. The combination of #Dreammakers and #MakeItHappen will be used to share these dreams in the Dreammaker community.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Kimberly Georgeton, Managing Director of Digital at Simplus.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
I am in charge of developing and growing the digital commerce and marketing capabilities for Simplus.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Staying true to my beliefs and convictions.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
Being taken seriously.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
Yes, I have had multiple mentors over the years– some formal and some informal. Most of them were previous female managers who understood our plight. Mentorship is modeling the way and providing a sounding board and feedback loop to whatever you’re facing in your career and life.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Be who you are, but also be open to new ideas.
What women inspires you the most? Why?
My mother. She was strong of conviction, even in the face of adversity and challenge. She had a quiet strength that permeated and always counted on her faith to lead her.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment?
Educated by Tara Westover and The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile.
What is something coming up that excites you?
Taking my daughter on a trip to Paris; and, of course, any other new and exciting partnerships and opportunities for my team to learn and be engaged!
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Amy Jackson, SVP Sales at 97th Floor.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
My main role is to drive new business growth by leading a team of reps that source, research, pitch, and close deals. In addition to new business growth, I have a responsibility to work with fulfillment to expand growth within existing accounts. I am on the executive team and drive strategic initiatives for the company at large.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Leaning into accountability. Even when there isn’t accountability, I create a system and way to measure my progress and value.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
As a woman entering new situations with new people, it is easy to be under-minded. Establishing a strong, valuable position in an elegant way is something I’ve mindful of and have refined over the years.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
I do not have a dedicated mentor, however there have been several individuals whom have impacted me greatly and whom I look up to. I have tried to acknowledge and develop their gems and nuggets of wisdom I’ve picked up along the way.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Your voice is needed. Don’t shy away from sharing your opinions. In doing so, leverage your critical thinking away from being a critic and channel it into collaboration.
What women inspires you the most? Why?
My grandmother. She commands in the most gentle, elegant way. She is firm, yet kind. When she speaks, people listen. She changes perceptions and minds without people even realizing it, and she draws the very best out of people. As a 94 year old woman, she still seeks improvement and learning and participates in distance learning college courses.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment?
I am currently finishing Essentialism which rings true in so many ways. Especially as being a single mother who is committed to being the best mother I can be, as well as being an executive in work, and serving as President of a women’s charitable and welfare chapter there are a lot of things competing for my time. Essentialism is causing me to conduct a self-audit of what’s truly important and my priorities. After Essentialism, I want to focus on fiction books for the remainder of the year. A book that can entertain and enlighten me is incredibly valuable.
There are a number of podcasts I work through each week. I have really been enjoying Robin Hood’s Snacks podcast. Not just because of the content (there are others I like better for content). It is the overall podcast itself. They produce it so well, with great energy, personalities, succinct content that keeps me very aware.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Angela Bee Chan, Eco-Innovation Leader at Schneider Electric. I am also the CEO and founder of Hackathons International.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
My role is to foster a culture of innovation that is sustainable and drives growth. I hope to inspire an entrepreneurial mindset and help connect the dots to make a positive impact on the world.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Running a hackathon at Schneider Electric!
It’s not easy to merge two passions together but the hackathon gave me an opportunity to showcase my other world, enabling me to create my own role at Schneider Electric. Now I can do both at once which has opened many more doors!
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
I believe everyone has unique skills that should be recognized and developed. Confidence is a trait I’ve needed to develop over time. I’ve had great colleagues, mentors and friends who have continuously given me feedback and helped me develop in this area. I think many people struggle with this in general!
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t know something, ask for a clarification. If you don’t have a mentor, ask someone to be your mentor. If you don’t have a strong network, ask for a referral. If you don’t have a strong support network, ask people to be your accountability partners. You’ll be surprised by how generous people are!
What women inspires you the most? Why?
Emma Watson. She is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in and uses her influence to give back to the community. Michelle Obama is also a great role model. She is vulnerable, honest and prioritizes family, friendships and children’s health.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment?
The women of Schneider Electric have put together a book club on Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead. There are exercises online so we are going through that monthly.
What is something coming up that excites you?
I’m just excited about changing the world! I’m really getting into clean, renewable energy and making it sustainable for people, communities and the planet.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Jaime Brown, Client Success Manager at Appluent.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
As the Client Success Manager, I oversee operations and ensure we are delivering quality and successful projects for our clients.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
The extra homework to learn the necessary skills. To grow, I needed to work to expand my knowledge.
I took the time to work on my weaknesses and improve. Once I was able to be confident myself, I could help my team grow and get to where they wanted to be.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
As a woman in the tech industry, you sometimes need to prove your abilities before others will trust you can get the job done. Unfortunately, many people don’t just take your word for it.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Speak up and set goals for yourself. The tech industry is very large and there is plenty of room for growth. You will not excel by sitting in a room and not providing value. If you participate and show your value, you will be appreciated, recognized and ultimately end up where you belong.
What women inspires you the most? Why?
My mom has always been a great influence in my life. She is hard working and always pushes herself to do better. She was a great example as a child, and now as an adult. She helps me strive to do my best and always look to where I can improve, whether it is personal growth or career growth.
What is something coming up that excites you?
My family vacation to Disney. I love going to Disney and experiencing it with my nieces. Seeing their excitement makes the experience even more fun.
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Jenny Chung, Head of Distribution at Humanitix.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
As one of the generalists at Humanitix, my role is primarily focused on sales and business development. However, as Humanitix is experiencing exponential growth, many generalists in the team also tackle a bunch of other duties. For me, this includes marketing, account management and operations.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Taking a step back from the expected career trajectory to evaluate a handful of things.
- What I want from my career from a holistic perspective (passion, growth & development, use of my skill set, contribution to the world, etc.)
- What I am motivated by in my professional life.
- Working out how to fulfill these two criteria (narrowing down industries to enter, leveraging networks for introductions etc.).
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
Being taken as seriously as my male counterparts.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
I look up to, and work closely with, our co-founders as well as the rest of the Humanitix team. I’d love to be mentored by a more experienced woman of color in the tech & events industry to learn from their insights and advice.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Be intentional about the roles you take on, but remember that your current or next job is not the be-all end-all.
Every step in your career is an opportunity to improve your skills and explore what you’re good at, what motivates you and what is valuable to you in a professional, and even personal, sense.
What women inspires you the most? Why?
My mother. She has made huge sacrifices to put me first in every aspect of her life, including moving to a new country for my education and growth. I wouldn’t be who I am and where I am in my life without her.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
Dissect hosted by Cole Cuchna is an amazing podcast that delves into one hip hop album per season, Analyzing it song by song and lyric by lyric. The episodes provide an amazing insight into an artist’s process of building a concept album. It’s a dazzling peek into the amount of hard work, creativity and discipline that goes into song writing and production. Listening to it has made me appreciate albums both familiar and new a lot more by elevating my theoretical and emotional understanding of the music.
What is something coming up that excites you?
At the time of writing, Humanitix just pushed to production the key changes needed to launch our platform internationally! It’s a big step in the direction of globalization.
I can’t wait to see Humanitix launch outside the Australia/Asian market. With continued growth, we can start tapping into the global multi-billion dollar industry and redirect an exponential amount towards social impact. As we grow, we will be closer to achieving our mission of closing the education gap. Education is at the root of a lot of inequality and poverty in the world. It’s mind-boggling to imagine the potential impact we will be able to generate as Humanitix expands.