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?

Shanee Ben-Zur. I am the head of marketing, media, & growth, at Crunchbase.

Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.

I lead the teams that shape the Crunchbase brand, market our products, generate demand and create ongoing relationships with our users.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?

The best decision I made was to start speaking up. I gave myself guidelines.

If I understand the goals of a project, if I am approaching it with a curious mind, if I have suggestions for what we can do, and more importantly, if I have the ability to help bring those suggestions to life, I’m going to speak up.

That has helped me enormously. It’s gotten me on projects and teams that I wasn’t necessarily connected to because I spoke up and volunteered my support. In my current role, I work with my team to help foster that spirit of speaking up, questioning the status quo and always seeking improvement. As a leader, those diverse perspectives are crucial to finding great solutions and uncovering gaps before it’s too late.

What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?

Leaders and managers who don’t know how to help outspoken women be successful. It’s an endemic issue. If you are a strong, outspoken woman, you will be told that you have to change. Conversely, if you are a strong, outspoken male (especially in a leadership position), the people around you will be told they need to flex to the leader’s style.

Do have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?

I have had many mentors over the years. Some bosses, some friends, some co-workers and some direct reports. Mentorship is essentially the act of helping one person identify the best path to get to their goals. I typically identify a strength area that a mentor has that I’m interested in growing in. I will then work with them to learn more about how they developed their skills, or get advice from them on how I can make that strength more integral to the way I work.

I am typically drawn to mentors who able to maintain a sense of calm, positivity and warmth through all their work, especially the hard times. It’s a very unique skill to be able to always put the whole over the individual, especially in times of stress. I also look for mentors who can help me identify strengths that I didn’t know I had and foster them. Additionally, I like to find ways to avoid being overly self critical of areas I’m still working on.

What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?

I think the common trap is to immediately ask, “how do I climb the corporate ladder?”. The problem with that is that it blinds you from asking the more important question, “which ladder do you want to climb?”. It’s important to spend your early days as a professional learning about what different jobs in your space entail and trying your hand at them to see where you find the most passion and excitement.

You’ll need to find something you’re passionate about for the days when your job is hard. And there will be days, many days. That passion will also fuel you to ask for what you deserve as you gain expertise in your field, so you can also have support to move up the corporate ladder. It’s important to come in with an open mind and an eagerness to help solve problems so that you have the chance to learn.

What woman inspires you the most? Why?

Three way tie. My grandmother who survived Auschwitz and emerged as fiery and no-bullshit as you can be. The strength and fortitude to go through the worst of humanity and emerge someone who has humor, love and more than her fair share of sass was an inspiration.

The second is my mother. She always, always told me to demand what I deserve. From being a little kid and forcing me to talk to the server at a restaurant to ask for what I want, to being an adult in the work place and always asking, “are they recognizing my contributions?”.

Last, but certainly not least, my older sister. My sister has worked in heavily male dominated fields her whole career, working her way up from staff engineer, to leading business units and now as a corporate VP at Microsoft. She is strong, doesn’t make apologies for who she is and isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers in pursuit of the greater good. And she does it all while looking for opportunities to bring others up with her.

Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!

I get a lot of value from The Daily podcast – they always find a way to identify the human interest angle of any topic. The second podcast I enjoy is Without Fail, which talks to people who started something and typically had a big fail before getting to their ultimate destination. This really resonates for me because I think we all need to do more to open up and share our failures and how they were actually launchpads to success.

What’s something coming up that excites you?

Crunchbase’s mission is to democratize access to opportunity. One of the ways we do that is by shining a light on inequities in the private company landscape, through research we conduct and editorial stories we share.

We’ll be releasing a report detailing the last decade of investments in female founders in anticipation of International Women’s Day. I’m excited to see how the findings resonate with people in our industry, with media and with female founders who are trying to bring their ideas to market. I believe that the first step to addressing issues is acknowledging their existence. This is one way we’re trying to bring the differences in opportunities to the front of people’s minds.

Originally posted: March 4, 2020

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?

Diz Petit, Head of Civic Labs.

Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.

I focus on continual integration of our core Civic Labs mission into our company DNA and the growth of our three pillars: Fostering Community Engagement, Promoting Food Security, and Advancing Diverse-Owned Businesses.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?

Staying true to what I am passionate about.

When I started at Postmates I became known as “the person who cared about stuff” just through my interactions with other people. When it came time to start a social impact team, it was a no brainer that we had the right folks to build it.

What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?

Equity.

When did your company join Pledge 1%? How long have you been working on your impact program?

2017! We started our program by building our program in conjunction with support from Pledge 1%. We wouldn’t be where we are today without it.

Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries.

Originally posted: March 3, 2020

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?

Kelsey Fromal, Global Community Engagement Program Manager at Civic Labs.

Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.

Civic Labs’ mission is to positively impact our neighborhoods through community engagement and innovative technology solutions to combat complex, pervasive issues. As Global Community Engagement Program Manager, I support all efforts around us engaging with our local neighborhoods nationwide through our employee volunteer program.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?

The best decision I made was to switch from being in pediatric healthcare to social impact. Prior to joining Postmates, I was working in a children’s hospital as a Certified Child Life Specialist and suffering from burnout. I thankfully recognized the symptoms and chose to pursue a different path that still allowed me to make positive changes and serve those in my community.

Do have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?

Diz Petit, my manager, is absolutely my biggest mentor. She has shown me the ropes of what it means to be a strong woman in both the social impact sector as well as the working sector at large.

What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?

My biggest piece of advice would be to follow your passions. Also, to recognize when your passions change and how that may alter your career trajectory.

I thought I was going to be a Child Life Specialist for the rest of my life and that is what it looked like to help people and have a positive impact. I was willing to understand how helping others can be just as meaningful in other ways, which allowed me to change into a career path with more upward mobility and the ability to make an even larger impact.

What woman inspires you the most? Why?

Greta Thunberg is truly an inspiration. She is creating global positive change and doing so at such a young age. It is truly remarkable to see the next generation finding their voice and striving to make good impacts in this world. We could all be more like Greta. It’s never too late to speak up for what you believe in (and never too early!).

When did your company join Pledge 1%? How long have you been working on your impact program?

Postmates joined Pledge 1% back in 2017 and it was the best decision we ever made! It helped us form our social impact program into what it is today.

Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!

I just finished reading the Crazy Rich Asian trilogy (better late than never) and really enjoyed it. Now I have to watch the movie!

What’s something coming up that excites you?

My Alaskan cruise that I have planned this summer! Work life balance is so important and it’s amazing to have something to look forward to.

Originally posted: March 3, 2020

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?

Claudia Reuter. I am the General Manager of Americas East at Techstars, an author, podcaster and board director.

Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.

I’m currently a General Manager for Techstars Accelerators on the East Coast. I also recently had my first book published which is called, Yes, You Can Do This! How Women Start up, Scale Up and Build the Life They Want (Wiley 2020). I also serve on the Board of Directors for Lessonly, and as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Innovation Leader. I launched my podcast, The43Percent, in 2019.

How long have you been in your current position?

I joined Techstars just over 2 years ago as a Managing Director, making investments in startups. I was recently asked to take on the GM role at the end of 2019. I have been on the Board of Directors at Lessonly for over 2 years as well. Prior to Techstars, I was SVP of Digital Services & Labs for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and co-founder of CEO of SchoolChapters. I’ve been working on the book for quite a while and finished the manuscript ahead of publication in late 2019.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?

I learned a long time ago that careers are often not linear and the best thing you can do is maintain a growth mindset, keep learning and keep moving forward. That perspective has helped me go from stay-at-home, to start-up CEO, to senior executive and board director, to podcaster, and now, to published author.

What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?

With women comprising less than 10% of Fortune 500 CEO roles and taking in only ~3%of VC funding, the stats can be daunting for all of us.

However, I think we are in a unique moment in history to make significant progress in the world of work and I’m excited to be a part of that evolution.

Do have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?

Throughout my career, I’ve had countless mentors. To me a mentor is someone who has walked the path I’m trying to navigate and can share some of the secrets they’ve unlocked along the way.

What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?

Careers are not necessarily linear. Value each opportunity that you have and trust that it will lead to something even better if you put forth your best effort.

What woman inspires you the most? Why?

I am inspired by people who are willing to take a step into the unknown and try new things. There are so many women I am inspired by, including many of my colleagues here at Techstars. I’ve been very inspired by Melinda Gates’ work to elevate women around the world.

Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!

I just read Melinda Gates’ The Moment of Lift and loved it.

What’s something coming up that excites you?

My book, Yes, You Can Do This! How Women Start up, Scale up, and Build the Life They Want (Wiley 2020) just came out, so I hope people will enjoy it!

Originally posted: March 3, 2020

 

What is your name and title?

Srichandana Nagoji, APAC Programs Manager, Salesforce.org

 

Briefly describe your role at your company?

I lead our Giving Back programs for Hyderabad, our largest office in India and also support other APAC regions. My role involves fostering non-profit relationships, investing in education and workforce development programs that help level the playing field for youth in underserved communities, inspiring employees to give back and creating opportunities for employees to volunteer meaningfully.

 

How long have you been in your current position?

8 months.

 

What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?

While many classrooms see girls at the top, not many boardrooms do. Once out of college, most women give into societal gender roles and stop aiming for the stars. Don’t give in. Find women mentors who made it up the ladder and soak in their inspiration. Keep caring for yourself and your dreams.

 

Is there a cause that is particularly close to you? If so, why this cause and how did you get involved?

Education is the cause I am passionate about. I believe that building a well educated society is the only sustainable solution to all the problems we talk about. I started my journey in education 9 years ago as a teaching volunteer in a low-income school for tribal children. After graduation, I became a Teach for India fellow teaching 81 children in an under-resourced government school and have continued to be associated with the cause.

 

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

It is ok to say ‘NO’. Women especially are sub-consciously conditioned to be nice and obedient. We tolerate unpleasant situations and push ourselves too much before we say no. I have realised that being able to say NO is important. It not only saves our time and energy but also builds our confidence.

 

Are you reading anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite read!

I am reading ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama at the moment and it is a story many self-made women will relate to.

 

If you could sit down with three women (living or dead) for dinner, who would those three women be (and why!)?

Michelle Obama: For being an epitome of a rare combination of Grace and Confidence

Sunitha Krishnan: For inspiring me to travel the road less taken

My mother: For teaching me that strength and courage often lie at places we seldom look for them – in silence, in letting-go, in tears, in sacrifice

 

What’s something coming up soon (personally or professionally) that super excites you?

I am currently pursuing an Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy from University of Pennsylvania. I am totally looking forward to applying the aspects of this program to my work and creating better impact.