As the future of work continues to dominate conversations in the early days of 2022, so does talk about the future of leadership. It was certainly on the agenda at this year’s Equality Lounge® at CES, where The Female Quotient was the Official Equality Partner for the third year in a row. As we do year round through our Lounges and various gatherings, we convened groups of high caliber topic experts and conscious leaders — leaders who are aware of the needs of their people and have the courage to take action to rewrite the rules of the workplace — to discuss strategies for advancing equality in the tech industry.
Bringing speakers of this caliber and integrity together is one of the ways that we can close the gender gap in the workplace. There’s no denying it: Speaker representation leads to results, and when you unite a group of women around a shared problem — there is no stopping them in their pursuit to find innovative solutions. If you’d like to bring greater parity to the speakers within your own organization, check out our Speaker Equity Assessor, which creates a holistic overview of speaker representation across a variety of characteristics, including gender, race, sexual orientation and core expertise.
Here are some inspiring moments of conscious leadership we heard at the 2022 Equality Lounge at CES:
On the value of getting underrepresented groups at the table in the transportation industry:
“Everyone brings a different perspective. Everyone needs a seat at the table. Every nuance really matters. We need to start highlighting the ‘why’ behind talent diversity and how it leads to more inclusive mobility options.” — Shelley Zalis, CEO and Founder, The Female Quotient
On what upskilling means and why it is so valuable:
“The world is transitioning and transforming at a faster and faster pace as technology continues to change our world. In my personal life and also in business, I have created a culture of students at whatever age you are, however far or not far you are into your career is what I would consider upskilling. We are all upskilling ourselves. My 10-year-old and 7-year-old daughters are teaching me things on their iPads.
As it pertains to work specifically, upskilling is just creating curiosity within your organization that is open and welcoming. Upskilling is about cross-pollination of intelligence because we all have a lot to learn from one another. We all bring a piece of the puzzle, but no one has the full puzzle.” — Nicolle Pangis, CEO, Ampersand
On the workplace technologies that are empowering us to be more human:
“We have been thinking of reinventing work models as far as cost and speed. Now we are evolving to think about work models as far as sustainability, why we work, the values behind the work and social responsibility. That is the most exciting evolution. The ‘how’ becomes so interesting. It is more collaborative. It is more human.” — Kalina Nikolova, VP Business Operations & Strategy, Yahoo
On how to truly create diverse work spaces:
“The great thing about diversity is that it’s a team sport. It cannot live as a silo and it cannot live alone. Building a community around diversity is the biggest factor in its success.” — Christena Pyle, Chief Equity Officer, Americas, Dentsu
On putting women at the forefront of technological innovation and creativity:
“I am happy to be someone who is representing the experience of women using these tools. Women are often viewed as either parents or nonparents. There are so many more dimensions to us. We are humans who are not defined by other humans. Both as a consumer of dating apps and games, a voice actor and now producer, what I have been doing for women is entertaining them but also validating women by reflecting those narratives — rich stories of women as full characters with hero’s journeys who aren’t defined by others and who can take our agency and create the future that we want with the media that is accessible to us.” — Joy Ofodu, Digital Creator at Joy Ofodu
On an essential attribute women want from their workplaces:
“1 in 4 women are looking to reel back on their careers or pull back all together. What is needed is flexibility from organizations so that women can manage all of the things they have going on in their lives. — Stephanie Dismore, Managing Director, North America, HP
On how to pay your winnings forward throughout your career:
“As women in leadership roles: Give back to the community. Go back to colleges and universities and share what you do. Be a role model.” — Nicole Bonk, Director of Testing, Skydio
On the secret sauce to success in entrepreneurship:
“When I jumped into entrepreneurship, I had a passion to change the equation. Community was key. Yes, I can read books, but it is people connecting you to the right people that will get you into those rooms. There is a lot of art to it that books and articles can’t give you. It’s other people.” — Taniya Mishra, CEO and Founder, SureStart
On getting more women in tech and helping them thrive there:
“You don’t need to be an expert in code or math to be in tech. You just need to have a point of view. We as women need to have a point of view on the issues happening around us. It will only make us stronger.” — Sarah Rosen, Director, Head, US Entertainment & News Partnerships, Twitter
On what the next generation of talent is expecting from their employers:
“The younger generation is focused on purpose. To retain them, companies need to lean on mission; companies have to stand for more than the bottom line. Be a force for good together.” — Jeannine Shao Collins, President, SeeHer
Help us activate change by tuning in virtually or joining us in person at our future Equality Lounges®. Next up: Tune in virtually at The Female Quotient’s Equality Lounge® @ Davos 2022. Stay tuned for more.
