Women’s Equality Day: How Take The Lead Delivered Strategies to Power Up For the Big RE
Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead, at the recent 2022 Power Up Concert & Conference on Women’s Equality Day. (Photo by Karianne Munstedt.)
Just one day a year is designated Women’s Equality Day in the U.S.
This plus the other 364 days a year, Take The Lead is working to prepare, develop, inspire and propel women across all industries and sectors to reach parity in leadership by 2025. And on Women’s Equality Day, August 26, the 2022 Power Up Conference, The Big RE: REthink, REwire, REcreate, kicked off virtually and in person to address the solutions possible to succeed on the path to equity.
“@GloriaFeldt, co-founder and president of @Takeleadwomen, kicked off the 2022 #PowerUpConcert & Conference on #WomensEqualityDay. #PowerUpConference”
“The last two years have exacerbated disparities and revealed the fault lines in our culture. The time to advance racial and gender parity in leadership is now,” says Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead.
The Big RE conference arrived at the crucial pivoting moment when there is so much work to do to recreate and redesign the future for equity in the workplace and beyond.
The U.S. Congress in 1973 designated Aug. 26 as "Women's Equality Day" to coincide with the date of the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Progress toward equality across genders has been made, but recent actions including the reversal of the Roe V. Wade decision, have eroded that progress.
In 2022, the U.S. ranked 27th in the World Economic Forum’s ranking of 146 countries based on gender equality. Last year, the U.S. ranked 30th.
While the U.S. Census Bureau reports that women are more than 50 percent of the population, the Center for American Women and Politics reports women account for 27% of legislators.
“#TheBigRE conference arrived at the crucial pivoting moment when there is so much work to do to recreate and redesign the future for #equity in the #workplace and beyond.”
The American Association of University Women reports women account for only 6.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs; 11% of top jobs in the top S&P 1500 companies, and just 25% of Fortune 500 board seats
In a new study, Wallet Hub reports that New Mexico ranks first in the states for women’s rights, with Utah ranking last at 50. Utah is also the worst of 50 states for a gender income gap, with the smallest income gap reported in Connecticut. The smallest executive positions gap is in Wyoming, the study shows, with the largest in New York.
The numbers are in, as are the strategies to continue to shift the imbalance. The Power Up Conference this year was keenly designed to address the specific needs many women report they have in redesigning, recreating and reworking their careers and professional paths in the wake of a global pandemic and cultural shifts that have transformed the working lives of millions.
“The #PowerUpConference this year was designed to help women redesign, recreate and rework their careers and professional paths in the wake of a global pandemic. #careerchange”
The Power Up Conference began with a networking with intention breakfast in person at the Arizona Biltmore, as research shows networking is essential for career growth.
According to Gallup, “SHRM's new report on women in leadership shows that female managers, especially female managers of color, are less likely than male managers to feel included in key networks at their organization. For example, the survey showed that 56% of female managers of color feel they can talk about their personal life at work versus 79% of white male managers.” Networking can address those issues of connection.
Kim Tarnopolski, Power Up Conference Chair, and Founder & Chief Community Builder of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun, offered the official welcome, as Jolyana Begay-Kroupa, CEO of the Phoenix Indian Center, delivered the land acknowledgement.
“I think being present and listening for opportunities and taking action is key, Tarnopolski says. “These are things Gloria Feldt (co-founder and president of Take The Lead) does. She is not afraid to try something new, and take action every day outside her comfort zone.”
Read more in Take The Lead on Kim Tarnopolski
“At The Big RE it was possible to find the way to make what you desire possible,” Tarnopolski says. “And it’s no accident that we chose Women’s Equality Day as the day for the conference.”
““At The Big RE it was possible to find the way to make what you desire possible,” @KimTarnopolski says. “And it’s no accident that we chose #WomensEqualityDay as the day for the conference.””
Dr. Lily McNair, Take The Lead Board Chair and Former President of Tuskegee University, weclomes attendees at the Power Up conference. Nancy O’Reilly, Take The Lead Immediate Past Board Chair, Founder, Women Connect4Good, introduced the day.
“What Take The Lead does is so important,” McNair says. In particular, the networking and mentorship components are exceptionally valuable.
“I always tell a young woman to be who she is, do not try to change yourself to meet other people’s expectations of you. Be authentic in everything you do. As a woman in leadership, we can back down and fall prey to negative thoughts,” McNair says. Participating in the conference wa a positive step to recreating the future.
Read more in Take The Lead on Dr. Lily McNair
Speaking on intentional leadership, keynoter Carla Harris, senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley received the Leading Woman Award and offered her insights on how women can move forward in a dynamic way.
“I am so passionate about people bringing all of themselves” to the workplace says Harris. “You do not know what it is as a person that causes another person to connect to you,” says Harris. So it is important to honor what is “proprietary for you.”
Reimagining and reigniting your professional goals, or completely redesigning your work, is possible now more than ever, Harris says. “When you lead to win, you become a powerful, impactful leader in this environment.“
“Reimagining and reigniting your professional goals, or completely redesigning your work, is possible now more than ever, @Carlaannharris says. “When you lead to win, you become a powerful, impactful leader in this environment.“ #PowerUpConference”
Read more in Take The Lead on Carla Harris
The panel on Rethink: Innovating Equity included Katica Roy, CEO, Pipeline Equity; Lisa Mae Brunson, Founder, Wonder Women Tech and Marva Bailer, author and Vice President of Revenue Social Impact at Twilio.
“Gender fatigue indicates misalignment somewhere. It can occur between a host of variables,” writes Roy in her blog. “Too much attention on diverse hiring and too little attention on inclusion spells trouble. A company can hire all the women they want, but unless they create an inclusive workplace to support them, companies risk losing the very people they sought to attract,” Roy writes.
Delivering the keynote, “Rewire: Workplace Equity- Systemic Change from Power Over to Power To,” was Tara Jaye Frank, Equity Strategist and author of The Waymakers: Clearing the Path to Workplace Equity with Competence and Confidence. Frank spent 21 years at Hallmark Cards, where she served in multiple executive roles, including Vice President of Creative Writing and Editorial, Vice President of Business Innovation and Vice President Multicultural Strategy and of Corporate Culture Advisor to the President. She was recently named a 2022 Success honoree by Success Magazine and one of CORE Magazine’s 00 Most Influential Blacks in 2022.
“There is no singular blueprint that will guide you toward leading more equitably and inclusively, but there are principles to follow. By following them, you will become the kind of leader who makes a way—who makes choices and takes actions that help those in your organization who have been historically misrepresented and ignored feel seen, respected, valued and protected,” Frank writes in Worth.
Read more in Take The Lead on Tara Jaye Frank
For conference participants in person, breakout panels feature Feldt offered, “Making Good Trouble: How to Be An Effective Citizen.” Kate Isler, co-founder and CEO of TheWMarketplace, addresses “Women and Wealth: Building Women’s Economic Equality,” along with Jorgi Paul, founder of Lady of Record and Suzanne Lerner, co-founder, president and CEO of Michael Stars. Lerner received The Wear The Shirt Award at the Power Up Concert.
Read more in Take The Lead on Suzanne Lerner
Isler is adamant about now being a critical time for women to support one another, at conferences like Power Up and in networking and mentorship. “When women talk to one another, they immediately find the common ground. Then they think, ‘If she can do that, I can do that.’”
“@IslerKate is adamant about now being a critical time for women to support one another, at conferences like @Takeleadwomen ‘s #PowerUpConference and in #networking and #mentorship.”
Isler adds, “We need to feel empowered by one another, not intimidated. We hear it and we can do it if we see it done.”
Read more in Take The Lead on Kate Isler
Sophia Yen, MD, CEO and co-founder of Pandia Health, led a panel on “Modern Motherhood: Embrace Your Greatness in Motherhood, Career and Life,” with Amy Looper, founder of Leading Motherhood; Elizabeth Borelli, author and personal growth and development coach and Veronica Lynn Clark, love and intimacy coach.
Read more in Take The Lead on Sophia Yen
The Awards Ceremony honored Vada Manager, founder and CEO of Manager Global Holdings with the Alex Barbanell Leading Man Award, named after Feldt’s late husband.
“The Awards Ceremony in the afternoon honored @VadaManager, founder and CEO of Manager Global Holdings with the Alex Barbanell #LeadingManAward, named after @GloriaFeldt ‘s late husband. #PowerUpConference ”
“This award embodies four decades of behavior modeling of leadership for women, and how that makes entrepreneurs as well as our country better,” Manager says.
Read more in Take The Lead on Vada Manager
Insight received the Leading Business Award and The Leading Philanthropy Award was accepted by Vince and Jane Roig of the Helios Education Foundation.
A full afternoon at the conference of roundtables in person as well as virtual workshops featured tools addressing imposter syndrome, discovering passion to reinvent yourself and the latest insights into reproductive health, plus much more.
Feldt closed out the day with the panel, “REcreate: Intentioning The Future We Want,” with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego; Felicia Davis, founder of the Black Women’s Collective and Carmela Ramirez, producer of Mas Productions.
“@GloriaFeldt closes out the day with the panel, “REcreate: Intentioning The Future We Want,” with Phoenix Mayor @MayorGallegoGallego; Felicia Davis, founder of the Black Women’s Collective and Carmela Ramirez, producer of @MASkollektiv. ”
According to Feldt, “The conference was designed to inspire you to break through existing barriers, create healthy new norms and set intentions for your full potential.”
“According to @GloriaFeldt, “The #PowerUpConference was designed to inspire you to break through existing barriers, create healthy new norms and set intentions for your full potential.” #TheBigRe”
