Women Empowerment is Praised and Practiced During Uplifting Fireside Chat
With Tech Square ATL's (TSQATL) unwavering commitment to innovation and transformation, we are continuously celebrating success of all facets within our thriving community of entrepreneurs, researchers, leaders, and educators. But on a warm Thursday afternoon in late June, we joined teams with Humans Doing to specifically showcase the power of women in the corporate world.
The Fireside Chat invited Tech Square community members and other local professionals to The Clubhouse witness an extraordinary panel of three influential female speakers, each one leaving an indelible mark on the audience:
Mary Ford is the Chief Marketing Officer for Centegix, a fast-growing internet-of-things (Iot) company that innovates technology to empower and protect people. Her career in technology has included progressive roles in various functional areas, including product, engineering, operations, HR, and marketing. She has deep community experience in non-profit board work and serves as a mentor through several programs. .
- Principal, Springtime Ventures
Allyson Plosko is currently a principal at SpringTime Ventures, a firm focused on Seed-stage investments in companies building software-based solutions tackling issues within health, fintech, logistics/supply chain, and marketplaces. Over the last nine years, she has held various roles within the ventures ecosystem but actually started her career in a university biomedical engineering department working to support the department chair on a number of different projects and initiatives.
Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Noze Best
Christy is the Chief Executive Officer of Dr. Noze Best, a babytech brand creating products for modern parenting. Her focus on scaling a brand for health and wellness solutions has been her north star. Christy’s career has been vast and wide anchored around the scale and exit of four previous companies, a venture capital fund, an angel investor, and an advocate for women and underserved founders. Christy is an advocate for women businesses and focuses strongly on serving on boards in non-profit related to her passions as well as for profit companies with a focus in bettering financial standards and social impact missions.
Prior to the panelists joining the stage, attendees networked and engaged in meaningful conversations, accompanied by refreshing drinks and complimentary catering from Moe's. The ambiance was charged with anticipation and excitement for the forthcoming discussion and soon enough everyone was invited to take a seat so the session could commence.
Maija Ehlinger, Editor in Chief at Hypepotamus, moderated the discussion, first introducing each of the esteemed speakers before diving right in. She kickstarted the conversation with a series of thought-provoking questions, each designed to delve deep into the experiences and perspectives of these remarkable women. From defining powerful women in the workplace to discussing steps for encouraging women in various industries, the panelists offered invaluable insights drawn from their rich and diverse careers.
For instance, Allyson, in an enlightening moment of reflection, shared her advice for her younger self, emphasizing the importance of self-advocating, seeking help when needed, and being upfront about challenges. “When I think back to earlier in my career and some of the missteps and hurdles I had, the common thread across these was that I was not advocating for myself. I wasn't asking for the help that I needed, and subsequently, I was setting myself up for failure. Looking back, I'd advise myself to be more open when I see early warning signs of trouble and be upfront when I wasn't given enough resources to accomplish a goal. Yes, that can be a vulnerable position, but if you don't speak up, no one will know there is an issue until it's too late to correct.”
Additionally, when asked how she balances her time, Christy revealed her time-management secret, the “rule of threes,” which balances diversity and prevents an overwhelming schedule. For example, she joins three non-profit boards per year, she chooses three paid associations to join per year, and so on. She also said that she heavily values others' opinions and experiences when deciding how to invest her time. In fact, Christy joins a weekly mastermind call with three other women in completely different industries, citing that she learns more from those individuals than ever imagined.
Mary had some helpful tips to share as well, eloquently outlining five indispensable “power tools” that propel success in the workplace:
Communication Skills
Data
Get Stuff Done (GSD)
Problem Solving
Emotional Quotient (EQ)
This quintet, as Mary asserted, serves as the foundational building blocks of power, showcasing one's capability and awareness to harness their influence. The ability to communicate effectively, substantiate goals with data, execute strategic plans, navigate challenges adeptly, and foster positive emotional dynamics are essential attributes in this empowering toolkit.
Before wrapping up, all three panelists took questions from the audience.
Following the fireside chat, Josh McAfee, Founder and Managing Partner at Humans Doing, thanked not only the audience for coming, but also his team for producing such an influential event. A poignant moment arose when he emphasized the need for men to participate in these conversations, underlining the importance of supporting and empowering women in the workplace. His resounding appreciation for his colleagues putting this event together only further proved his point and spoke volumes about the extraordinary impact that men can have as allies in promoting gender equality.
With a reverberating sense of empowerment and camaraderie, the event concluded, leaving the attendees inspired and eager to continue their journeys as pioneers in their respective fields. The lasting impact of this gathering will undoubtedly resonate within the tech community and beyond, serving as a powerful reminder of the transformative potential that lies in encouraging women in the workforce.
The evening was clearly a remarkable success, fostering a strong sense of acceptance and belonging and as TSQATL continues to drive innovation and progress, it will continue to be a beacon of support for all members.
How do you empower women in the workforce? Let us know in the comments below.