Ronin Commemorates Women’s Equality Day
Friday, August 26, 2022
Female leaders in the technology industry can feel few and far between. Fortunately, at Ronin we have strong, accomplished female executives. What comes from this? Guidance, mentorship, role models, and advocates for female Ronin team members who hope to grow in that direction. This wouldn’t be possible without the pioneers who came before us and fought for women’s rights globally. Just 100 years ago, women were not allowed to vote (and it was not until the 1975 extension of the Voting Rights Act that ALL women earned that right)! Our society has come a long way since then, but there is still work to be done when it comes to dealing with gender bias in the workplace, pay equality, and women receiving the growth and allyship necessary to advance.
To celebrate Women’s Equality Day, two of our female leaders shared their perspectives and insights on the topic with the company. As we enjoyed our UberEats, Kathy Ford (our Chief Product and Strategy Officer) and Christine Swisher, PhD (our Vice President of Data Science) imparted important lessons learned during their journeys to the C-suite. We are grateful to share five pearls of wisdom:
Remind Yourself That You Have a Place — Women working in technology companies can often feel as though they are the only one of their gender in the room. This can create negative self-talk that can only really be countered with a positive voice. Positive affirmations before a meeting (including “I belong here” and “I deserve to be heard”) can bolster confidence and remind women that our perspectives and contributions are just as valuable as those of the men.
Lean In — Sometimes we let lack of self-confidence get the best of us. As a result, we speak up less, we do not share our ideas, and we do not seek mentorship helpful in getting us to the next level. Instead of pulling back, we should lean in and accept the challenges that we face. It’s important to take ownership, seek more responsibility, and seize those opportunities to advance in our careers.
Be Your Own Salesperson — In an ideal world, people would have your back and advocate for you, your manager would take notice of your hard work and accomplishments, and you would be promoted and given raises where appropriate. In the real world, you need to fearlessly speak up, highlight your achievements, and ask for that well-deserved raise.
Embrace Diversity — Great minds don’t think alike! We need to surround ourselves with a diverse mix of perspectives. Being open and hearing other voices help us learn, make better decisions, and deliver better outcomes.
Bring and Be an Ally — While advocating for yourself is valuable, so is having a friend in your corner! During moments of self-doubt or before a nerve wracking presentation, it’s helpful to have a go-to person or a hype man/woman to talk you through the situation. And what is better than having an ally? BEING an ally! It’s important to empower the people around you — perhaps mention a colleague’s name in a room full of opportunities, be a listening ear during a team member’s struggles, provide words of affirmation and encouragement when someone is down. Leading by example and giving support can inspire others to do the same!
Kathy and Christine’s insights were supplemented by additional call-outs and lessons offered by team members attending the all-company conversation. A few stood out; for example, one individual suggested that “confidence starts in the home too… as a father I seek to support and encourage my daughter to pursue her professional passions.” Another stated that we should make sure to “call on the women in the room when their voices have not yet been heard, and draw attention to everyone’s perspectives.” Women can be limitless despite limitations inside and outside of the workplace. Women persevere through many obstacles yet continue to shape the community and world around them, as family members, as matriarchs, as creatives, and as so much more.
We’re grateful that our team was able to gather and hear about different experiences, about how we can do better to support women in the workplace, and about how we can build an even better company culture at Ronin.
