Since its launch in 2018, Women@GroundTruth — GroundTruth’s employee resource group for women — has been focused on empowering women employees through networking and mentorship opportunities, education, professional development, and community. In essence, its mission is to lead and inspire women at GroundTruth to embrace their power, purpose, and value both at our company and in their careers at large.
Over the past sixteen months, Women@GroundTruth has been busy with activities like sponsoring Working Mother’s awards; hosting town hall meetings to discuss issues like gender inequality; and coordinating volunteer efforts at local women’s shelters. We also hosted our first-ever formal event, where more than 100 attendees gathered to talk about women as powerhouses in their field. It was such a success that we decided it was time to host another.
For 2019, we assigned the event an uplifting theme: Taking Your Seat at the Table. Held at our One World Trade Center headquarters on November 20th 2019, the pinnacle of the evening was when a panel of women in prominent leadership positions shared stories about their individual experiences working in the tech industry. The panel included:
- Sophie Walker, Industry Manager of Global CPG Accounts, Facebook
- Yolanda Lam, Global Head of Agency and Ads Partners, Pinterest
- Karen Davies, Managing Director, Huntington National Bank
- Mary Callender, P&G Walmart Customer Team, Saatchi Saatchi X Customer Marketing Lead
- Monique Nelson, CEO, UniWorld Group
Moderated by Courtney Packard, GroundTruth’s Director of Sales, these women shared how they “took their seat,” motivating other women to do the same. Questions like: “How do we get to the table? “How do we ensure we’re heard?” “How can men help advocate for and sponsor women?” and “How do you advocate for yourself?” led to a reflective and lively discussion.
Here are a few of our favorite takeaways from this memorable night.
Everyone is welcome at the table. Title, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity are immaterial, because everyone has the ability to share and champion their ideas.
Find your truth-tellers and advisory board. To successfully take your seat at the table, look for people from different areas of your life to advise you. They will be become the allies you rely on throughout your career.
Use your voice and say the thing. Advocate for yourself and those around you, and don’t be afraid to “say the thing” others may be too hesitant to address.
In keeping with the ongoing theme of mutual support and women’s advocacy, guests at the event were asked to join Women@GroundTruth in donating to WIN, the largest provider of shelter and housing for homeless families in New York City. A donation box stationed at the event was used to collect urgently needed items, which included unused shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and body wash.
Because Women@GroundTruth has a reputation for having the best swag, guests of the event received items that included the Dammit! Doll. We felt these were fitting as the evening fell smack in the middle of the busy — and sometimes stressful — holiday season.
With the ultimate goal of fostering the advancement of women in tech, this Women@GroundTruth event was an important next step for our relatively new yet crucial group. GroundTruth has always been motivated to attract and retain top female talent because we know full well what a positive contribution women in the tech industry can make, and we hope these events will bring even more skilled and insightful women to our organization.
We’re excited to continue the Women@GroundTruth journey — and we hope you’ll come along for the ride. Sign up to stay informed on Women@GroundTruth activities and resources, and see our Careers page if you’re interested in joining us!
