March 24, 2022

This Women’s History Month, we’re sharing best practices on how to advocate for yourself, empower women in the workplace, and be better allies for professional women.

Did you know, women are still paid just $0.82 for every $1.00 a man makes? And although women make up 39% of the workforce, they account for only 11% of executives across 1,100 global companies. Statistics are even worse for women of color, women who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and women with disabilities. So, what can we do to change that?

Join us as we discuss:

• How bias, pay disparities, exclusion, and harassment continue to be a challenge for women in the workplace
• How inequities expand when considering intersectionality of race, disability, sexual orientation, and other aspects of identity
• How we can take action to mitigate barriers, ensure inclusion, and make progress toward the goal of an equitable professional experience

Meet the Panel

Kaela Sosa, CDE

Curriculum & Programming Manager, The Diversity Movement

Kaela is the curriculum and programming manager at The Diversity Movement, with a passion for making DEI education digestible and impactful. Her interest in DEI began in college, while studying Psychology of Gender and Sexuality at Duke University. Kaela graduated with honors after defending her thesis, Gender and Stress in Cross-Race Interactions: Differential Impacts for Men and Women. She has conducted research at two of Duke’s psychology labs, exploring topics related to biracial identities, gender expression, and the impact of gender on psychological well-being.

Elaine Montilla

Founder, 5xMinority

Elaine is Assistant Vice President and CIO for information technology at The Graduate Center, CUNY, a Forbes Technology Council member and contributor, and an accomplished senior executive with two decades of experience as an IT leader in higher education. She is also a TEDx speaker and the founder of 5xminority, Inc., a company with a mission to demonstrate how businesses can be powerful platforms for social change.

Cynthia Barnes

Founder and CEO, National Association of Women Sales Professionals

Cynthia is an award-winning sales influencer, keynote speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice, and the National Association of Women Sales Professionals and Barnes Sales Institute founder. She has spent the past two decades studying the innate strengths of women in sales and what it takes for them to reach the top 1%; is the creator of THRIVE: Success Strategies for Women in Sales, the first and only women-centric sales training (delivered to more than 500 companies, including Toyota, Google, and Michelin); author of Reach the Top 1%: A Strategic Game Plan for Warrior Women in Sales; and is the host of the podcast Unstoppable, with Cynthia Barnes.

Natalie Eicher

Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Mettacool

Natalie is Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Mettacool, a global coaching consultancy that provides whole-person focused, cohort talent programs and coaching that enables organizations to better retain, engage, and advance valuable female talent, while helping women advance their careers and well-being in parallel so they can find sustainable success. Natalie is an International speaker, National Board-Certified Well-Being & Career Coach, trained at Duke, and an ICF-Certified Coach. She's on a mission to change the narrative of what it means to be a successful working woman.