March8 Magazine - March 2023

Are you looking to be ahead of the curve on all sustainability topics? To become a part of the conversation, cement existing relationships, and make meaningful new business connections?

On April 19th 2023, Sustainability LIVE New York is bringing together the greatest voices in the industry to further the discussion about what should, can, and must be done for a sustainable future. Brought to you by BizClik, and in association with Sustainability Magazine, this exclusive one-day virtual event, which includes renowned keynote speakers, engaging fireside chats, and panel discussions are a crucial deep dive into challenges facing the future of sustainability, net zero, and ESG.

It’s time for DISRUPTION.

Sponsorship Opportunities

This is your chance to share your innovations with the Sustainability community by making an impact in front of fellow groundbreakers, decision-makers and influencers at Sustainability LIVE New York 2023.

Position your business as a pioneer in Sustainability, access thousands of potential partners and influence businesses at the highest level.

Both global giants and innovative start-ups alike can discover the ideal platform with easy access to an engaged and active audience.

See you on 19th April 2023

Be part of the revolution. One of the innovators changing the industry by doing things differently. It’s time to change the rules of the game.

▶ Watch our showreel from Sustainability LIVE London 2022

Ways to Work With us

We produce Digital Content for Digital People across 20+ Global Brands, reaching over 15M Executives

Digital Magazines

Websites

Newsletters

Industry Data & Demand Generation

Webinars: Creation & Promotion

White Papers & Research Reports

Lists: Top 10s & Top 100s

Events: Virtual & In-Person

Work with us

A special thanks to the CONTRIBUTORS of ISSUE 007 CARYS Conlon | SOPHIE Castell | SHONA Hirons | SALLY Wynter

Li | OLIVIA Arezzolo | DR LINDSAY Browning

Tavangar | LORNA Kapusta | PHOEBE Schecter

Our Mission

From the entire team here at March8, welcome to our seventh issue.

We are proud to represent a community continuously aiming to educate, motivate and elevate women in business and society. From young girls considering their career paths, to established CEOs at the helm, we are a platform ensuring that each story is heard, recognised and celebrated. We champion women from all walks of life and career paths, including outstanding athletes pushing their bodies to the absolute limit, to fearless females advocating women’s rights and gender equality across the globe. Through our social media platforms, bi-monthly magazines, short films, quarterly events, mentorship programmes and March8 Academy, we are here to unite girls and women with one community, one voice and one aim.

We are March8, and we are here to make a change!

MEET THE TEAM

Subscribe to our March8 newsletters to recieve the latest news on we're doing next.

Editor s LETTER

HELLO AND WELCOME

This magazine marks two very special occasions: International Women’s Day 2023, of course, and March8’s one-year anniversary. Through March8, we aim to celebrate womanhood – and everything that it encompasses – every day of the year. And what a year it’s been. We’ve held multiple events, providing phenomenal speakers with a stage to share their insights and wisdom. We launched our mentorship programme, pairing pioneering leaders with eager professionals from across the globe. And today, we’re proud to share the seventh issue. We want to pay special thanks to everyone who has joined us on our journey, and for making our first year one to remember.

As always, stay in touch and enjoy the issue.

LUCY BUCHHOLZ

lucy.buchholz@bizclikmedia.com

Column Talking pronouns in the workplace

8 Minutes With...

Lorna Kapusta, Head of women and customer engagement

ICONS

Josephine Baker

Kroger

Becoming a leader with Linda Howard

Female-led B Corps

B Corps: Are they really the gold standard of sustainability

Top 10 Inspirational women from the past, present and future

Rising Star Sally Wynter, Founder of MUHU

ICONS

( 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975 )

aving lived through the horrors of the 1917 East St. Louis riots, Josephine Baker embraced her creative talents as a way out of poverty and discrimination.

Beginning her career in the performing arts, Josephine became the first African American woman to star in a motion picture and to perform with an integrated cast at the American concert hall.

During World War II, Josephine sang for American and French troops, often smuggling secret messages in her lyrics back to France from opposing forces. After being awarded the Croix de Guerre, Josephine took part in the Civil Rights Movement and was honoured as an activist.

Ta lking pronouns in t he workpl a ce

As businesses across the globe are prioritising diversity and inclusion efforts, Carys Conlon, Nose and Wings Lead Engineer & DEI Co-Chair at Aston Martin Formula One Team (AMF1) and MBA candidate, shares the crucial importance of accepting and respecting other’s pronouns

came out at AMF1 several years after transitioning everywhere else. I was worried about outing myself at work before I was ready as there were a few things I couldn’t contemplate doing, among them, was adding pronouns to my email and social accounts.

I think making the choice to state preferred pronouns is a great way to demonstrate allyship towards trans communities, and even to convey support for all LGBTQIA+ people. It also shows people believe in inclusivity. Before I was out, I hoped that my colleagues wouldn’t notice I didn’t state them. Not stating them myself was difficult because I was supposedly a DEI champion and that made me feel like a hypocrite. I did not want to state them falsely.

If people don’t want to state their pronouns, it does not mean they are any less of an ally or an advocate. For some, it can be just a case of not appreciating the significance of the gesture, or just not knowing how to, or maybe they could themselves be trans, gender fluid, gender non-conforming or non-binary.

After coming out at work, one of the first things I did was to update the pronouns on my email signature. I was not compelled to do this, but it was something I wanted to do because a respectful workplace culture

has been fostered here – one that had been quietly building and had evolved further with the team’s 2022 DEI focus on allyship.

But human brains make shortcuts when we speak and changing habits instilled over many years can be difficult. My experience at work has been overwhelmingly positive so, on the rare occasion someone makes a mistake, I know it isn’t with malicious intent.

This is not always the case outside of work. I transitioned later in life and so my gender is not always assumed correctly by those that don’t know me. They see the masc’ that I cannot lose. These strangers don’t correct, they don’t apologise and I’m tired of correcting them, so work in this respect has become a safe place for me. Sometimes I feel burdened by my past, but at work at least people know me, respect my lived experience and treat me as I would hope.

Although she, his, hers, theirs etc seem such simple words they can convey so much about a person, immediately labelling and causing the reader (or listener) to step up the Ladder of Inference, giving rise to almost immediate privilege or discrimination. They and them do not, they are neutral and as applicable to anyone as they are essential to non-binary people. So why do we not use gender-free pronouns more?

BECOMING A LEADER WITH LINDA HOWARD

WRITTEN BY: LUCY BUCHHOLZ

PRODUCED BY: TOM VENTURO

Sharing both personal and professional stories, Linda Howard, Vice President of Technology at Kroger, gives March8 Magazine an exclusive insight into her phenomenal career

Kroger believes in the concept of “feeding the human spirit” to help every individual become their best selves. To do so, employees are encouraged to share daily uplifts with the team. These can range from children’s accomplishments to career milestones – anything that enables individuals to bring their authentic selves to the workplace and celebrate together as a team.

By sharing her story with March8 Magazine, Linda Howard endeavours for her uplifts to demonstrate ‘advocacy for women’. After a long and incredibly successful career at the company, Linda has both personal and professional stories to share, each detailing the lessons she’s learned along the way – from overcoming imposter syndrome to learning she can only rely on herself.

March8 Magazine is proud to highlight the groundbreaking journey that Linda has taken to become a remarkable and inspirational leader for other women.

Early lessons and upbringing

As the youngest of five siblings, Linda grew up knowing what it felt like to be an outsider. “My family was a well-established entity before I came along,” she explains, “so I needed to figure out how to be accepted by the pack, as I called them. Being the outcast taught me very quickly how to read the room and to know when I wasn’t accepted, so I know what it feels like to be excluded from a group.”

In adulthood, and after putting in a lot of hard work, Linda has established a strong bond with each of her siblings and praises them for shaping her into the resilient, self-sufficient person she is today.

This moulding of life resonated with Linda even more after a counsellor shared a particular piece of advice: “Your intellect grows up. You learn and adapt to new ways based on your knowledge, but your emotions don't. The things that trigger you remain throughout. It's important to recognise when the triggers occur, as it's how you handle them that makes a difference.”

“These words have always stayed with me. Whenever it feels as if I’m being targeted, I basically step outside of my body and remind myself that I’m smart, I’m capable, and that I belong,” Linda says.

LINDA HOWARD VP OF TECHNOLOGY, KROGER

“ I knew I had to own my life decisions, and that, ultimately, I was charting the course that would bring me happiness”

Becoming a leader with Linda Howard

EXECUTIVE BIO

LINDA HOWARD

TITLE: VP OF TECHNOLOGY

COMPANY: KROGER

INDUSTRY: RETAIL

Linda Howard is Vice President Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Finance for Kroger Technology & Digital. She is responsible for software engineering and application support for the Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Finance Systems including the Fulfillment Centers powered by Ocado. Linda joined Kroger in 1985, has held a variety of leadership positions, and moved to her current role in 2018, leading cross-functional Solution Modernisation efforts. Linda earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She has been recognised as a Top Women in Grocery and is a member of the Miami University Farmer School of Business Advisory Board.

Activating a more equitable future.

Deloitte Consulting Services helps organisations navigate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) challenges, architecting transformative journeys that enable a more equitable future.

Discover more

Deloitte: Equity in the workforce, marketplace, and society

Deloitte’s * Equity Activation Model, published in The Equity Imperative in 2021, explores the different dimensions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, highlighting that business leaders have an unprecedented opportunity to create a more equitable future. The model showcases three interconnected spheres of influence that organisations can use to activate equity: the workforce, marketplace, and society.

Understanding the Equity Activation Model

The innermost sphere, known as the workforce, is typically where businesses pay the most attention as it assesses DEI within the four walls of the organisation.

The second layer, the marketplace, focuses on the messages being portrayed through brands, evaluating what they are doing to enhance equity for marginalised groups. This can, for example, be looking at a business’s advertising and assessing whether they’re putting historically marginalised groups in positions of agency or power.

“This layer is particularly important as our clients are starting to be much more conscious of how their businesses show up as a brand and how it impacts every part of the organisation,” Kimberly Betts, Global Diversity Equity and Inclusion Leader for Deloitte Consumer Sector, explains.

The outermost sphere, society, focuses on how businesses operate and what they’re doing to give back to their community. “How are businesses using their power,” Kimberly asks, “and what are they doing to create more equitable outcomes for people; not just people that purchase the products, but the institutions in which they all operate?

“In the US, we’re starting to see more legislation putting a greater focus on equity,” Kimberly explains. “Our clients are creating the links between equity and what they’re doing from a sustainability and climate perspective, which can help them do well for their associates, the planet, and the customers they serve.”

Kimberly Betts, Global Diversity Equity and Inclusion Leader for Deloitte Consumer Sector, explains how the Equity Activation Model helps other organisations prioritise equity

“I tell myself to read the room, to understand where the other person is coming from and to discover the ‘why’ behind their actions. Intellectually, I know it’s rarely personal, but sometimes I have to check in within myself.”

As the youngest in the family, Linda admits that she was perfect for the ‘princess’ model, but her father did everything in his power to ensure she became anything but a princess. For this reason, he made it clear that he wanted her to love the career she planned to pursue. If not, it would just become a job with no passion whatsoever. He also encouraged Linda to take a path that she enjoyed so that when she woke up every morning, she would look forward to her day. There was, however, one deviation from this.

“The day I sat down and talked to my dad about college, I announced I wanted to go to art school,” Linda says. “I loved everything about the creative process, and despite good grades in maths and science, I was in what I now call my ‘flighty’ period. He sat me down and told me that I needed a plan B. He explained that we are all responsible for ourselves, and I should not expect a fallback plan that someone else would provide for me.

“My father knew I loved solving hard problems, so I decided to choose Maths as my major. This was mainly because I truly understood the need to stand on my own two feet. I knew I had to own my life decisions, and that, ultimately, I was charting the course that would bring me happiness.”

Standing on her own two feet

Three years of studying soon passed, and, in 1985, Linda started her first internship at Kroger. After spending the summer taking away typewriters, putting in PCs and teaching word processing to the admin staff, Linda was fortunate to be offered a full-time position at the company – with one catch. “The recruiter told me he would only offer me the position if I agreed to interview with other companies. He said he wanted me to work for Kroger by choice, not by default.

“He outlined the importance of not skipping this step, explaining that if I ignored it, I may wonder what else is out there and resign after a few years. This resonated with me, and I encourage all our interns to be similarly well-informed before making their decision to work for the company.”

Linda shares the greatest pieces of advice she inherited throughout her career

• If you’re going to do something, do it right. Plain and simple.

• Use the right tools for the job. Sometimes, the answer may be fixing a problem with duct tape, but don't make that call until you've assessed the situation and have factored in all available options. Likewise, if you supply a team with a tool, teach them how to use it. They’ll surprise you every time.

• Don't force anything. If something isn’t fitting, you need to stop and figure out why. Once you address the problem, all of the pieces will eventually fall into place. As a big believer in change management, it’s important to help these pieces fall into place, so teams are equipped with the best knowledge and are ready to go.

• Self-doubt provides an opportunity to prepare more while highlighting the importance of reading the room and understanding others' points of view.

• Communication, communication, and more communication. If you ask people questions and show an interest, they will want to open up. The same is true at work. You need to give people the chance to share.

• Great teams are a function of people wanting to do their best. You have to start with why, and allow the space for a conversation to get to the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. Smart people want to be part of the solution, not given the answer. A team should never be expected to do something their superior wouldn’t want to do.

• Be true. People see the dirt in you. My teams have seen me cry when I was scared about COVID-19; the raw emotions after the mass shootings that occurred on a Kroger site, and many others. It shows I'm a human. It’s okay not to have all the answers. But together, we will find them.

• Finally, as women, we need to be there for each other. As leaders, we need to be there for our teams. As humans, we need to be there for our communities.

After 37 years at Kroger, Linda can say that she chose to commit to the company. “I remember telling my dad Kroger felt like home,” Linda says. “He encouraged me to take the position, explaining that working with people you want to spend your days with is worth more than a company in a glamorous big city or having a higher-paid salary. To this day, I’m still a big believer in this.”

When accepting the position, Linda was given two options: to choose between mainframe programming or store systems. Looking back on her internship, Linda understands why she was presented with these choices. “The way I showed up during my internship was a direct influence of several things my dad taught me along the way: if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right,” Linda recalls. “I am wired to give my all to the task at hand, regardless of how mundane or complex.”

Lessons learnt at Kroger

Throughout Linda’s career, she has explored various paths that Kroger offered – from store solutions to health and wellness. And, of course, as with any successful career, Linda has faced numerous defining moments that shaped her into the individual she is today.

“Early on in my career, I had a tough decision,” Linda states. “When I questioned whether I should try to appease all the divisions, my director, Larry, responded that he was not paying me to be popular. I knew exactly what I needed to do, and it was a reminder to always do what is right for the company

Working her way up the career ladder, Linda was often the only female in the room, which can come with challenges. “One time, the CIO lost a button on his jacket,” Linda shares.

“A partner he was meeting with happened to have a sewing kit in his briefcase – yes, I lived through the Mad Men era. Although it pains me to say it now, I didn’t stand up for myself when I was asked to sew the button back in place. But it reinforced the lesson that only I was responsible for standing on my own two feet.”

Likewise, when Linda received the confirmation of the promotion to her current position as Vice President, she was only allowed to share the news with a handful of people – not even her parents. “I had to face down immense self-doubt every time the phone rang as I was convinced it would be the CIO calling to tell me that they made a mistake and I was not being promoted. I had to explore where this was coming from. The data points and accomplishments

supported my promotion, so why was I doubting myself?”

To come to terms with the imposter syndrome, Linda recognised two things. Firstly, she had seen a lot of men being promoted to VP over the course of her career, but few females. She believed that this was a result of the era she lived in, rather than a reflection of the capabilities of women.

Secondly, Linda recognised that the personal relationship she was in was toxic. She started the process of accepting the how and why, once again, reminding herself to stand up for herself and reclaim her happiness. “It took me longer than I want to admit,” Linda confesses, “but a health scare made me face it head-on. I'm a big believer in signs from the universe, and, after ending it, it was like blinking billboards along the highway with messages about redirection, all telling me that I made the right decision and that I was finally on the right path.”

Feelings related to imposter syndrome have recurred intermittently throughout Linda’s career. When attending the Deloitte Women's Leadership Conference, Linda was surrounded by a lot of other female leaders. Battling with understanding how to fit in, Linda reminded herself that she was smart and that she belonged in the room – a concept that she related back to when she was struggling to fit in with her older siblings.

“At that conference, I learnt another very valuable lesson from a speaker that spoke about advocacy,” Linda says. “Men have a natural tendency to build a relationship that results in advocacy by making time for golf, having beers after work or attending sporting events, for example. This creates a natural advocacy network. I believe this is a factor in promotion opportunities, so I urge women to be more conscientious about forming a network of advocates.”

Influence, persuasion and mentoring

Linda establishes that she is in the “last season” of her career, which is focused on coaching and mentoring individuals. “People usually want to help. I try to be

“Working with people you want to spend your days with is worth more than a company in a glamorous big city or having a higher-paid salary”

LINDA HOWARD VP OF TECHNOLOGY, KROGER

the first person to volunteer myself at intern functions or when finding new hires, for example. Usually, when someone has seasoned years in a company, they’re looking at how they can position the organisation to maintain success in the future. This means they want to coach and mentor others.”

As an advocate of equal opportunity, Linda also goes out of her way to elevate others struggling to find their voice. “If I notice someone is being particularly quiet in a meeting, I will actively seek their opinion to give them the opportunity to share their thoughts,” Linda says. “When individuals are given immediate feedback for their input, it helps to build their

confidence. I also remind people that, collectively, we’re the smartest person in the room, so we need to hear each other’s opinions.”

Linda is happily married to the man who has always been the one for her – lifelong friends who supported each other through their growth journeys. But the timing didn’t align for the two to unite in marriage until recently. The pair were married by Elvis in Las Vegas in 2021.

“For the first time in a long time, my dad got to see me truly happy,” Linda expresses. “My dad sadly passed away on New Year’s Day. Although we knew it was coming, it still feels surreal to this day. His eulogy contained a story from his time in the Navy

that he had only ever told my brother – they had both always kept it to themselves. We knew he had received a medal, but he would always just state he ‘was just doing his job’. He in fact saved the lives of two men, putting himself in harm’s way.

“Now, when I’m having moments of stress or uncertainty, I ask myself, ‘what would Don do?’. It’s almost like he's right there helping me through it. I share this story because there are so many facets that you bring to work every day. I think it's important that we all look at our own stories and life experiences to see how we approach work and our personal lives every day. We all have the strength and

the obligation to chart the course that is right for us.

“I ask everyone to see what that looks like and to question how they’re showing up for their teams and for each other. Finally, I encourage everyone to check in on friends, family and co-workers. After all, it’s not always just about the work.

“I will always be the five-year-old girl full of self-doubt, wanting to figure out how to fit in. But I'm also a 58-year-old woman with 37 years in the corporate world, who's capable of leading very complex initiatives and moving mountains.”

LORNA

KAPUSTA

Head of Women and Customer Engagement at Fidelity Investments

Money. Capital. Cash. Whatever you call it, chances are that discussing it with others makes you feel a little uncomfortable. But Lorna Kapusta is challenging the status quo and working to change the relationships that women have with their finances through Fidelity’s Women Talk Money community

enerally speaking, women on average earn less and, so we’ve learned, are given fewer financial education tools than male counterparts when younger and throughout life – even though we’re still met with the same responsibilities and on top of those, there are factors that are unique to women (think healthcare costs, pink tax, and often caregiving responsibilities to name a few). Gaining and maintaining control of finances can feel like an everlasting battle, especially when we’re left to navigate our understanding of saving, investing, credit cards and retirement, to name a few.

Consequently, 3.8 million American women have below-average levels of financial literacy, which can cause them to lose money while racking up debts. Lorna Kapusta, Head of Women and Customer Engagement at Fidelity Investments, is on a mission to encourage women to take charge of their financial literacy and to pass their knowledge on to the next generation. We sat down with Lorna to understand why this is important and how it can be achieved.

Hi Lorna! How did your financial literacy journey begin?

Earlier on in my career, I was not that involved in my finances. At that time, my husband and I had a growing family of three children, three dogs, and a cat. To handle our hectic life, we took a divide-andconquer approach for our household, with my husband overseeing our finances. I was constantly stressed about money, partially because I was so in the dark about it. When I started working at Fidelity Investments, I realised I needed to be doing more so

my husband and I sat down and discussed our goals (what we want throughout life for ourselves and our children) and finances. We then decided to do this on a regular basis and started to make decisions together – I immediately felt less stressed simply because I knew more about our money, what we were doing with it, and how we were reaching our goals.

My financial literacy journey really took off after this moment – it was such a game changer for me to be actively involved in my finances and learning more about how to make my money work for me (I was working hard and my money should do the same!).

So many people think finance is just about stocks, shares, and investments, but it’s actually so much more than that; it’s about setting short- and long-term goals (for us, that included helping our children with college, travel, etc.) and making smart decisions to set yourself up for success in the future.

I love my job because I get to help other women through the same process I went through.

We often hear the phrase ‘financial literacy’, but what does it actually mean?

Financial literacy is simply the foundation of your relationship with money. It can help you know what to do with your money so you can achieve what's important to you. Financial literacy also helps you understand what you don't know so then you can find out where you need to get help. Fundamentally, it’s having a basic understanding of budgeting, saving, investing, and so on, so you can make smart decisions with your money.

As women, we’ve typically only had access to basic financial information if we’re lucky or

if our family shares it as we’re growing up. It’s not really something we get taught as kids, but when we become adults, we’re automatically expected to know what to do with our finances. It’s so important for financial literacy to start early, so we can get the basics in place and continue to learn along the way.

Regarding finances, what barriers do women have to overcome?

There are several barriers that women face and a lot of that is a result of the history of the financial industry. If you go back about 70

years, the industry was predominantly male. Because of that industry makeup, financial tools and solutions were mostly made by men, for men. So for many years, women only had access to financial education, tools, and solutions that were designed to address the way men think about money – and often women think about money differently.

But now things have changed so much and women can create, use, and improve these solutions to fit the needs of every individual.

Another cultural barrier facing women is that many of us still consider money a taboo topic. Growing up, many of us were told that talking about money was impolite and that

we shouldn’t discuss it – but that’s not the case. It’s actually so important for women to talk about money with each other, as it helps us get more comfortable and understand how to make our money work as hard as we do.

What initiatives does Fidelity Investments provide to help women with their financial literacy?

I'm so glad you asked! We have an entire community, Women Talk Money, dedicated to women coming together to talk about and act on their finances. Women Talk Money

is a space for women to normalise talking and hearing about money, plan for gender differences, and succeed in their financial and professional goals. We cover everything from how much should be in your emergency savings fund, how to get paid and the best value for what you bring to your company, what to do if you need to take a career break, how you should be saving for retirement and so on. We host several large workshops throughout the month, live Q&A sessions and send money moves you can take straight to your inbox – with the goal of making sure that help is accessible for everyone. The best part is, it’s free and you don’t need to be a Fidelity customer to join.

Our recent study found not only do women prefer learning about money from other women (55%), but women in the Women Talk Money community are more motivated to take money action when they feel supported by other women – which is why it’s so important for women to have a community like Women Talk Money.

To recognise Women’s History Month this year, we’re launching a month-long series of virtual events celebrating women and helping them take steps toward their money goals. We’re hosting roundtable discussions, workshops, and live Q&A sessions on topics covering everything from building an investment strategy in today’s market, planning for your future money goals, building a plan to save and tackle debt, advocating for yourself in the workplace, and more.

One thing I like to remind people is that there’s never a better time to start your financial journey than now - it doesn’t matter what age you are or where you are in learning about financial literacy, just joining the conversation is the best place to start.

In addition to Women Talk Money, Fidelity is also prioritising meeting young women

and teens where they are. Fidelity provides free access to workshops for teachers, which they can utilise in their classrooms. We also recently launched a partnership with the Connecticut Sun, a Women's National Basketball Association team, working closely with them to educate the team and the fans on financial literacy. We prioritise providing financial education for everyone, especially women and young girls, because we know early education matters to truly make a difference. And young girls want access to financial education – in fact, 81% of teen girls want more ways to learn about investing and personal finance.

really want to avoid or pay off as quickly as possible.

Join us! Check out Women Talk Money – it’s a great place to learn about your career, compensation, saving, investing, and everything in between. We created a community for women so we’re looking at all these topics through that lens. And this is a great month to start because we have an incredible slate of events that can help answer questions no matter where you are in your financial journey. Just joining Women Talk Money is going to be a great first step in making your money work harder for you.

Secondly, give yourself a financial check-up and create a solid financial foundation for yourself. Make sure you have an emergency fund. Ideally, your emergency fund should have 3-6 months of living expenses in case something unexpected comes up. Another thing to do to build a strong foundation is to eliminate credit card debt. Credit cards have really high-interest rates, so it’s something you

This also includes planning for retirement and investing. We usually suggest setting aside 15% of your income for retirement, which can feel a little steep, but this can include company matches, too. You can also start with as little as 1% and work your way up from there. And if you have money that isn’t for emergency savings, retirement or paying off high-interest debt, then start investing in addition to your retirement plan. I usually hear from older women that their biggest regret is not investing sooner – we want to change that. You can start investing with as little as $1 with Fidelity to start getting comfortable with it. And there are options for everyone, so you don’t have to do it alone.

Lastly, throughout your entire financial literacy journey, consider how you can help other women begin theirs. Tell your family and friends that you’re beginning this journey and invite them to join you. If you have young women and girls in your life, begin talking to them about their finances and sharing how you’re taking control of your money.

What advice would you give to those who want to start their financial literacy journey?

It came with a lot of practice and constantly stepping out of my comfort zone, but I also found that my passion for helping people outweighed my own fears

Check-in, tune

Olivia Arezzolo

Sleep Expert & Ambassador, Mute Sleeping

Dr Lindsay Browning Sleep Expert, Trouble Sleeping

Check-in, out

Having trouble catching a good night’s sleep? You’re not the only one. In fact, you’re joined by 70 million adults in the US who reportedly suffer from sleep problems, such as insomnia. But sleep tourism – the travel industry's hottest new trend – may be the solution to helping you finally achieve a peaceful slumber

veryone has a different idea of a dream holiday. Maybe it’s lounging on a beach in the Maldives, wandering around Old Town Prague or independently scaling Machu Picchu. But, now, holiday-makers are taking the concept of a ‘dream’ holiday literally, booking themselves into hotels specifically designed to provide an amazing night’s sleep – a concept known as sleep tourism.

Don’t be fooled – sleep tourism isn’t just for those who can’t wait to jump into bed after a long day. Its goal is to give you a few nights of undisturbed slumber while providing you with the knowledge of how to maintain good sleep hygiene.

After all, how many times have you woken up after a night’s rest feeling even more exhausted than before you fell asleep? In specialist sleep hotels, everything is carefully designed to ensure you receive maximum comfort with minimal interruptions – from top-quality bedding to soundproof rooms. But you’re also escaping the mundane duties of everyday life. Duties such as cooking, doing the school run or working through piles of laundry can often take precedence on relaxing ‘days off’. Your only chore at a sleep retreat is to sit back, relax and learn what your body needs to rest well – tonight, and every night in the future.

“In the same way that yoga retreats have become very popular, sleep retreats are a new variation of the wellbeing trend,” Dr Lindsay Browning, Sleep Expert at Trouble Sleeping, says. “Sleep tourism not only allows people to catch up on muchneeded rest when they are on holiday,

but it also offers activities to learn about maintaining sleep quality even after the holiday has finished. These activities can be anything from breathing and relaxation techniques to learning about good sleep hygiene and how to manage jet lag.”

The boom of sleep tourism

Sleep tourism is a comforting concept that we can all relate to (after all, we all need to sleep!), but truth be told, it’s hiding a more sinister issue: we’re all exhausted.

“To put it simply, we’re not getting enough sleep,” Olivia Arezzolo, Sleep Expert and Ambassador for nasal dilator Mute Snoring shares. “A 2022 global study has

found that, on average, Aussies sleep 6.2 hours; Brits 6.4 hours; and those in the US, 5.8 hours. The minimum requirement for sleep is 7 hours, meaning that the average person in each of these countries is sleep deprived. This also means that the average person is also experiencing the consequences of sleep deprivation.”

“Sleep deprivation can cause major chaos. For example, the stress hormone cortisol, which contributes to anxiety and depression, increases by 37%; our risk of catching cold increases by four times; and we are more likely to experience memory loss, brain fog and, of course, fatigue. All of these factors come into play after just one night of insufficient sleep.”

Lindsay adds: “In recent years, there has been a great deal of information in the media about the benefits of sleep and the importance of wellbeing. Therefore, people are much more willing to invest time and money to improve their sleep quality and quantity as they know how important sleep is.”

However, this exhaustion can’t just be blamed on going to bed late, waking up early and the cat jumping on your back in the middle of the night. But what can be blamed is the rise of burnout culture.

In 2022, 52% of surveyed respondents stated they’ve felt burnout throughout the year. Millennials – those born between 1981 and 1996 – were found to face the most

severe repercussions, with 59% reporting feelings of burnout. Generation Z – or those born between 1997 and the early-mid 2000s – were close behind, with 58% of respondents feeling burnout.

Although burnout is sweeping the globe, women are more at risk than our male counterparts, with McKinsey stating that 42% of women experience burnout, compared to 35% of men. The list of contributing factors seems endless – from being less likely to be promoted in the workplace to taking the major share in caregiving roles in the home.

As working around the clock while facing life’s inequalities is simply draining for women, could an annual sleep holiday be the answer we’re looking for?

Now you’re sold on the idea of sleep tourism, you just have to decide where in the world to go

HOTEL FIGUEROA

Los Angeles, US

One week before checking-in to Hotel Figueroa’s ‘Rest & Recovery Suite’, you’ll be asked for your personalised pillow preferences to ensure your ideal pillow is waiting for you on arrival. Each night, you’ll sleep on an Eight Sleep mattress, which maintains an optimum temperature throughout the night with smart adjustments technology. During the day, you can either choose to work out in your very own fitness mirror, recover with a selection of Normatec recovery tools from Hyperice, or just unwind by the iconic pool. However you decide to spend your day, rest assured it will be luxurious!

CASTLE HOT SPRINGS

Arizona, US

Set on 1,100 acres at the base of the Bradshaw Mountains in the Sonoran Desert, Castle Hot Springs’ remote location provides a tranquil respite from the demands of daily life. The resort’s natural hot springs have an organic soothing effect to promote sleep quality, and rooms are well appointed with indulgent linens and pillowtop beds to provide luxurious comfort. Room amenities include a resort-curated sleep tea made with homegrown herbs and private, outdoor soaking tubs to enhance relaxation.

PARK HYATT New York, US

Enjoy a personalised, restorative sleep experience in Park Hyatt’s one-bedroom suite, featuring The Restorative Bed by Bryte. Backed by sleep science and powered by artificial intelligence, The Restorative Bed allows guests to overcome jet lag while falling asleep faster. Each room also includes one-and-a-half baths and specially-curated, sleep-enhancing amenities, such as signature “sleep” essential oil blends, sleeping masks, and a collection of sleep-related books.

H Ä STENS SLEEP SPA Coimbra, Portugal

Each room in this boutique hotel features a luxurious Hästens bed, which was specifically created to provide the perfect night’s sleep. The decoration of Hästens’ Sleep Spa was inspired by the Joanine Library, as you’ll find bespoke spine books across the walls – even the bathrooms are tiled with marble created to resemble literary classics. A stay at the sleep spa is an experience that encourages guests to work on their minds and bodies to ensure they reach a superlative sleep. Guests are also given a full experience with exclusive access to Joanine Library and a rooftop bar.

ZEDWELL

London, UK

At Piccadilly Circus – one of London’s busiest spots – you’ll find Zedwell Hotel, a calm haven dedicated to helping guests get a perfect night’s sleep. Each room is soundproof with the highest quality materials and free from any distractions, such as TVs and electronic gadgets – hairdryers and ironing boards can be borrowed from reception. Zedwell has also teamed up with ChalkW1 to provide state-of-the-art gym sessions, as well as fitness, meditation and yoga classes.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL GROUP

Geneva, Switzerland

Check-in to a three-night stay at Geneva’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel for a regenerative experience that will restore your physical and mental wellbeing. On your second night, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a polysomnographic night test, while being supervised by a dedicated night technician at CENAS. Guests will also have the opportunity to browse a herbal tea and pillow menu, as well as have full access to the hotel’s wellness area, including a sauna, hammam and fitness area.

ALCHEMY OF SLEEP RETREATS China

Rosewood Hotels and Resorts now offer Alchemy of Sleep retreats, a global collection of immersive retreats specifically to help guests receive a restorative stay. The retreats have been designed to promote rest through sleep-inducing treatments, movement-driven activities and special amenities while teaching a holistic approach to sleep. Guests are also given amenities such as essential oil blends, tea blends, aromatherapy linen mists and silk eye masks to ensure they have everything needed to relax.

SIX SENSES Fiji

Hosting sleep programmes across the globe, Six Senses is a leading retreat for those who want to rest and recuperate. With mattresses made from organic lambs' wool, a short stay at the Six Senses is bound to leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. In addition to advice from the resort's very own Sleep Doctor, Six Senses will help you relax through the benefits of yoga Nidra, meditation, therapies, nutrition advice and low-intensity training, to name a few.

Educate Motivate Elevate

ONEYEAR of EMPOWERING WOMEN

CELEBRATING WOMEN from the PAST,PRESENT &FUTURE

Educate Motivate Educate Motivate

Over the past 12 months, we have met, mentored, and championed inspirational women from across the globe. So now, one year on, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has become part of the March8 community and joined us on our mission of empowering women

Motivate Elevate

ere at March8, we truly believe that we’re stronger together. In a world where we’re still fighting for equal pay, racial equity, and LGBTQIA+ rights, among others, the workplace can often feel lonely. But we’re here, striving for an equal world; a world where every voice is heard and every opinion matters.

Back in our first-ever issue, which launched on International Women’s Day 2022, we learnt simple steps to overcoming burnout with Kylee Hurrell, while understanding the true importance of net zero targets with Lucy Kirkup.

ucate Motivate Elevate Motivate Elevate

Although we may not have the hardand-fast answers, we do have one solution: connection. By connecting girls and women from different socioeconomic backgrounds, ability levels, cultures, countries, age groups, industries, and so on, we aim to make the world a better place – one woman at a time.

Of course, we would be unable to do so without the help of the amazing women who have connected with us to tell their stories, share their advice, and become inspirational figures for others. In doing so, we hope that no reader feels that they’re facing these inequalities on their own. And if they do? They can come to us to be heard, supported and encouraged.

Since then, we’ve sought to challenge the way girls and women are perceived on social media with Amelia Sordell, Dr Joanna Silver, and Dr Anne Kearny-Cooke; we’ve discussed the gender disparities in the gaming world with Lauren Kaye and Lucy Rissik, women’s health in the workplace with Haley White and Faye Farthing, and learnt confidence-boosting career tips with Esther Stanhope.

But we’ve also addressed topics that are often more difficult to discuss due to polarised opinions, lack of knowledge, or defensiveness resulting from shame, such as the gender data gap with Tova Leigh, the pink tax phenomenon with Nitash Mehta and Sandra Witzel, and how to normalise conversations about racial equity in the workplace with Tony Nabors, Linda Calvin, Camille Dundas, and Amarachi Rachel Nwokoro.

Elevate Motivate Elevate

Time to reflect

Over the course of the last year, we’ve spoken to hundreds of women and allies that have discussed some of today’s most pressing topics with us.

Educate Motivate Educate

Although we’ve still got a long way to go, we’re confident in our cause and we know that together, we can achieve anything.

Elevate Educate Motivate

ISSUE 001

ISSUE 003

Elevate Educate Motivate

ISSUE 004

ISSUE 005

Educate Motivate Elevate

ISSUE 006

Educate Motivate Elevate

TOOP

LEADERS

Sophie Castell CEO, Myeloma UK

The charity sector – otherwise known as the third sector – has built a reputation for being inclusive and female-friendly. We set out to explore the facts while speaking to four charities that are aiming to make the world a safer, more equitable place for women

omen make up twothirds of the third sector – otherwise known as the volunteer or charity sector – yet only 36% of the UK’s largest charities are run by women. Once again, these figures highlight a disparity between women committing voluntary time and working in lower-level positions compared to those who make it to leadership positions.

Yet, unsurprisingly, the charity and corporate sectors require similar skill sets, enabling individuals to transition their careers to the third sector more easily than they may first assume.

Sophie Castell gained many years of corporate experience while working at the Coca-Cola Company, before transitioning

to the third sector and later becoming CEO of the blood cancer charity Myeloma UK. “When my son was born, he was diagnosed as autistic, which led me to the National Autistic Society,” Sophie says. “It was here that I became aware of the inequity that many people face. I, therefore, felt very strongly about improving things, not just for my son, but for other people, too, so I got myself onto the board of directors.”

Sophie began to realise that many of the challenges she faced in the charity sector were similar to what she experienced in the corporate world. “The outcomes are different – the corporate world needs financial returns, while the charity sector looks for social return,” Sophie explains, “but you still need to put others at the

centre of your business strategy, whether your organisation calls them clients, consumers or beneficiaries, for example.”

Making an impact

Those who want to make a difference in the world through their career may look for roles within charities. Yet, with only 4 in 10 women sitting at the helm of charities in the US, women are still underrepresented in the sector.

“Diversity drives creativity,” Sophie says. “If you want to create new solutions, spark unique conversations and include different perspectives, we need to encourage more women and minorities to enter the sector.” The third sector has a number of similarities to the corporate sector,

which many often overlook. For those keen to transition into a charity role, Sophie advises keeping these crossovers in mind, while remembering that the third sector is mission-driven, rather than simply profit-driven.

“As women, we wear a lot of different hats, both personally and professionally,” Sophie says. “This can become overwhelming, so my best piece of advice for women who aspire to lead a charity is to become comfortable balancing life’s challenges. Learn how to manage what’s important to you, and then build your life’s architecture around that.

“But I want my take-home message to be: Look boldly to the future, and don’t get sidetracked by stereotypes.”

As we've explored the number of women in leadership roles in the third sector, we now shine a spotlight on three charities striving to achieve equity across the globe

MADRE envisions and fosters a world where women, girls and people who are marginalised can fully participate in shaping policies and decision-making. We want their expertise and leadership to be recognised and upheld, and for them to equitably hold power and resources within their communities.

MADRE’s long-term goal is to advance intersectional, feminist models of policy and practice in conflict and atrocity prevention and response at local, national, and global levels. To achieve that goal, we direct funding to people left out of places of power, relying on the expertise and solutions of local women and girls who know their communities best. We provide trust-based grants to women and girl-led groups that are often small, below the radar of large aid agencies, and located in remote areas. We also resist common resource-hoarding practices that are rooted in white supremacy and colonialism. MADRE provides advocacy training and brings women to international policy discussions, including delegations at the UN and with US policymakers.

We often join local efforts in times of acute need and build on the relationships established in those moments. By working with 41 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere, MADRE connects

communities as a response to crises – such as war or natural disasters – and stays the course to implement lasting change in these directly-impacted places. Many of these places have experienced colonisation and the theft of their resources.

We also build sustainable, networked partnerships and champion equity through systemic policy solutions and funding by integrating grantmaking, capacity bridging, and legal advocacy to achieve its goals. Since MADRE’s founding in 1983, MADRE has provided more than $58mn in grants to support women and girls in 41 countries.

Our relationships are built on trust and respect as we work side-by-side, united in the mission of sustaining meaningful global change, together. We focus on repairing and ending the harms caused by systems of oppression. In that way, MADRE redistributes power to achieve gender justice.

Words by: Yifat Susskind

We focus on repairing and ending the harms caused by systems of oppression

Currently, 1.6 million women experience domestic abuse yearly, although we only know the tip of the iceberg as so many women don’t report abuse. Sadly, due to a culture of victimblaming, sexism and a lack of understanding of domestic abuse, survivors simply do not receive enough support and understanding, or see justice served.

The mission of Women’s Aid is therefore to build a world where domestic abuse is completely intolerable. As a federation of over 170 organisations, we provide just under 300 local lifesaving services to women and children across England. We campaign on behalf of our members and survivors to shape policy and practice, change attitudes, and raise awareness of domestic abuse. We won’t stop until every woman and child is safe.

We go about achieving this mission in a number of ways. For example, our frontline services, from refugees to community-based services, provide safe accommodation to survivors and their children and help them to recover and rebuild their lives after abuse.

We understand that some women face extra barriers to finding support. Our No Woman Turned Away project offers vital help to survivors with additional support needs who face barriers in accessing a refuge space or safe accommodation.

We want to assure all survivors that we are here to listen, believe and help.

We also recently launched Come Together to End Domestic Abuse, which is our twoyear campaign, ahead of our 50th birthday in 2024, to show the difference we can make if we all come together. During the campaign, we will measure public attitudes to show what needs to change, and we will work together to make this happen. As part of this, we suggest five things that everyone can do to help end domestic abuse, from checking if your workplace or school has a domestic abuse policy, to learning what to say to a survivor, to dispelling sexist myths of abuse.

When three women are killed every fortnight by a current or ex male partner, it is clear there is much work to be done before women are safe.

Words by: Mary-Teresa McAteer

We want to assure all survivors that we are here to listen, believe and help

Women and girls are hit hardest by conflict and disasters, yet they are often the first to respond to meet the needs of their families and communities.

Women affected by a crisis often have no influence over what humanitarian assistance looks like and often it does not meet their needs meaning it can reinforce gender inequalities and cause them harm.

Since 2018, CARE has been addressing gaps in the humanitarian system giving control and resources to those women who need it most in the communities affected.

Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE) supports women’s involvement and leadership in crises in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific. CARE International understands that women choose to focus on what matters to them. For some, this means focusing on strengthening their skills to engage in community decision making, such as literacy or public speaking. For others, it means starting small businesses to make extra income or address community-wide issues such as gender-based violence.

Lami, a WLiE participant from Niger says she found speaking in public intimidating says: “I have received a lot of training through the WLiE that has allowed me to develop my leadership but also to overcome my shyness."

Lami became President of her WLiE group to protect women and girls. In the refugee camp where Lami lives, women and girls face risks from sexual and genderbased violence. At one time, there were nightly cases of rape in households within the camp. Lami realised there was a need for women to address this and keep themselves safe.

The women found that influencing power holders was difficult. They went to the village chief, but they were ignored. Undeterred, they spoke to law enforcement: “Our voices were heard by the authorities who agreed to patrol every night to prevent men from entering our houses. This was my greatest achievement. I spoke publicly and in front of everyone to defend our rights.”

CARE is asking people to #Walk4Women in solidarity with women around the world.

Words by: Laura Hawkesford

I spoke publicly and in front of everyone to defend our rights

Shona Hirons Company Director, Mindset in Motion Ltd

Are you burnt out? Or are you at least familiar with the feeling of burnout?

With recent reports showing that corporate burnout is on the rise, Shona Hirons – otherwise known as the Burnout Angel – shares her best burnout-busting tips

urnout is described by The World Health Organisation as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”. However, is this definition still valid today?

The last couple of years has had an impact on our health, both physically and mentally. Recent studies have revealed that 69% of workers are feeling burnt out as a result of work-related stress (CNBC).

But is the workplace to blame? Sometimes, it can be down to poor culture, not taking a proactive approach to wellbeing – such as listening to what staff actually want and need – as well as other problems spanning finances, illness, grief, relationship issues and unhealthy boundaries, to name a few. In turn, this has a negative impact on workplace performance, because the feelings associated with burnout – behavioural changes, denial, withdrawal, depression, working harder because you are falling behind, neglecting your needs, and conflict with others – can all lead to a complete breakdown if not managed.

Employers, therefore, have a duty of care to ensure their staff are well and are being heard, to understand what is causing them to feel burnt out, rather than increasing the pressure.

Focusing on the solution, rather than the problem is essential. Here’s how to avoid burnout in the workplace, whether you work remotely or in the office.

Set healthy boundaries

As 53% of employees state that they work more hours while working from home, it’s clear that people aren’t setting healthy boundaries.

If you work from home, get up at the same time as you would do if you were commuting to work and take a ‘fake commute’. If you simply get out of bed and go straight to your desk you will have less energy and it can affect your performance. By owning your morning and finishing your day with another ‘fake commute’, you get into the right mindset of starting and finishing work at set times.

If you work in an office, get off the public transport a stop early and walk the rest of the way. Use the stairs instead of the lift and make an effort to go for a walk during your lunch break.

It’s also key to know when to say ‘no’. Communication is essential and with excessive workloads being the biggest cause of burnout at work, being realistic about what you can and cannot do is essential.

Managers have a role in encouraging staff to take their breaks and annual leave, plus making it clear that they are not expected to work if they are feeling unwell.

Do not multitask

It is a myth that multi-tasking gets things done quicker. Sometimes, you have to slow down to speed up. Focus on doing one thing at a time. Maybe decide what can be delegated. Before you do it, ask yourself: “Do I have to do this?”, or, “is there someone else that could help me?”

If you have lots of things on the go, plan when best to do each one. The Pomodoro Method is a great way to prioritise and organise time. Decide what task needs your attention most and schedule that during the most productive time of the day. Set a timer for 25 minutes and work solidly for that time. Then take a 5-minute break away from your desk. Repeat four times, then take a longer break.

Take 5-minute “movement snacks”

People are not moving enough. We spend more time in front of video calls and sitting in the same spot for prolonged periods of time, which can be incredibly draining. Before jumping on the next call or task, take 5 minutes to get up and step away from your desk. Ideally, do something that will release those happy hormones. If you’re at home, put on a favourite song and dance around the room, or knock out a few exercises.

It is possible to do a full body workout in just 3 minutes that will get the heart pumping and wake up the energy inside you, making you more productive during the day. Here’s an example:

• Set your timer for 3 minutes

• Do 12 wall presses, followed by 12 squats and 12 burpees.

• Repeat for the whole 3 minutes. You can do this several times throughout the day and mix up the exercises

If you’re in the office, set a timer and walk up and down the stairs for a couple of minutes, or use the break as a bathroom break and walk to the furthest one away. Evidence suggests that climbing the stairs burns twice the fat in half the time than running.

Turn off notifications

Getting distracted by pings and dings throughout the day from your laptop, smartphone and, in some cases, your smartwatch can seriously hinder your productivity, adding hours to your day.

Think of the number of times you’ve received a notification and you’ve stopped what you’re doing to check it. You then find yourself dealing with whatever has distracted you. The way to manage this is to create email and social media handling times – and stick to them. In between, turn off your notifications.

If you cannot turn your notifications off, try waiting 10 minutes before you check any that come through – it’s amazing how quickly the distraction goes away. If you still want to check the notification after 10 minutes, allow yourself to do it. The chances are you won’t need to.

Prepare an achievement list

Whether or not you’re a list person, sometimes, you can get to the end of the day and can’t think of anything you’ve achieved, despite having a to-do list as long as both arms.

Preparing an achievement list for the day ahead can change this mindset. Include five must-do work-related tasks and five must-do things for you, which can include movement snacks, a lunchtime gym session or walk, time with the family after work, or a fake commute at the start and end of the day.

Before you go to sleep each night, reflect on what you have achieved that day. You are likely to feel happier, sleep better, and wake up feeling more energised.

B CORPS:

Yvonne Filler Marketing Manager, Good Innovation Heidi Schnoeneck Co-Founder & CCO, Grounded Laura Harnett Founder, Seep

As consumers, we’re slowly but surely making more moves towards sustainable lifestyles. But in a world of misinformation and greenwashing, it can be hard to know whether your ethical choices are, well, ethical. B Corporation certification has long been hailed as the gold standard of sustainability – we explore why

ustainability has become a somewhat murky term. With businesses fighting it out to be the biggest, the richest and, of course, the greenest, it can be hard to know which ones we can trust as consumers. Luckily, the business world has B Corp certifications, which puts businesses to the test to ensure their credentials have been earned honestly, rather than being artificially dyed green.

What is a B Corp?

B Corporations, informally known as B Corps, are businesses or organisations that have voluntarily met the highest standards for social and environmental performance – therefore, they’re doing everything they possibly can to create a better future for people and the planet.

To more accurately define them, B Lab – the nonprofit behind B Corps – explains: “Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive, sustainable economy.”

So, in other words, B Corp Certification is for businesses what Fair Trade is for products and goods.

What to expect from the process

It’s not easy to become a B Corp. Certification is holistic, meaning it’s not exclusively focused on a single social or

Laura'sstory

I never thought I would be the founder of my own business, but once the concept of Seep came to mind, I just couldn’t shake it. I had always been an eco-conscious shopper, so I noticed that, although there were some really great challenger brands, there were a number of gaps in the market, such as sponges, clothes and brushes.

It didn’t make sense to me that oil is dug out of the ground to make bin liners, for us to fill them with rubbish and then bury them back into the ground. I knew that something needed to be done. Although I was fearful of starting out at first, I knew I didn’t want to turn a blind eye to the problem. So I founded Seep, which provides sustainable cleaning tools and kitchen utensils.

environmental issue, so businesses have to achieve rigorous standards that require engagement from every aspect of a company.

Yvonne Filler, Marketing Manager at Good Innovation – a certified B Corp – shares that B Corp certification is a way to hold businesses responsible for their actions. As a Social Impact Innovation Consultancy, Good Innovation finds creative, cutting-edge solutions to the world’s most difficult social problems by helping organisations that want to make a difference do it smarter, faster and, crucially, with greater impact.

“Becoming a B Corp is a fairly long process, with around 150 questions requiring

lots of data – but it wouldn’t be a quality standard without it,” Yvonne shares. “You need a certain score to pass and be certified. Your score will then be published on the B Corp website, but there is no ranking system.”

To become a certified B Corp, businesses must abide by stringent requirements, including completing a comprehensive assessment and having assessment verified by founding company B Lab. Any controversial operations must be disclosed to B Lab, and businesses must commit to transparent and public disclosure of their performance.

“It’s easier to apply for B Corp certification when your company is smaller or just

starting out, because you can see all the areas upon which you need to focus,” says Heidi Schoeneck, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Grounded. “This is largely because it can be costly and time consuming to ensure all ground is covered correctly.”

Yvonne supports this idea, stating that larger businesses will be required to provide more data. “For us, the process is really beneficial. It’s required us to hold ourselves accountable for our actions,” Yvonne adds.

Is B Corp right for your business?

Those considering applying for B Corp certification will most likely have

Over the next decade, new and existing asset classes will be ported natively onto the internet, with all value transfer settling on blockchains

– LAURA HARNETT

sustainability and environmental impact at the forefront of their business model. However, how can a business owner or CEO be sure that it’s the right step for them?

“Applying for B Corp certification can be costly and time consuming,” Laura Harnett, Founder of sustainable cleaning tool brand Seep, explains. “But for business owners contemplating whether or not to make the commitment, I would urge them to consider why they want to achieve it and what they want to gain. Fundamentally, are you a business for good? Can your business improve the current situation with the climate or social inequality, for example?

“If you believe that your business does play these roles, the B Corp certification is a really great structure to guide you through that process. As a founder or CEO, you may not have the time to come up with your own framework, but with B Corp, it’s already been done for you and it’s constantly evolving to keep you on top of the game.”

“We thought we were a shoo-in to become a B Corp because we had built our whole business around sustainability,” Heidi says. “But once you get into the criteria, you see how much more can be done. It’s something you have to check in with every few months to make sure you’re on top of everything.”

Is B Corp really the gold standard for sustainability?

Abiding by sustainability rules has become akin to a box-ticking exercise for many companies. As consumers have become increasingly concerned about the impact their purchases have on the environment – with 75% of US consumers reporting it’s a priority for them – more businesses are pledging eco-friendly standards, only to fall spectacularly short. In fact, 42% of companies have been said to exaggerate sustainability claims, according to research from The European Commission. B Corps are, therefore, an avenue that businesses can venture down to prove

they’re living up to their claims. But the real question is: Is B Corp the gold standard?

“As so many companies greenwash, it can be hard to know which ones are genuinely prioritising positive change,” Laura says. “B Corp certifications hold companies and founders to a standard that they need to adhere to across five key areas: environment, governance, people, communities, and customers. I’ve found that, as a business owner, B Corp has made me think more deeply about the decisions I am making and the impact Seep is having on society.”

Reaching B Corp status will therefore help to eradicate greenwashing, with Heidi stating there’s “no room for it”

Heidi'sstory

About four years ago, I was working with Unilever on their Sustainable Living Project and realised that we need to be doing a heck of a lot to protect our planet. I approached my manager with the idea of creating an incubator that's focused on brands with purpose and helping brands do good in the world. I was immediately dismissed, but I kept pushing the idea. Then, for the first time in my career, I got written up with a performance review and was told that I had 60 days to demonstrate to the organisation that I cared more about profit than I did about purpose. That’s when I left and founded Grounded. We work with big brands, small brands, startups and non-profit organisations who are set on changing the world through their services and products. To do this, we focus on three key areas: helping businesses and brands articulate their purpose; helping activate their brands; and accelerate their impact.

We need more businesses to commit to making an impact

– HEIDI SCHNOENECK

in the B Corp community. She continues to state that, although the certifications have sparked debate as to whether the growing number of companies achieving the status weakens its validity, Heidi believes that more companies should strive to reach the criteria. “There has been some talk about whether the number of businesses joining the B Corp community dilutes the message; I think the more the merrier. It’s a great achievement to meet the 80-point benchmark, and we need more businesses to commit to making an impact.”

Good Innovation’s Yvonne supports this idea, suggesting that this is often where B Corps are “misunderstood”. “Some people might say the number of companies becoming a B Corp is weakening its impact,” Yvonne explains, “but if you look at it in terms of what it was set up to do, then more certified members can only be a good thing.”

For companies that go above and beyond, B Corp awards the ‘Best for the World B Corp’ status to the top 5% of B Corps. Seep was one business that achieved this status last year for their environmental impact. “As a founder, you can easily beat yourself up that you’re not doing enough,” Laura says. “Although there’s a lot of discussion around B Corps, I truly believe that it is the most robust system to demonstrate that a company is sustainable.”

ecoming a CIA agent is something that many of us dream about as children, but Rupal Patel made it her reality. After a seven-year career at one of the world’s most exclusive organisations, Rupal decided to trade in her badge for business, founding and becoming CEO of Entreprenora and Blue Infinity Property Group.

RUPAL PATEL CIA TO CEO B

This is the story of how she got there.

Growing up

Like many children, Rupal grew up with two key role models: her mum and her dad. From an early age, Rupal was inspired by their work ethic and life philosophy, which guided her throughout her career and personal life. “My mum raised four kids, had a busy career as a doctor and played a big part in helping our extended family settle in the US from India,” Rupal says. “She became my main source of inspiration and instilled in me that women have to work harder to prove themselves and get ahead.

“Growing up, I was aware that as a woman, and a woman of colour, my journey would be different just because of those two data points. To prepare me for this, my mum taught me to work on myself, never take “no” for an answer, and never question my competence. Even now, at almost 75 years old, she is still running her own paediatric practice in New York.

“My dad was my biggest supporter throughout my career. He’s always been entrepreneurial and encouraged me and my siblings to be financially independent, and he pushed me to explore my career choices

I want to live my life to the fullest, to live every day as an adventure, and to never take any of it for granted

at the CIA, I remember telling him that I couldn’t wait to wake up at 5am and get to work in the morning. He told me: “If you find something that gets you out of bed with excitement, hold on to it for as long as you can.”

The CIA

After earning her master’s in international affairs, Rupal was presented with an opportunity to work for one of the most exclusive organisations on the planet: the CIA. “The job ticked all the right boxes for me: it provided a sense of purpose, it allowed me to contribute to a greater mission and it required me to dive deep into specific issues of global importance. It felt like they were paying me to be a nerd,” Rupal jokes.

“My main role was to synthesise and analyse all of the information we had on the US’s war efforts in Afghanistan. I would digest all of the intelligence that we were getting – whether that was secret information or public knowledge – and compile it into reports and briefings for the people who needed it. This included President Bush,

You may think that working at the CIA as a woman would present its own set of challenges, but Rupal doesn’t necessarily agree. “I was very good at being tactically ignorant,” Rupal says. “So, yes, I knew being a woman, a civilian, a person of colour, or the combination of all three might colour the way that others saw me or tried to treat me. But I didn't let that noise affect how I delivered my job. I knew whatever prejudice others had, I couldn’t control it. I let that be on them. I was in control of how I delivered my job, so I made sure that I was prepared for every context. Were there elements of sexism and racism? Of course, but I wouldn’t let it stop me from being great at what I did.”

Lessons from the field

When working in intelligence, everything is secret to the public. And as you can probably imagine, being on the inside taught Rupal a lot of valuable lessons. “In the CIA, our job is to operate in the shadows, and most of what we do is classified ,” Rupal explains. “So when the media misinterprets or mischaracterises what we are doing, it can be really frustrating because we can’t fight back with the classified truth. Often press pieces are full of holes, not because they are being intentionally reckless

reached a temporary checkpoint. All of a sudden, I heard shouting and saw two balaclava’ed men with guns pounding at the vehicle door. I looked at my instructor, and froze. The, mock-terrorists pulled me out of the door, slammed me against the car and said, ‘click, you’re dead’ – if that were a reallife scenario, I would have been killed.

“When I slumped back in the car, my instructor asked me why I didn’t move my foot from the clutch to the accelerator – the car was still in gear, so we could have gotten away. At that moment, I learnt a hard lesson about my survival instincts: I didn’t have any! My response was to freeze rather than react, so I knew I needed to train that habit out and learn a different reaction, build a different instinct. That was what our training was all about: refining and recalibrating our instincts.”

The tradeoffs of being a woman at the CIA

As we talked about Rupal’s time at the CIA, she reflected upon her career path and the many accomplishments she had obtained. “One of the most common questions I receive is whether I would want my daughters to join the CIA and follow in my footsteps, should they wish to,” Rupal shares. “And I always say absolutely, yes!

“The organisation has such a great sense of camaraderie, so you join knowing no one will be left behind. Of course, it can be an intimidating industry, so more progress does need to be made. It can be especially challenging for women. The role requires a lot of travelling, which can put a strain on relationships. Many women who do pursue a career in this high-octane world struggle to find partners who will accept this way of living, whereas sadly, men don’t have

You hear so many stories about how sexy the entrepreneurial lifestyle is, but it couldn’t be further from reality – at least, when you start up

to worry about the same thing. A lot more progress is needed to allow women to reach the top without neglecting other aspects of their lives, but I think we are going in the right direction.”

Transitioning to the Business World

Around two years before Rupal decided to leave the CIA, she began to feel that she was ready for another next challenge. After some thoughtful reflection and weighing other options, she decided to study for her MBA. “While I was studying, I realised I didn’t want to work for somebody else,” Rupal says. “I wanted to put myself to the ultimate test, to see whether I could launch a business.

“My first venture was a real-estate business, of which I’m still the head. It started during the second year of my MBA, and it slowly grew from there. The process of becoming a business owner was stressful and lonely. You hear so many stories about how sexy the entrepreneurial lifestyle is, but it couldn’t be further from reality – at least, when you start up. Most businesses fail in the first five years, but I chose to remain tactically ignorant to the enormity of the challenges that were ahead of me; my tactic was to live in the moment and deal with the challenges when they came instead of obsessing over what-ifs, but it was still really, really hard.

“One of the main things I struggled with was going from a social environment where I was around a lot of people to being at home by myself, all the time. I also had to redefine my sense of self, because we often associate ourselves with the organisation we’re attached to. When we leave that university or business, that sense of identity is suddenly taken away, and it takes a lot of getting used to.

One of the main things that kept me going during those early difficult years was my stubbornness and being able to keep my eye on the bigger picture. I told myself that I was the only one who would decide whether I quit or kept going – I wouldn’t let circumstances, challenges, or other factors outside of my control dictate that to me

“And through the process of growing and scaling this business, I rediscovered themes from my previous life – such as my passion for developing an expertise and sharing that knowledge others who could benefit from it – that evolved into my work now as an advisor, strategist, consultant, author, and speaker.

Rupal is a self-professed geek. Researching, analysing and sharing information have been consistent themes in her life, and she found ways to build that into her second venture, Entreprenora. “As I was learning how to run and grow my real-estate business, I made a point to share my hard-won (and sometimes humorous!) lessons with other people and I kept being asked for advice from other founders and corporate leaders,” Rupal says. “I loved helping other leaders, so I started a second company specifically to help businesses and executives achieve big ambitions and make their vision

“A lot of this requires 1:1 work with leaders, who I help to uncover their unique leadership style and show them how to tangibly leverage their strengths to build their businesses and get the best from their teams. Now, more than ever, leaders are questioning the notion of being the sterotypical shouty, alpha boss and asking if there’s another way. I’m here

with less inner turmoil. The saying, ‘at every level there’s a different devil’, couldn’t ring more true. There will always be new challenges to face in life,

but what’s important is that you develop your resilience muscle to handle these

“My next big project is to launch my book, From CIA to CEO, in the US (it’s already a best-seller around the world!). The book highlights my lessons and experiences from the CIA, and shows how anyone can use the same tools and techniques in their day-today lives to achieve anything they want to.

“From a business perspective, I’m currently delivering leadership programmes within large organisations – from banks

to retailers to government agencies – to help them build their pipelines of female leaders, as many organisations are still lagging in getting high-calibre women into senior, board, and executive roles. I’ve also launched an executive wellbeing programme to arm leaders with the tangible tools they need to manage their time, energy, and emotions, so they they avoid burnout and perform at their best, which will also create positive ripple effects throughout their organisations.

“Wherever my path takes me, I always make sure to remember how fortunate

I am. Being born in the US and being born into my family were two of the luckiest things that could have happened to me. I did nothing to “deserve” it. It just happened. And so, whatever I do, wherever I go, I am keenly aware that I owe it to all of the people who don’t have the same freedoms and opportunities – from the women in my own ancestry to the billions of people in the world today who don’t live in free countries or with guaranteed rights – to live my life to the fullest, to live every day as an adventure, and to never take any of it for granted.”

Ada Lovelace

1815 - 1852

Ada Lovelace is regarded as the world's first computer programmer. In the 19th century, she collaborated with inventor Charles Babbage – who designed the steam-powered mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine, and recognised the machine's potential. Ada went on to write instructions that allowed the machine to create complex music, art and mathematical tables. Her work laid the foundation for modern computer programming.

Helen Keller

1880 - 1968

Despite her profound disabilities, Helen Keller learned to communicate through the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who taught her to read, write, and speak. Helen went on to attend college and become a prolific writer and speaker, advocating for the rights of people with disabilities while raising awarenwess of blindness, deafness, and polio. Helen was also a committed activist and advocate for social justice, speaking out against war, poverty, and discrimination.

Bessie Coleman

1882 - 1926

Despite facing racial and gender discrimination, Bessie Coleman was determined to become a pilot; she later went on to be named the first woman of African American and Native American descent to hold a licence. Bessie was a highly celebrated and well-respected pilot, known for her daring stunts and performances. She used her legacy to advocate for equality, civil rights, and women, refusing to perform in segregated venues.

Anna May Wong

1905 – 1961

Anna May Wong is considered the first Chinese-American Hollywood movie star, yet, despite her talent, Hollywood execs limited her to racially stereotypical roles in films. Nevertheless, she is remembered as a pioneer who paved the way for future generations of Asian-American actors, helping to challenge Hollywood's racial biases. Her role in advancing representation and visibility for Asian-American actors continues to inspire people today.

THE WORLD HAS CHANGED. HAVE YOU?

Is it time to rethink how procurement delivers on your organization’s objectives? The world’s leading businesses trust Proxima.

Accelerating purposeful and profitable change

PURPOSEFUL AND PROFITABLE CHANGE WITH PROXIMA

Proxima COO, Dan Collings discusses how suppliers are now finally being see as the “external enterprise” and why it is now or never for procurement

Rosa Parks

1913 - 2005

Whilst the current economic environment is challenging, even today there is enormous value to be had in spending wisely and well. “Around seventy percent of company spend is on supply,’’ says Dan Collings, COO of Procurement and Supply Chain Consultancy Proxima. ‘Getting that spending right is a valuable differentiator for businesses in the good but especially in the not so good times. It is more critical than ever to ensure that suppliers are perfectly aligned to the rhythm of a business, and that every cent is working in pursuit of objectives”.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks – a Black woman – refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white person, violating the southern city's segregation laws. Her subsequent arrest and conviction sparked a year-long boycott of the Montgomery bus system, which played a critical role in the eventual desegregation of public transport. Her refusal to move was a powerful symbol of resistance and, with a significant amount of media coverage, helped galvanise the Civil Rights Movement.

“And objectives evolve”, adds Collings. “Early in my career, nearly every client was asking us to focus on driving savings, something that we still excel at. Today, the definition of value can be much broader, aligned to the realization that suppliers are the ‘external

Maya Angelou

enterprise’. Whether it’s a question of cost, risk, resilience, ESG or innovation, invariably supplier networks are part of the answer”.

1928 - 2014

Walgreens is a perfect example of how Proxima partners with businesses, and ambitious CPOs. “We want to help CPOs to put procurement at the heart of driving profitable and purposeful change. With Walgreens this means helping them to achieve ambitious financial targets while at the same time supporting the transformation of procurement”.

After experiencing racial discrimination and trauma from a young age, Maya Angelou became a much-lauded American poet, author, and civil rights activist. Her work often reflected her personal experiences and explored themes of identity, resilience, and social justice. In her role as a civil rights activist, she worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, advocating for racial equality and social justice. Her contributions to literature have made her a global inspiration for women, particularly Black women.

“We were originally involved in assessing Walgreen’s property portfolio - everything from signage to snow clearing to the dayto-day operations of a Walgreens store. We are now into year seven of our partnership, and it’s one that we deeply value, based on trust and results delivery. What started in property now extends across a significant breadth of procurement and supply chain topics including sourcing, complex transformation and the deployment of deep subject matter expertise”.

And what of savings, are these a thing of the past? “Absolutely not, although perhaps today the job of procurement is more ‘Commercial Architects’ than savings chaser. There is still enormous financial value to be had in most organizations, if you know where to look”.

Gloria Steinem

1934 - PRESENT

American feminist, journalist, and social activist Gloria Steinem was a leading figure in the women's liberation movement in the 1960s and ‘70s, and continues to advocate for gender equality to this day. Throughout her career, she has been a fierce advocate for women's rights, speaking out against sexism, racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination. Gloria co-founded Ms. Magazine, with her writing helping to give voice to the experiences and concerns of women in America.

Kamala Harris

1964 - PRESENT

Kamala Harris was born to parents who emigrated to the US from India and Jamaica. As both of her parents were activists, she had a deep sense of justice instilled in her from a young age. Having devoted her working life to public service, Kamala was elected VP of the US in 2020. For this, she made history as the first female, first Black and first Asian-American VP – yet she is determined not to be the last, making it her mission to inspire young girls.

Malala Yousafzai

1997 - PRESENT

On her way home from school, a masked gunman shot Malala Yousafzai in the left side of the head. To ‘deserve’ this, she had simply spoken out publicly about girls’ right to education in Pakistan. Thankfully, Malala survived. With the help of her father, Malala established the Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to giving every girl an opportunity to achieve the future she chooses. Malala is also the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Greta Thunberg

2003 - PRESENT

At 16 years old, Greta Thunberg was taught about climate change at school, but became frustrated after seeing nothing was being done to prevent it. She took matters into her own hands and began to strike, and, in 2019, 1.6 million people across the globe joined her. Now, Greta has become a symbol of climate change and has earned numerous accolades in doing so. She is also releasing a book in 2023 called The Climate Book.

in the SP RT SP TLIGHT

Schecter Phoebe

Despite growing up in the US, Phoebe Schecter didn’t find her passion for American football until she reached the UK. Now, as the Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee at the British American Football Association, she uses the sport as a tool to celebrate, educate and unite others

xplosive power. Tactical manoeuvres. Fast decisionmaking. Strength, agility, and speed. What do these attributes all have in common? They can all be found on the American football field. Although the game is typically dominated by men, with only 10% of America’s 5.5mn players being women, American football buff Phoebe Shechter is on a mission to increase the representation of women in the sport.

Hi Phoebe, how did you start playing American football?

I was 22 years old when I moved from the US to the UK to work for an English gentleman on the Dutch Olympic team. Although I was enjoying the role, I found myself missing home and wanting to make new friends. I then saw an ad on Facebook for trials for Manchester’s American football team and I saw it as a sign. Even though I had no prior experience or interest in the sport, I wanted to give it a try as I always believed that you’re more likely to take risks and thrive when you are out of your comfort zone – so that’s exactly what I did!

I’d never played a contact sport before, but I fell in love with it and somehow made the team. We then became the first English NFL team for women, and from here, I started coaching.

What does the sport now mean to you?

At first, I didn’t understand the sport, but when I started playing and I found a position that spoke to me, I really fell in love with it. It also became more than just a hobby – I made friends, so it felt like a community.

Only the other day I attended the wedding of one of the girls I met in my first season almost 10 years ago; that’s what I was looking to build.

I also use sports as a form of meditation. It’s the only time I can switch off from thinking about other things in work and life, for example. Although I’ve played sports throughout my life, NFL is the first sport I’ve come across that’s inclusive to everyone – no matter their height, weight, or body type. I see it as a game of chess; everyone has to work together to out-wit the other team. So you might just have to run in a straight line, but by doing so, you're helping someone else in your team. I love the element every player is like a cog in a machine and everyone has to do their job for it to function properly.

What would you say to others that would like to get involved but are apprehensive about the contact element of American football?

There are contact and non-contact versions of American football, so physicality shouldn’t

be a deterring factor. But I always encourage others interested in finding out more to just go for it and give it a try. There are so many different elements to the game, whether that’s working out a strategy, coaching, drawing stats or being a player, there’s something to suit every skill set. But even if you’ve tried it and figured it’s not for you, at least you can say you’ve tried something new!

Through your role, how are you trying to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sport?

I work on creating a number of initiatives to improve the sport, asking what our sport looks like, who are the stakeholders, and what are their needs, for example. But a lot of what I do is celebrating or educating others on essential topics, such as transgender athletes, encouraging more minorities into the sport or elevating the LGBTQIA+ community. We encourage people to tell their stories in the hope that others can relate. Another huge topic we cover is having a baby within sports and what this looks like for parents.

Women have just as much of a right to have the knowledge and to have passion about something, whether it’s seen as male-dominated or not

So, does parenthood impact a mother’s ability to play American football?

We found that a lot of women thought that, once they turned 30 and had a baby, they had to stop playing American football – but that’s really not the case. What’s really cool about our women’s teams – and even one of the men’s teams – is that players are encouraged to bring their kids to practice sessions, so they can all play together. This brings such a great sense of the community as, often, when people fall pregnant or have a family, they can’t do many of the things that they used to do. But even those who are

watching on the sidelines are encouraged to cheer on their friends or to go for a coffee and cake after practice to ensure they’re still part of the community.

What obstacles do you think deter girls and women from joining the sport?

For younger girls, there’s the element of not being comfortable in their own bodies. In the UK, girls will often have to play in mixed-sex teams, which can make people feel uncomfortable. I’ve also found that some people don’t think they have the right body type to play sports, but the truth is that we need people of all different shapes

and sizes. Learning that that is a strength, not a weakness.

American football can be seen as a male-dominated sport. Why is it important to have a female voice and role models present?

Truthfully, I don’t care which sport it is, women have just as much of a right to have the knowledge and to have passion about something, whether it’s seen as maledominated or not. I don't think it should be gender-based. As the representation of women in sports is growing throughout the media, it’s showing young boys and girls that

women can achieve these roles and that they’re there because of their knowledge, not just for visual purposes or positive discrimination.

Encouraging more women to pursue careers in sports is one of the key ways to boost their representation because if you can see it, you can believe it, right? I never thought I could be an American football coach because I never saw one that looked like me – they were always men. So by ensuring women, as well as people with different religious backgrounds, abilities, and ethnic backgrounds are represented in sports, we’re showing the next generation that they can do anything they set their mind to.

Diversity is a great thing for business and society – whether we’re considering the moral or economic argument

Likewise, what’s been your greatest success?

The business being acquired was lifechanging and definitely what other people would pinpoint as my ‘greatest success’. For me, the personal journey I’ve been on is right up there alongside the exit – it’s been such a transformation.

I grew up on free school meals and didn’t have any positive role models – in work or in business. Everything I’ve achieved means that much more because I did it against the odds.

How and why are you passionate about inspiring entrepreneurs from working-class backgrounds?

Working-class people have as much talent but just a fraction of the opportunity; the same goes for other groups who aren’t white, wealthy or English-speaking. The entrepreneurial world was a bit of a culture shock for me. Growing up, I thought if you had £100k to your name, you were crazy rich. But when I started going to networking events, I heard people talking about friends and family funding their idea with up to £200k – like it was nothing!

People that grow up poor, as I did, often make for better, more resourceful entrepreneurs – they know the value of money and often have an endless drive. Diversity is a great thing for business and society – whether we’re considering the moral or economic argument.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs, especially those from working-class backgrounds?

Don’t listen to people around you that say you won’t go far. If you want it bad enough

you can do it. Constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone and keep your curiosity high – there are endless resources online that don’t cost a dime. Most importantly, don’t believe that voice that says you’re undeserving – human value isn’t measured by wealth.

What would you say has been the secret to your success?

Determination. That I would live a different life from the one I was born into. That I would have the freedom to choose how to spend my time in this relatively short life!

I would say an endless curiosity has also been a big driver. I love to learn and test myself in difficult scenarios. I can’t stand

letting anxiety win so I constantly push myself to do something if I notice it.

What plans do you have for future entrepreneurial ventures?

I’m about to launch a side hustle, which is a ‘how to do your own PR’ course for business owners, that’s vetted and delivered by journalists. It’s incredible how much success PR has brought for me – and people just have no clue where to start!

For my next big start-up, I’m looking at the digital healthcare space. Women have been ignored and underserved by traditional healthcare routes for too long. I’d like to help them access guidance and treatment for things like menopause and pregnancy.

PHOTOGRAPHER, BASED IN LA, CA

ECCENTRIC, EXPERIMENTAL , & BOLD ELEMENTS

Invest like a VC

Paula Tavangar Principal, SwissBorg Ventures

How does a retail investor replicate, as closely as possible, a venture capital (VC) investment strategy?

Paula Tavangar, Principal at SwissBorg Ventures examines this concept – hypothetically, of course, without considering this as financial advice

he blockchain sector created the opportunity for retail investors to access early stage and private deals, which has a lot of benefits as long as we recognise the risks. And, while venture capital (VC) usually refers to any private funding up to Series E, here, we will examine the earliest opportunities, because, according to statistics, 81% of all VC investments went to early-stage blockchain startups in Q2 2022.

You’ve probably heard the saying: “The higher the risk, the higher the return”, so compared to listed projects, investing at an early stage is much riskier. Therefore, one firstly needs to evaluate if they are comfortable with such a level of risk and what portion of their portfolio can be allocated to these riskier investments.

Ideally, a risk-balanced, efficient portfolio would include 5% risky or alternative assets – a nice benchmark to allocate to pre-launch projects.

Investment thesis

To start with, VCs have an investment thesis, which is formed based on the manager's market outlook for the next 5-10 years when we talk about equity, and 3-5 years considering token investment. So start with deep market research, thorough reading of the news and investor newsletters, released by funds and all other relevant information to form a mid-term outlook. For this purpose, I find listening to interviews with top project founders or joining events to listen to industry leaders very beneficial.

Hedge fund company, Polychain Capital, says: “Over the next decade, new and existing asset classes will be ported natively

onto the internet, with all value transfer settling on blockchains. What’s more:

• Financial services and marketplaces will become automated with self-executing software called smart contracts

• This will lead to both disintermediation of existing financial services and novel applications uniquely enabled by crypto technologies

• Deeply technical investors with massive networks and a participatory approach are best situated to create and capture outlier value”

Investment mandate

Based on the investment thesis, we derive the investment mandate, which sets out a specific target for the investments, as well as a set of rules to guide the investment process.

Pantera Capital Fund III says: “Fund III focused on companies enabling the institutionalisation of digital assets as an asset class.”

After the area of focus is known, next comes the qualifying criteria. Usually, VCs have a large list of requirements, but also, as a retail investor, checking those might save you from making incorrect decisions and falling for scams.

All investments should be considered as a portfolio rather than individual assets

– POLYCHAIN CAPITAL

Examples of initial project screening criteria are as follows:

• Team and experience

As a retail investor, you probably won’t have direct access to the founders, but you may still focus on reviewing the founders’ public profiles, examining if they have both the technical and professional expertise to run a business. VCs would usually run a background check, too.

• Positioning and comparative analysis

How is the project positioned in the current market, is the idea way too ahead of its time? Sometimes, I see impressive projects, but either the market is not developed for their product yet or the infrastructure is missing. Competitors’ analysis can help to investigate if there is an existing market. If there are zero competitors there are two things to consider: if there is Proof of Concept (PoC) and existing traction. Most probably, the product is unique and well positioned, but if it's still at the idea stage,

no competition would probably mean that the market is not ready for it.

• Revenue and business model

Is the business model agile and sustainable? Are there enough revenue streams to cover the expenses, and are they scalable? This is a bit more difficult to answer without having access to the full financial data of the company, but try examining how the revenue is generated.

• Valuation

Always calculate what valuation you are entering at and do comparative analysis with similar projects. If no similar project exists, maybe compare to the top liquid assets at the time to see if the valuation is too high or not. For instance, if the highest, fully-diluted valuation in the same ecosystem is US$2bn, how much upside would you have entering a new project at US$900mn?

• Security and tech stack

As much as this requires specific technical knowledge, it is important to study if there was an external security audit on the smart contract to avoid cases like the Ronin Bridge network, which lost US$600mn in an attack overnight.

• Regulation and possible regulatory challenges

After multiple misconducts from Terra, Voyager, Celsius, 3AC to FTX, regulation will become stricter and inevitable, so when we examine a project we always try to foresee any potential regulatory challenges.

Based on the investment mandate, a particular criteria can be developed to cover the industry specifics.

Over the next decade, new and existing asset classes will be ported natively onto the internet, with all value transfer settling on blockchains

– POLYCHAIN CAPITAL

PaulaTavangar MEET

Paula Tavangar is a serial entrepreneur and renowned leader within the fintech, blockchain, and quantitative finance space. Recently, Paula joined forces with Swissborg Ventures, where she occupies a senior level role, utilising her expertise in blockchain technologies and venture capital to lead the investment process and promote deal sourcing. Her previous experience is mainly sourced from a variety of thriving companies, which she has either improved or co-founded. In 2018, Paula co-founded Genesis Capital LATAM, where she was directly responsible for developing a high-frequency algorithmic trading arbitrage strategy that’s crucial to the firm’s success. She played an active role in managing Quant Arbitrage Fund at the company until transitioning into her role at Swissborg Ventures in 2022. The same year, she also co-founded an Islamic Fintech startup, Wethaq, which serves industry standardisation by issuing Sukuks (Islamic bonds) on the distributed ledger.

Due diligence and diversification

Please keep in mind that we do similar due diligence on both tokens or equity, but since tokens are offered more often for retail investors, you might want to get a deeper understanding about how tokenomics work and focus a large part of your analysis there. This also should be reflected in the revenue model; you probably hear a lot about “utility” when it comes to tokens, and utility is a particular use in the ecosystem.

If the token is not designed to serve a specific purpose or it doesn’t reflect the product's revenue, no matter how successful the project gets, this probably won’t have an impact on the token’s price action.

VC backing can also be considered, because VC firms usually advise and deploy resources that increase the chances of success for the project. Also, every VC does its own due diligence and interviews the founders, partially serving as a proof of concept. You will probably doubt the VCs’

analysis skills after the FTX fiasco, but still, on average, projects with proper backing tend to perform better.

Diversification is a key risk management strategy implemented in all types of investing and venture capital – early stage is no exception. VCs mainly profit from asymmetric returns, that’s why it is important to not put all your eggs in one basket – all investments should be considered as a portfolio rather than individual assets. For example, if you already invested in five

The average VC aims for 500% returns on its investments in a 2-3 year span

DEXs, you would want to stay away from the sector and maybe add security solutions or gamefi, for example. The average VC aims for 500% returns on its investments in a 2-3 year span. This is achieved through intense diversification, so even if 60% of the startups invested in failed, the rest return the revenue.

Ticket size is also an important risk measurement. Keeping the allocation per subsector almost equal can help with the diversification and also ensure that there is no overexposure to a particular asset.

Such early stage opportunities can be currently accessed through investment decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) and launchpads. And, as the majority of the platforms offer only tokens at an early stage, the next layer of digitalisation is coming to equity. We broadly expect equity to also be directly accessible by the community, that is why SwissBorg pioneered the sector by offering, in future, exclusive access to equity as well as tokens.

In a nutshell, early stage investment is riskier and has a longer investment horizon. That is why, until today, it was mostly reserved to institutions only: they have the resources to evaluate those risks. However, as I mentioned, blockchain made – and is making – such opportunities accessible to the retail investor.

– POLYCHAIN CAPITAL

ACADEMY

Michelle Li Founder, Clever Carbon and Women & Climate

Children are the future, which is why we need to ensure they’re equipped with all the tools and skills to advocate climate justice.

Michelle Li shares how parents can ensure their children are taking the right steps to a more sustainable future

he more girls we can recruit for climate action, the better. But climate change can be a difficult topic to discuss with children; how on earth do you explain the disastrous effects that it’s having on the planet, without arousing fear and panic?

Nevertheless, as climate change is a vast issue that touches many different aspects of our everyday lives, it needs to be addressed as early as possible. It’s therefore paramount that we ensure young girls are raised to be eco-conscious while being taught how to lead a sustainable lifestyle from a young age.

Creating sustainable futures

Michelle Li, Founder and CEO of Clever Carbon and Women and Climate, shares that one of the most simple ways to introduce girls to a sustainable lifestyle is to lead by example and be a role model. “Parents have big opportunities to help children learn more about sustainability and the climate by incorporating conscious thinking into their everyday life,” Michelle says.

To educate our children, however, we first need to educate ourselves. “Teaching kids is important, but teaching parents is equally important. After all, they control the budget, they decide what gets bought and they choose the lifestyles that the family leads. Once parents understand what they can do to improve their lifestyles, they can pass this knowledge on to their children. For this reason, I encourage parents to focus on actions and things that can be done today to show children that their impact makes a difference.”

Another aspect parents can educate their children on is their diet and understanding

4 steps to creating an eco-friendly lifestyle

Michelle’s top tips for encouraging more girls to adopt sustainable habits

Consider diet. Try introducing more meat-free days or growing fruit and veg at home.

Encourage children to spend more time outdoors so they can learn about nature and the planet.

Teach children about the waste they’re accumulating and how to reduce it.

Incentivise slow fashion and only buying items that are really needed.

how they can make more sustainable choices by being conscious of what they eat.

“Food and diet are major factors,” Michelle says. “For example, parents can start by including more plant-based meals in the weekly food plan, shopping locally for seasonal ingredients, and including children in the conversations about why these choices are better for the planet.”

This, of course, extends into everyday life, with Michelle urging parents to teach children how to compost and recycle correctly, while encouraging them to shop from zero-waste stores and even grow their own fruit and vegetables in the garden.

“There are fun ways in which these lifestyle choices can be introduced to children,” Michelle explains. “For example, by asking children to collect, weigh and record the waste that they accumulate, and then encouraging them to reduce this amount each week or month. This will not only enable them to learn how to reduce their waste, but it will incentivise them to be conscious about the waste that comes with the products they’re purchasing.”

Fast fashion has become another well-known climate killer. Now, a whole new outfit can be purchased for pennies at the swipe and click of a button.

That’s why it's important to educate children on the alternative options available to them, such as buying second-hand or mending items once they’re ripped or broken.

“We live in a world where everything can be bought instantly, which can cause

many of us to buy products, especially clothing, that we don’t need,” Michelle explains. “Parents can show their children that purchases don’t have to be immediate by taking them to thrift stores, searching around at other retailers and asking them to question whether they really need the purchase.”

So whether you want to start with the clothes on your back, the food you eat or the rubbish that you throw away, there are small steps we can all take towards living a more sustainable lifestyle. But what’s really important is passing these down to the generations to come.

Parents can show their children that purchases don’t have to be immediate MICHELLE LI

We took to our social media platforms to ask the March8 community their thoughts on some of today’s most current topics

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION:

How do you ensure that your busy schedule doesn’t cause you to burn out?

“As a busy working mum of four, in order for me to be the best mum, daughter, sister, friend and wife, I need to have some time to myself where I can just unwind and recharge.

“Once I get some ‘me time’ and do what I like to do, I get to discover who I am. It just takes some time on my own, without being called every two seconds or having to do one task after the other. I find I am a better listener and I am actually present to fully engage in conversations.”

HAYRD Blog

“I make sure I get some fresh air and move my body in some way every day to help manage my mental health and to avoid burnout.”

Shilpa Bhim

“I take a few minutes to do some basic yoga stretches in a private room at the office that overlooks the skyline. A change from my screen and a challenge for my body benefits my mind, and I feel the burnout go out of the window. Humans are not sedentary creatures, laptops are.”

Helen Adams

Join our growing community of dynamic women for free

Access expert tips, videos & podcasts

Join

Defy age & be sensational!

Are you SIX-OH or near enough?

Do you want to defy age by being, dynamic, healthy, engaged, contributing, being the BEST version of you?

Access being SENSATIONAL through:

WISDOM - innate knowing CURIOSITY - looking forward not back ENERGY - dynamic good health, and zip PURPOSE - contribution, plan and mission

Join us to access...

Our interviews

Tips and tricks that show you how to be Wise, Curious, Energetic and on a mission for you and the world

Health courses run by TOP nutritionist, the sensational Kate Cook

Offers on products and services that contribute to SENSATIONAL

You are not your AGEyou are your ENERGY

KATE COOK