CEO talks diversity, how her C-suite experience aligns

Behind this founder's path to mentorship | Accenture CEO: Don't give up office space just yet | How some black business owners are facing crises Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( June 4, 2020 CONNECT WITH NEW  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( €‰ [NEW SmartBrief]( [NEW SmartBrief]( Gender equality news for retail, CPG, financial services and tech [SIGN UP]( â‹… [SHARE]( [] Top of the week [] [CEO talks diversity, how her C-suite experience aligns]( The telecommunications industry needs diversity of gender, location and ways of thinking if it wants to be more innovative says Colt Technology Services CEO Keri Gilder, who was chief commercial officer before the promotion. "For both CCO and CEO, if you get down to brass tacks, they both have employees and customers at the front and center of them," she says. Full Story: [FierceTelecom]( (5/28) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Leading During a Crisis [] [Behind this founder's path to mentorship]( After building and selling a successful business with her husband, Janelle Benjamin shifted to mentoring and providing angel investments. Founders of color look to her for advice, and she's become an investing member of Portfolia Rising America Fund, which backs ventures overlooked by traditional venture capitalists. Full Story: [Forbes]( (6/3) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Accenture CEO: Don't give up office space just yet]( Leaders shouldn't rush to shed physical office space because "personal engagement remains essential for long-term success," says Accenture CEO Julie Sweet. One benefit of remote work, however, is that unnecessary layers and meetings are more difficult to hide. Full Story: [TIME online]( (5/31) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How some black business owners are facing crises]( How some black business owners are facing crises A woman protesting in Houston on May 30. (Mark Felix/Getty Images) Black business owners are forging connections to navigate reactions to the killing of George Floyd while continuing to deal with disruption caused by COVID-19. Harlem Cycle owner Tammeca Rochester, one small-business leader addressing challenges from funding to mental health to racism, says, "I have a profound sense of responsibility to make sure my community comes through not only the pandemic but also through the injustices we are facing." Full Story: [Inc.]( (6/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How managers can support co-workers of color right now]( Managers can be active in opposing racism and supporting co-workers who are people of color by offering time off as needed and by "being empathetic, specific, and heartfelt" in how you will do better, writes Know Your Team CEO Claire Lew. "Be willing to be vulnerable about how you struggle to know what to say," she writes. Full Story: [Know Your Team]( (6/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Originals [] - [Cultural background's influence on how we eat]( SmartBrief/Food & Travel (6/3) [] - [Wellness travel means more in pandemic's wake]( SmartBrief/Food & Travel (6/1) [] - [Nonalcoholic drink trend shows no sign of slowing down]( SmartBrief/Food & Travel (5/27) [] Diversity & Inclusion Trends [] [Why gender equality is more than "nice to have"]( Business leaders shouldn't let equality initiatives fall by the wayside during the pandemic because the future of the workforce depends on women, writes Hepsiburada founder and chairwoman Hanzade Dogan Boyner. Gender equality is "not a 'nice to have'; it's a social and financial imperative," she writes. Full Story: [Fortune (tiered subscription model)]( (6/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Entrepreneur calls for inclusive products, STEM diversity]( Imposter syndrome is not a character flaw, says Lorena Soriano, an entrepreneur and advocate for diversity in STEM. In a Q&A, Soriano discusses her experience with imposter syndrome, building an inclusive workforce and encouraging businesses to create products that represent all people from the get-go -- not years later. Full Story: [Forbes]( (5/31) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Opinion: Female leaders of tomorrow need help now]( Companies and organizations such as Girls Who Code must continue to prioritize investments in inclusion to prepare the next generation of female leaders, many of whom are minorities and are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, writes founder and CEO Reshma Saujani. Thousands of girls have applied for the nonprofit's summer programs and millions are participating in its Code at Home platform. Full Story: [Fast Company online]( (6/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Q&A: Empower black-led orgs to help their communities]( Shifting more resources to black-led organizations invested in bettering their communities is important, says CLLCTIVLY founder Jamye Wooten, whose organization offers microgrants through the Baltimore Black-led Solidarity Fund. "I hope that we begin to see a shift, between COVID-19 and the current protests, that resources are shifted in meaningful ways to black communities to build the capacity of our organizations and to be self determined," Wooten says. Full Story: [Technical.ly]( (6/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [] If you want to change the world, start with yourself. 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