Hershey takes top spot among female-friendly companies

Hershey takes top spot among female-friendly companies | Founder: Why sustainability must be brands' focus | 2021 VC trend breaks records for women-led companies Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( November 4, 2021 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 [] [Hershey takes top spot among female-friendly companies]( Hershey, led by CEO Michele Buck, is No. 1 on Forbes' list of the [World's Top Female-Friendly Companies](, based on a survey of 85,000 women in 40 countries rating factors such as how the company promotes gender equality. Southwest Airlines, Miele Gruppe, Skanska and Citrix Systems round out the Top 5. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (11/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Today's leadership [] [Founder: Why sustainability must be brands' focus]( Shazi Visram, whose organic baby food company Happy Family Organics was sold to Danone in 2013, is focused on encouraging brands to embrace sustainability as consumers increasingly demand environmentally friendly practices. "Companies must now rely on authenticity to drive trust, because authenticity can be easily checked and tested," Visram says. Full Story: [Inc. (tiered subscription model)]( (11/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [2021 VC trend breaks records for women-led companies]( 2021 VC trend breaks records for women-led companies (Morgan Housel/Unsplash) Venture capital investments dropped for women-founded companies in 2020, but they bounced back stronger for women in 2021 than for the market as a whole, according to a study from PitchBook, Beyond the Billion and J.P. Morgan, which logged a 143.6% increase in exit activity for women-founded companies compared with a 101.5% increase overall. "[This] points to superior business performance for companies with women in leadership positions," according to the report. Full Story: [Institutional Investor]( (11/2), [The New York Times]( (11/2), [Fortune (tiered subscription model)]( (11/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Grants support expansion of company for girls in STEM]( Abi Olukeye founded Smart Girls HQ when her young daughters began to express gendered notions about what girls should be interested in, and Olukeye couldn't find STEM-related products that didn't fit gendered stereotypes. The company, which was awarded three grants this year totaling more than $450,000, offers STEM products linked to female students' interests, a website with STEM resources for parents and mentors, and a weekly outreach program at an elementary school. Full Story: [Queen City Nerve (Charlotte, N.C.)]( (10/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How Estee Lauder is avoiding holiday supply chain woes]( Estee Lauder CEO Fabrizio Freda and Chief Financial Officer Tracey Travis both said holiday sales for the company should be strong, as most of the seasonal lineup has either already arrived at retail or is being shipped via air freight. Supply chain pressures have spurred Estee Lauder to lower its annual sales guidance by 1 point despite year-over-year sales increasing 23% for the first fiscal quarter ended Sept 30. Full Story: [CNBC]( (11/2), [Reuters]( (11/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Originals [] - [Plant-based meat makers find ways to stand out in a growing field]( SmartBrief/Food & Travel (10/27) [] - [Will business travel pick up in 2022?]( SmartBrief/Food & Travel (10/25) [] - [How restaurant operators can tap into the latest dessert trends]( SmartBrief/Food & Travel (10/20) Advanced Analytics in R&D Sponsored content from [Kalypso]( [Four Key Questions to Ask Before Implementing Data Quality Software]( Before you embark on the search for data quality software, ensure you are set up for success by asking [these four questions](. [] Diversity & Inclusion Trends [] [Why your inclusion initiatives might be incomplete]( Inclusion efforts fail when task forces' ideas are limited by decision-makers for being too complicated, but an intersectional approach takes multiple identities into account and corrects issues that lead to marginalization, writes Ludmila Praslova of Vanguard University. Additionally, efforts must be comprehensive so workers overcome every barrier, and initiatives must be entrenched in every aspect of the company, Praslova writes. Full Story: [Fast Company (tiered subscription model)]( (11/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Create a more inclusive workplace through storytelling]( Create a more inclusive workplace through storytelling (JC Olivera/Getty Images) Improve diversity and inclusion by encouraging employees to share their personal stories with co-workers at meetings and other in-person and online forums, write Selena Rezvani and Stacey A. Gordon. "The best way to create a cascading inclusion effect in an organization is to offer safe spaces where stories can be heard without judgment," they write. Full Story: [Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model)]( (11/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Shareholder activists gain ground on ESG issues]( Investors focused on environmental, social and governance issues were more successful this year, compared with last year, reports the Diligent Institute after analyzing data from 726 companies. "This year has shown that there is going to be great pressure on issuers and their boards to improve their disclosure on ESG practices, such as climate change targets and focus on diversity, equity and inclusion," says Edna Frimpong, the institute's international research chief. Full Story: [Corporate Secretary]( (10/28) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [] Creativity is just one of those strange, elusive things. It's like trying to grab a cloud. 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