VEST Her

Problem: Covid-19 has disproportionately affected women resulting in double-digit unemployment, increased hours of child care, lost hours and benefits. Women of color, who are more likely to be sole breadwinners and low income workers, are suffering acutely with unemployment rate for Latinas at 15% and 14% for Black women. All while continuing to earn less than men. Furthermore, Covid-19 has made it even harder for women with families to join training opportunities due to increased hours of child/elder care and/or loss of income. 

Solution: Remote and flexible access to top executive and professional coaches as well as peer-peer mentorship with influential women. As well as job boards, board appointments, speaking and other career advancement opportunities through our partner network.

At scale: We'd be providing upward career mobility for women looking to further their career but lack the financial resources and flexibility to join exclusive networks, training and networking opportunities.

Although women represent half of the U.S. population, labor force, and businesses, they only account for less than six percent of CEO positions at S&P 500 companies, two percent of venture capital and less than 30 percent of elected officials. Those numbers are not mutually exclusive. Covid-19 has disproportionately affected women resulting in double-digit unemployment, increased hours of child care, lost hours and benefits. Women of color, who are more likely to be sole breadwinners and low income workers, are suffering acutely with unemployment rate for Latinas at 15% and 14% for Black women. All while continuing to earn less than men.Furthermore, Covid-19 has made it even harder for women with families to join training opportunities due to increased hours of child/elder care and/or loss of income. We are the right program at the right time. Covid-19 will result in women losing decade’s worth of economic advancement if we don't intervene.

What we do: As part of our network, members have exclusive access to some of the top executive, professional coaches as well as peer-peer mentorship with other influential women. Through our partners, we offer perks as well as board, investment, speaking and other career advancement opportunities.  

How we do it: We convene monthly and confidentially to provide members the tools, resources and network they need to move up the ladder and bring others along. We partner with organizations with similar objectives that offer career advancement opportunities for women. 

How are we different:

Immersive Online Experience
Designed and Curated by Women
Exclusive focus on career mobility for Women 
Recorded Content, Tool Kits and Community
Unlike other programs that end up like gym-memberships, unused, we rely and measure membership retention and participation. 

Who benefits: Women looking to further their career, involvement and influence in their community but lack the financial resources and flexibility to join exclusive networks, training and networking opportunities.

How do we contribute: Covid-19 has made it even harder for women with families to join training and networking opportunities due to increased hours of child/elder care and/or loss of income. Through VEST online platform women can access and consume content at their convenience wherever they are located. VEST platform removes the cost and flexibility barriers for women seeking professional development and coaching. We'll also connect women across sectors, geography lines, and economic backgrounds with each other. Leveraging VEST established network and partner organizations, we'll provide access to job boards, board appointments, investment and public speaking opportunities which builds capacity and expedites the pipeline of women in positions of power.

How do we measure: We'll know we are making progress through membership acquisition, engagement, career advancement and placement. Increase in the number of women in leadership positions and a sustainable pipeline of emerging career-ready leaders to fill capacity and succession. 

We are looking to stop the disproportionate effects of Covid-19 on women as they are forced to leave the workplace to care for family. We are looking to expedite the pipeline and pathways for women to reach upward career mobility. 

3 full time.

13 contractors.

Our team and board is comprised of individuals from all different ethnicities, social and economic backgrounds. VEST objective is to have at least 50% of our membership represented by BIPOC and members of the LGBTQ community who identify as female, trans or non binary. We are intentional about forming partnerships with existing organizations already providing tools and resources to women and underrepresented communities. Our online forum makes our program more accessible to those with physical disabilities and members with restricted to networks because of their location. We'll also make sure we incorporate all accessibility tools to our content, including SDH, Subtitles, Closed Captions, etc.