The workforce of the future is not just expecting equality and inclusion. They are demanding it. Discrimination based upon race, gender, and ethnicity doesn't cut it anymore. Furthermore, discrimination and harassment can - and have- engendered disastrous results, causing plummeting stocks, millions in legal settlements, and a permanently tarnished reputation.

Do you want to wait for that to happen or do you want to get ahead of the crisis?

The next generation is looking for organizations where they feel respected, their voices are heard, they feel a sense of purpose, and they are able to reach their full potential. And those organizations embrace them for who they are, regardless of their gender or race or religion.

The world that we live in was designed by and for white Anglosaxon men. It's not intentional, it's just how it was created. Thus, many of the systems and practices that we use on a daily basis are inherently biased towards white male applicants, employees, baristas, you name it.

What a gender and equity consultant does is to work with your company or head of diversity to thoughtfully deconstruct your hiring practices, recruitment practices, and internal practices from an intersectional gendered lens.

Both quantitative analysis and qualitative interviews are utilized to determine where the sticky points are preventing women and people of color from rising. Based upon what we find in the evaluation process, a multifaceted strategy will be designed to counter bias, drive recruitment of women and people of color, create male allies, and enhance leadership building opportunities for diverse staff.

Every organization is different, and our aim is to have a meaningful and lasting impact. Thus, we work with your leadership team to address your company's specific needs, to determine what is feasible, and to design a system that will engender the largest impact.

In particular, we specialize in financial and tech companies.

Some areas we dive into:

1. Recruitment and Hiring

2. Leadership Development Opportunities

3. Promotion Mechanisms

4. Wage Equity

5. Company Culture

6. Attitudes and Unconscious Bias

7. Leave Policies

8. Sexual Harassment Prevention

Why Diversity?

It's the LAW.

It's been well proven that diverse companies outperform ones who aren't, and that sexual harassment affects turnover, productivity, a company's stock performance, and can embed them in millions of dollars in legal fees. But more and more states are now turning that proof into legal requirements. In other words, this is no longer a nice to have, it's a must have.

2020

States Require Sexual Harassment Training, 2020

New York, NJ, Delaware, Idaho, Maine Connecticut, California

https://www.opensesame.com/site/blog/2019-state-specific-sexual-harassment-training-requirements-united-states/

Jan 23, 2020

Goldman Sachs CEO says it won't take a company public without diversity on its board

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/01/23/goldman-sachs-ceo-says-it-wont-take-companies-public-without-diverse-board-member/

Dec 17, 2019

California Companies are Rushing to Find Female Board Members

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/us/california-boardroom-gender-quota.html

"By the end of 2021, the law’s requirements ramp up, compelling companies with five board members to have at least two female directors and at least three on six-person boards. If companies continue to break the law, they face a steeper penalty of $300,000 for every seat that should be filled by a woman."

Some Partners and Clients