“The returns are actually better when you invest in women,” says the movie Show Her The Money. If that’s so true, then why are women-founded startups only receiving 2% (or less) of invested venture capital dollars each year? Women innovators introduced the electric dishwasher, central gas heating, the medical syringe, bullet-proof fiber (Kevlar), and the list goes on. How much better could our world be if more women-founded startups were getting equal investment funding?
Topics: Leadership, Panel, Women in STEM, Business, Inspiration, Gender Pay Gap, Compensation, Career Possibilities, Advocate, Diversity, #WESTevent, Women in Business, Life Science VC, Venture Capital/VC, Gender Parity, Conversations
You plan your weekend; why not your retirement?
You’d never leave your smartphone on the factory settings, so why set-and-forget your retirement?
For many of us, the effort we put into planning our next vacation far exceeds the attention we give to retirement planning. You waded through so many forms when you started that new job. Retirement stuff got the ‘set-and-forget’ treatment.
Topics: Events, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Career, Women in STEM, Financial, Economics, Compensation, Own It, Empowerment, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave
Topics: Events, Women, Science, Career, Community, Cambridge, negotiation, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Connect, Management, Compensation, Leaders, Own It, Learn, Advocate, #WESTevent, Equity Management, Intellectual Property (IP)
2019-Q1 Post Event Tips: Advocating for Yourself at Work
Do you think you deserve a higher salary in the job offer? Are you aiming to score that promotion this year? Frustrated by the growing workload and the dwindling resources? Couldn’t get to agreement with your team about project deliverables and timelines? Regardless of your role, we negotiate everyday. And these difficult conversations always wrack our nerves. WEST’s first workshop in 2019 by Amy Rebecca Gay provided a framework and practical tools to help us navigate self-advocacy and increase effectiveness in negotiation.
Topics: Gender Balance, Network, negotiation, Workshop, Networking, Relationships, Tools, Developing Your Skills, Compensation, Empowerment
Join WESTorg at Takeda on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, for the #WESTawards to honor individuals in the Boston science and technology community that embody WEST’s 2018-2019 theme, ‘Own It: Empowering Your Career & Your Life’.
WEST is a learning community that provides women in the enterprise of science and technology with the inspiration, knowledge and connections to reach their full potential. Please join #WESTorg and our sponsors, Takeda, Johnson & Johnson and Safety Partners at Takeda’s Cambridge offices for the 2019 #WESTawards and Networking Night to honor individuals in Boston’s STEM community who embody WEST’s mission and our ‘Own It’ theme in their service of inclusivity and empowerment in STEM and STEM initiatives that benefit the community at large.
Topics: Events, Women, Science, Career, Awards, Community, Giving Back, Interview, Cambridge, Success, Network, Inspire, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Biotech, Rockstars, Connect, Making a Difference, Inspiration, Role Models, Volunteer, Compensation, Strengths, Support, Leaders, Impact, Own It, Sponsor, Advocate
Negotiating-while-Womaning: How to Own It and Smash Social Stigmas
It was an early October WEST event. Dr. Amy Rebecca Gay had just started her presentation on self-advocacy and negotiating-while-womaning. I wasn’t expecting the rip tide surge of emotion. It barely touched the surface, but it took the room underwater with a collective two-beat sigh, an almost visible miasma of bang-your-head-against-the-wall frustration. Dr. Gay had just explained Dr. Hannah Riley Bowles’ observation that women pay a ‘social cost’ for effectively negotiating for themselves even when the same exact behaviors and outcomes earn men respect and a social capital bonus. Insert two-beat sigh here. Innnnn, and oooooout.
Topics: Events, Women, Science, Career, Community, Interview, negotiation, Women in STEM, Networking, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Gender Pay Gap, Compensation, Leaders, Career Development, Advocate
Know Your Worth – the key to negotiating your compensation package
For many of us, negotiating our compensation package with a potential new employer can be a scary experience. In fact, almost 20% never negotiate their salaries. Fear and lack of confidence are the main reasons for not asking your real worth. But of the people who overcome their fear and do negotiate, many end up getting a bump close to 10%. So, learning to negotiate your compensation package is an important skill to learn.
Topics: Events, STEM, Women, Financial Planning, Science, Career, Community, Cambridge, negotiation, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Gender Pay Gap, Stock, Compensation