“The world of writing and editing and publishing was dominated by men for much of human history. While women have an easier time making headway now, that long, dark vestigial tail is still right there at the base of our spine. Working twice as hard feels like table stakes. I was raised by a mother who finished her PhD while holding down a full-time job, and a father who was the president of the Society of Female Engineers. But after emerging from that egalitarian bubble, I was pummeled by sexism of every stripe, from pre-MeToo predators to plain old contempt. I’d never have survived without the women who stood by me and I want to give that back. Also: it’s time to admit that women run the world.

“(Being a Jewish woman) drew me to story, made me value the dissenting voice, and heightened my sense of the shortness of time. It also means that I spend much of my workday thinking about my next meal.”
– Shoshana Berger

“I work in a creative field as the founder of Epic Playdate, a creative web design and marketing studio, and am a former 15-year ad agency producer. Being a woman means everything to me since I ‘grew up in my career’ (now – wow – 25 years ago!) in corporate worlds with older men at the helm. I am grateful for crossing paths with a few female leaders who mentored and encouraged me to be active, thoughtful and ambitious in my career journey. In turn, I have – and continue – to support and empower other women of all ages and phases of life to pursue and do.

“To me, women are amazing humans. I mean just incredible. The sheer capacity a woman has on a daily basis truly makes the world go round. However, there is still quite an imbalance and disparity between genders in several facets of life – economic and workplace – to name a few. Being vocal and expressing a collective female voice is important to me. I have been part of several organizations in support of women’s issues, including Marshall Plans for Moms and, very recently joining the Core Team and building the brand and phase one site experience for We3, the first web-3 focused network for women and non-binary professionals to thrive. We are very much in the infancy phase as we transition into web3 and already ‘women in the web3 workforce’ is nominal compared to men. This must shift. While I certainly find delight, joy and connection in supporting women, I am dedicated to actively being there for others. I often say to peers, clients and family and friends – it takes a tribe of supporters for women (and all people) to thrive….and I want to be part of yours.”

“As a culturally-focused Jewish woman, I felt a shift in my Jewishness when my daughter was born in 2014. Perhaps this kickstarted a more powerful sense of purpose and perspective with my Jewish culture in my day-to-day life – of course, extending to my work ethos. I spent clear time thinking about how I wanted to be as a Jewish mother and how to raise and empower my Jewish daughter. With this spirit, in the last eight years, my work has shifted as I moved away from corporate and into my own creative consultancy. I intentionally apply my core tenets (all stemming from my Jewishness) into my business model and, more importantly to me, into my relationships with my wonderful clients and team members. I can honestly share that I have never been happier and more content in my work life due to applying – and living – these core values daily.”
– Rebecca Orlov

“It was the women in my family who held us together, carrying our traditions with them, as we emigrated to a new country, made refugees by violent revolution. Iranian Jewish women embody immeasurable strength and commitment to their families and communities, all while carrying themselves with utmost grace. It’s aspirational for me to hold this balance as I try to bring humanity to my work in technology, and to highlight the beautiful culinary traditions that these women humbly carry out.”
– Tannaz Sassooni