Women and Money: Closing Gender Wage and Wealth Gaps Through Straight Talk on Investing

We know that gender and racial wage gaps mean lower pay, making it difficult for many women to meet anything more than the most basic needs with their salaries. Even those who do make enough to invest do not always make the right choices when it comes to where their money will make the most difference for savings and retirement. 

At BWWC’s Q1 Signer Briefing Session, we heard from Sallie Krawcheck, Co-Founder and CEO of Ellevest discussed how investment shortfalls are connected to gender wage, wealth, and power gaps. More importantly, she helped employers understand what they could do to correct the situation.

A facilitated conversation by BWWC Council member Victoria Budson, Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Bain Capital, followed Krawcheck’s address. 

Sallie Krawcheck is the CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, a tech-first financial company built by women for women to help her earn more money, save more money, and invest to grow her money — by providing the products and coaching to do so — from her first dollar through to Private Wealth services. Ellevest is one of the fastest-growing digital investment platforms and has been named #24 on CNBC’s top 50 "Disruptor" list, #14 on LinkedIn’s 50 “Most Sought-After Startups,” and one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 100 Brilliant Ideas.  Before launching Ellevest, Krawcheck built a successful career on Wall Street: She was the CEO of Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, US Trust, Citi Private Bank, Sanford C. Bernstein, and CFO for Citigroup. Krawcheck has also been called one of the top 10 up-and-coming entrepreneurs to watch by Entrepreneur Magazine and has landed on Vanity Fair’s “The 2018 New Establishment List.”

Victoria Budson is a Partner and Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Bain Capital and a BWWC council member. Budson leads Bain Capital’s DEI strategy and execution as it relates to recruitment, development, culture, and community across the firm and in support of its portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Bain Capital, Budson spent over 20 years at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she was co-founder and Executive Director of the Women and Public Policy Program. Budson consulted on a range of diversity and inclusion matters to a wide variety of clients across sectors and global regions, including many in the financial services industry.