In our efforts to close the gender wage gap in Boston, we work to surface the barriers women in the workplace face in advancing their careers. This year, we wanted to give 100% Talent Compact an opportunity to showcase their innovative initiatives addressing these barriers.

The Innovators’ Breakfast was born in order to recognize the ways employers are already working to make Boston the best place for working women. In this inaugural process, members participated in an application process conducted in partnership with State Street’s Professional Women’s Network.

MEMBERS SUBMITTED INITIATIVES IN ONE OF FOUR CATEGORIES:

After a competitive selection process, BWWC Co-Chair, Cathy Minehan, welcomed Compact members to the first annual Innovators’ Breakfast at the Cambridge Innovation Center-Boston (CIC-Boston) on June 13th. 

We heard from a Compact anchor member, Mass Mutual’s Chief Risk Officer, Geoff Craddock, who spoke on their commitment to help close the gender gap and equalizing the workplace. MassMutual has high standards to not only attract top talent, but also to create a diverse, fair and inclusive workplace where everyone can achieve their career goals.

We also heard from Emme Handy, Chief Financial Officer at the City of Boston to highlight the ways Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the City are listening to women and dismantling the systemic barriers they face, closing the gender wage gap, and calling on employers to change the corporate culture to create environments where women are empowered to truly thrive.

2019 INNOVATIVE INITIATIVES AWARDEES

After creating a process and reviewing dozens of applications, we awarded initiatives with measured results and high ROI that are already in practice at Compact Signer companies. Congratulations to the 2019 awardees: PharmaLogics Recruiting, Boston Children’s Hospital, Hubspot, and Vertex for their dedication to gender equity.

For a full recap video, check it out on our Facebook page.

What’s next?

At the BWWC, we believe this was only the beginning. We went outside the box and we clearly tapped into something. No initiatives will go unrecognized. 

In partnership with State Street’s Professional Women’s Network, we are taking these initiatives and creating a blueprint that present best practices applicable to industry and size of companies. Borne out of the blueprint, we will develop a series of workshops for members. Stay tuned for more details.

We’re grateful to the Cambridge Innovation Center-Boston (CIC-Boston) for hosting the event and for their continued partnership as a 100% Talent Compact signer. If you would like to host one of our events, please contact us at team@bostonwomensworkforcecouncil.org.