Every quarter, the BWWC convenes 100% Talent Compact Signers for Briefing Sessions. These events focus on successful interventions, cutting-edge research for decreasing gender and racial wage gaps, and building community among the Compact Signer network. Our largest Signer gathering of the year is our annual Effective Practices Conference in December.

We are always looking to collaborate and to bring our Signer community the best content, speakers, and expertise. Want to partner? Email us.

Upcoming events

2024 Effective Practices COnference: A Conversation with Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Claudia Goldin

Join us December 4 at Boston University’s Center for Computing & Data Sciences (17th floor) for a conversation with Nobel-Prize winning economist Claudia Goldin and Boston Women’s Workforce Council (BWWC) Co-Chair Cathy Minehan. In her research, Goldin has highlighted how and why wage gaps and employment differences have persisted over the years in the United States as the result of structural change and evolving social norms. Women are now at the center of the world's economies, yet their earnings relative to men remain behind, even more so for women of color.

During this discussion, we aim to explore: What accounts for these remaining gaps in earnings, now that so many of the determinants of earnings such as experience or education levels, are the same for men and women?

The Conference will include:

  • A fireside chat with Claudia Goldin and Cathy Minehan

  • Overview of the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act

  • Lunch and networking

The Effective Practices Conference is free of charge to 100% Talent Compact Signer employers. Space is limited.

PAST Events

Q3 Signer Briefing

Keeping Top Talent: Disrupting Persistent Race and Gender Inequity in the Workplace

Please join The Boston Women’s Workforce Council (BWWC) on September 25, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m. EST for a Zoom Webinar on “Keeping Top Talent: Disrupting Persistent Race and Gender Inequity in the Workplace.”

Systemic inequities continue to keep women of color overrepresented in lower-paying industries and positions. According to the BWWC’s 2023 data analysis, the racial/ethnic pay gap is 27¢, making it 6¢ higher than the average gender wage gap. Two higher-than-average pay gaps - 54¢ for Black/African American women and 52¢ for Hispanic women/Latinas - illustrate the collective impact of gender and race on job advancement and, in turn, wages. Similarly, Black and Hispanic men/Latinos experienced the largest wage gaps among men at 49¢ and 39¢, respectively. 

Joining us in this discussion is Sanaz Mobasseri, Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Her research investigates two questions: How do workplace practices interact with psychological factors to produce race and gender disparities in organizations? And what organizational interventions mitigate these disparities? Lauren Noonan, Engagement Manager of the BWWC, will be moderating the discussion.

Wage Equity Impact Awards Celebration

June 12th | 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET | Boston University's Center for Computing & Data Sciences

Through the Wage Equity Impact Awards, the Boston Women’s Workforce Council recognizes employers who have led the charge on wage equity in Greater Boston by implementing successful policies aimed at closing gender and racial wage gaps.

Awardees demonstrate a deep commitment to exploring and learning on their path to becoming a more equitable employer, providing examples of practices that other organizations may be able to implement. The employers receiving an award will join a conversation with journalist Crystal Haynes to discuss their winning efforts.

This panels feature:




Surviving DEI Politics: Keeping Equity A Priority Moving Forward

March 13th | 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET | Zoom

Are the differing perspectives emerging around DEI affecting your organizational goals? Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs have become fodder for political polarization, distracting from their original purpose.

A conversation on how we can enhance and reshape our DEI efforts to preserve the goal of creating and sustaining a more fair and robust work environment.

This 60 minute panel featured:

  • Ian Matthew-Clayton, Vice President and Chief Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Officer for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

  • Shirley Leung , Boston Globe Columnist and Editor, Host of "Say More" podcast

  • Eric Nguyen, Director, InclusionBoston at YW Boston

  • Kim Borman, Executive Director, BWWC (moderator)

9th annual Effective Practices Conference

“Unveiling 2023 Gender and Racial Wage Gap Data Results”

December 6 | 8:30 - 11:30 AM ET | Boston University's Center for Computing & Data Sciences

This year marks the Boston Women’s Workforce Council’s fifth data collection effort, a first-in-the-nation approach to collecting and aggregating confidential payroll information to provide a community snapshot of the gender and racial wage gaps in Greater Boston. The organization wouldn’t be able to do the work it does without the 250+ Compact Signers who have pledged to take steps toward eliminating the gaps and provide data for this effort.

The Conference included:

  • Words from Megan Ann Greenfield, Partner at McKinsey and Company leading diversity and inclusion initiatives, about the company's recent findings and research

  • Release of the 2023 data results

  • A conversation with Beth Chandler, President and CEO of YW Boston and BWWC Council Member

Be Prepared: A conversation on wage transparency trends in the workplace

September 21 | 12-1 PM ET | Virtual

Pay transparency laws are becoming more prevalent in the United States. They come in many shapes and sizes - salary band requirements, reporting of pay information by gender, job category and race, banning of salary history during interviews are just a few of the new laws. They all have the same goal: eliminating systemic bias in the workplace so that women, particularly those of color, can advance in their careers at the same rate as men.

This conversation surrounded the imminent laws and practices that will affect both employers and employees in the near future. Speakers included:

BOSTON EQUAL PAY DAY: Bridging the Opportunity Gaps in Hiring and Advancement for Women and Marginalized Workers.

April 20 | 6:00- 8:00 PM ET | In person | A Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building | 2300 Washington St, Roxbury, MA 02119

A Panel Discussion and Resource Fair for Employers and Community Members

In recognition of Boston Equal Pay Day, the Boston Women's Workforce Council (BWWC) and the Mayor's Office of Women’s Advancement (MOWA) brought together Greater Boston employers, City partners, and community members to discuss the unique barriers of specific industries in recruiting/retaining underrepresented candidates and identified new strategies and existing resources to bridge the opportunity gaps. Speakers Included:

  • Angela Liu, Interim President, Hack.Diversity

  • Trinh Nguyen, Chief of Worker Empowerment, City of Boston

  • Mary Skelton Roberts, Philanthropic Advisor and Strategist; Board of Directors Member, Amplify Latinx (moderator)

  • Ron Taylor, Executive Vice President and Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Natixis Investment Managers

A resource fair followed the panel, where community members interacted with Greater Boston employers, local organizations, and City partners and learned more about job opportunities, job training, and professional development programs.

A full video recording of the panel discussion will be available soon.

CREATING PATHWAYS FOR GENDER AND RACIAL EQUITY IN ARCHITECTURE, REAL ESTATE, AND ENGINEERING

February 23 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET | Virtual

A panel discussion on the unique challenges and opportunities of achieving gender and racial equity in architecture, real estate, and engineering. Representatives in these industries shared their strategies for creating inclusive policies that consider wage gaps, barriers to advancement, and more.

Panelists included:

  • Kevin Bell, AIA Associate Principal, Leers Weinzapfel Associates

 

Q1 Signer Briefing: Women and Money- Closing Gender Wage and Wealth Gaps Through Straight Talk on Investing

February 14 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET | Virtual

Our Q1 Signer Briefing featured Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, a tech-first financial company built by women for women to help them build wealth through smart investing. Krawcheck is known as one of the most influential women in Wall Street history, holding senior leadership roles at Bank of America and Citicorp, among others.

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. 

Krawcheck discussed how investment shortfalls are connected to gender wage, wealth, and power gaps. More importantly, she helped employers understand what they can 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. 

8th annual Effective Practices Conference

“Connections Between Boston's Wage Gap and Wealth Gap: What This Means for Employers”

Thursday, December 8 |  9:30 - 11:00 AM EST | Hybrid 


This timely and salient conversation explored how gender and racial wage gaps are a primary driver of wealth disparities, affecting the ability to save for a home, retirement and/or education.

We were thrilled to have Dr. M Lee Pelton give the keynote address at this year's Effective Practices Conference.

A panel followed the keynote exploring how employers can take action today to close the wage gap and, in turn, reduce the wealth gap. We also highlighted insights from the World Economic Forum (WEF) and WTW's gender-based wealth equity research released jointly in WEF's Global Gender Gap Report 2022. The panel featured:

  • Manjit Basi, Senior Director, Integrated & Global Solutions, WTW; Contributor, World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022

  • Stephen Denny, Head of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion, Putnam Investments

  • Cathy Minehan, Co-Chair, Boston Women’s Workforce Council

  • Dr. M Lee Pelton, CEO and President, The Boston Foundation 

Q3 Signer Briefing: Overcoming Challenges of Diversity Training

Wednesday, September 14th | 11:30 - 12:30 PM EST | Virtual

This session featured Professor Frank Dobbin, co-author of the newly released book, Getting to Diversity: What Works and What Doesn’t, and was facilitated by Juliette Mayers, Founder and CEO of Inspiration Zone LLC (IZL) and a BWWC council member.   

Q2 Signer Briefing Featuring Innovative Initiatives Winners

Tuesday, June 21 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST | Hybrid

In partnership with the Boston Mayor’s Office, the Boston Women’s Workforce Council (BWWC) held our 3rd Innovative Initiatives Awards Ceremony on June 21, 2022. The BWWC Innovative Initiatives Program was designed to recognize effective practices implemented by 100% Talent Compact Signers to eliminate the gender and racial wage gaps.

A moderated panel led by Boston Globe reporter Katie Johnston explored how Innovative Initiatives winners’ respective programs led to advancement and pay equity at their organizations. The speakers included:

  • Elisabeth Bucknall, Vice President, Global People, C Space

  • David Sweeney, President & CEO, Longwood Collective*

  • Eustacia MacNaught, Vice President, Community Affairs, Vertex Pharmaceuticals

  • Dr. Miriam Bredella, Vice-Chair of the Department of Radiology, Mass General Hospital (2020 Innovative Initiatives Winner)

*Previously known as MASCO

Q1 Signer Briefing: Data Dive - 2021 Boston Gender and Racial Wage Gaps Measurement Findings

Tuesday, February 15 | 10:00 - 11:00 AM | Virtual

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the BWWC Q1 Signer Briefing on February 15. We appreciate you tuning in and participating in the interactive discussion.

We hope that the 2021 Gender and Racial Wage Gap Measurement findings serve as a reminder and a wake-up call of the importance of measuring wage gaps and working to eliminate the gaps that exist.

7th annual Effective Practices Conference

Thursday, December 9 | 9:00 - 10:00 AM | Virtual

During the 7th annual Effective Practices Conference, we explored the opportunities the pandemic uncovered to center equity in our changing work environment.

We heard from Mayor Michelle Wu, who discussed the partnership between the City and Boston and the Boston Women’s Workforce to administer the 100% Talent Compact and support employers in eliminating gender and racial wage gaps. The program also highlighted the Greater Boston 2021 Gender and Racial Wage Gap Measurement Results and a debrief of these results by a panel of 100% Talent Compact Signer leaders. This dynamic discussion was led by Beth Chandler, President & CEO, YW Boston and BWWC Council Member and featured:

Our panel of Boston business and Compact Signer leaders discussed the importance of connecting the equitable policies from upper management to the actions of the managers on the front lines. 

We also heard from Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer & President, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 100% Talent Compact Anchor Signer. Dr. Kewalramani is passionate about developing and supporting the next generation of scientists and giving back to her community. She discussed the women’s advancement programs at Vertex, her personal experience, and what other organizations can do to eliminate gender and racial wage inequities.

Q3 Signing Briefing: How to Build a More Gender Equitable Future of Work - Lessons from the Pandemic

During our Q3 Signer Briefing, we were joined by Professor Hannah Riley Bowles, Co-Director, Women and Public Policy Program, Roy E. Larsen Senior Lecturer, Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), and Victoria Ying, Master of Public Policy candidate at HKS, who interviewed senior managers at 100% Talent Compact Signer organizations over the past year. Through these conversations, they gained insights into how Signers pivoted to focus on gender equity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic accelerated growth of technical and soft skills for remote work among the Compact Signers interviewed. Professor Riley Bowles pointed out that there is a misconception that people who have flexible work arrangements are less committed and reliable. In fact, evidence proves that flexibility at work enhances productivity.

Hannah and Victoria shared three actionable steps employers can take to create long lasting-gender equitable policies and practices: 

  1. Experiment and learn to optimize across functions 

  2. Design inclusive career tracks 

  3. Train managers to manage in this new environment

Check out our Q3 Signer Briefing Bite, an overview of the session, with recommendations for how your organization can create a more gender-equitable workplace in our new hybrid context.

Q2 Signer Briefing: Getting Serious About Diversity - Enough Already with the Business Case

Featuring Robin Ely, Diane Doerge Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the faculty chair of the HBS Gender Initiative

During the BWWC Q2 Signer Briefing, Professor Robin Ely dismissed common myths about diversity and its benefits in business. She focused on the importance of developing, promoting, and retaining a diverse workforce in order to make a real change.

Professor Ely highlighted that many efforts that organizations make to build a more diverse workforce actually backfire. She shared that in order to lead innovative, high-performing teams, leaders must not only invest in employee development and foster a growth mindset in the culture of the organization, but also invest in their own development and foster a growth mindset in themselves. Most importantly, they must be transparent about the change they intend to make and how they will accomplish it.

Q1 Signer Briefing: Innovative Actions During COVID-19

Supporting women's advancement, family care and mental health during crisis

Our first Signer Briefing of 2021 focused on what employers can do now to support the women in their organizations during the pandemic.

Panelists included:

  • Evelyn Murphy, Co-Chair, BWWC 

  • Ellen Rothstein, VP, Human Resources, Boston Children’s Hospital

  • Nicole Arangio, VP & Assistant General Counsel, Co-Chair of WE@Liberty Women & Allies ERG, Liberty Mutual

  • Dr. Miriam Bredella, Vice-Chair, Department of Radiology, Director, Center for Faculty Development, Professor, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital

  • Aly Chartoff, Head of HR Strategy & Planning, MassMutual, BWWC Council Member

Our panelists included representatives from each of our 2020 Innovative Initiatives Awardees. These dynamic leaders shared key insights on how employers can imagine a new workplace in the pursuit of eliminating long-standing gender inequities during this challenging time. 

Their stories demonstrated the many ways that their organizations have been successful as 100% Talent Compact Signers; pledging to advance their female employees and close the gender and racial wage gaps. We hope their stories can inspire action in your organizations.

Want to learn more about these initiatives? Read case studies on each initiative here.

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6th Annual Effective Practices Conference

The 2020 Effective Practices Conference included:

  • Remarks by Mayor Martin J. Walsh

  • David Lissy, Chairman, Bright Horizons focusing on the “Shecession" as a springboard to cultural change

  • Announcement of our 2020 Innovative Initiatives Award Winners by Dr. Karilyn Crockett, Chief of Equity, City of Boston

  • Keynote speaker Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey

  • Highlights of our 2020 research on workplace interventions proven to decrease gender and racial wage gaps inequities

Watch highlights of this event here.

Eliminating the Wealth Gap in Boston

The BWWC and the Mayor’s Office for Women’s Advancement hosted a virtual discussion on the wage and wealth gap in Boston. Crystal Haynes, journalist and reporter from Boston 25 News, moderated a panel that included: 

  • Dr. Karilyn Crockett, Chief of Equity, City of Boston

  • Prabal Chakrabarti, Senior Vice President, Regional and Community Outreach Department, Federal Reserve Bank Boston

  • Raquel Webster, Senior Counsel, National Grid

  • Cathy Minehan, Co-Chair, BWWC

Highlights from the event:

  • As the Chief of Equity for the City of Boston, Dr. Karilyn Crockett spoke about her vision for her new role and how the City of Boston can work to mitigate the wage gap and racial disparities. In her words, “When we think about what the numbers are telling us, particularly for all women and BIPOC women, the disparities that we’re seeing in terms of pay equity are astonishing, unethical and just not right.”

  • Prabal Chakrabarti presented highlights from the 2015 Wealth Gap study conducted by the Boston Fed. The study laid bare the chasm between White families and Black and Hispanic families in regards to the wealth gap.

  • A great deal of discussion centered around potential employer solutions and committing to the 100% Talent Compact. Driven by the BWWC, employers commit to sharing employee data that enables the BWWC to measure progress as well as sharing the work they are doing internally to drive change.

Equal Pay Day - Q1 Signer Briefing: Advancing Women of Color in the Workplace

On March 26th, 2020, in recognition of Equal Pay Day, we held our first-ever virtual 100% Talent Compact Signer briefing to discuss Advancing Women of Color in the Workplace. Beth Chandler, BWWC Council Member and President and CEO of YW Boston, moderated a panel discussion featuring :

  • Lily Mendez, CEO & President, Mass Mentoring Partnership

  • Carolyn Brunis Luc, Program Manager, D&I, Suffolk Construction

  • Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, Director for the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at UMass Boston

Highlights from the event:

  1. Individual experiences can signal a systematic issue.

  2. Sponsorship provides access.

  3. Equity is not possible without support from allies.


Visit our 2020 Equal Pay Day microsite here.

5th Annual Effective Practices Conference

We held our 2019 Effective Practices Conference at the Boston Public Library. In addition to reviewing 2019 programming and data report highlights, we recognized the Innovative Initiatives brought forth by four 100% Talent Compact Signers. Paul Francisco, Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Workforce Development Programs at State Street moderated a panel discussion on why the pay gap persists with HR executives.

Panelists featured:

  • Elisa van Dam, VP of Strategic Partnerships & Convenings, Simmons University, Institute for Inclusive Leadership

  • Mekala Krishnan, Senior Fellow, McKinsey Global Institute (MGI)

  • Jeff Swartz, Boston Complex Manager, Morgan Stanley, BWWC Council Member

  • Devin Taylor, Director of Human Resources & Engagement, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority

Do Diversity Initiatives Increase Diversity? Thirty Years of Evidence From 800 Companies

100% Talent Compact Signers joined us for a critical discussion and presentation with special guest Frank Dobbin, the Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard.

American companies have been building diversity management programs since the 1960s. Have their innovations increased diversity among corporate managers? Data following hundreds of companies for several decades suggest that some programs have helped, some have not. Programs designed to engage leaders in addressing diversity have mostly worked, while those designed to control manager bias have often backfired. Most programs to promote work-life balance have helped, but programs to address workplace harassment sometimes backfire. Findings help to explain America’s slow progress in integrating corporations.

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From Allyship to Advocacy: A Conversation with Jeffery Tobias Halter

We were thrilled to welcome our 100% Talent Compact Members for our Signer briefing on July 16th, 2019: Male Allies in the Workplace - From Allyship to Advocacy. Jeffery Tobias Halter, President of YWomen, a strategic consulting company, discussed the business, moral imperatives, and practical steps men AND women can take in advocating for women’s advancement in the workplace.

The program also featured:

  • A welcome from MCCA’s Executive Director, David Gibbons

  • Special call to action to male leaders from League of Allies’, Lawler Kang