If the pandemic and movement for social justice have taught us anything, it’s that policies and promises are no longer enough. Companies and leaders must take bold, meaningful actions to create equitable workplaces where everyone has a voice and an opportunity to succeed.
A sought-after speaker on diversity and inclusion-related topics, Lorraine is a trusted business leader who has guided diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies around the globe, including in Canada, the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
Lorraine has helped employers and companies across the globe to implement tangible solutions for working women and parents — like flex work and leave for all, innovative models of childcare, investment in at-home technology, and modeling inclusive and flexible policies from the top.
Lorraine’s extensive career includes senior-level positions in Silicon Valley as an entrepreneur and executive. She began her career at IBM, has served in the Obama administration at the Department of State, and developed the Global STEM Alliance at the NY Academy of Sciences. She has been involved in women’s leadership initiatives throughout her career, serving on the boards of UN Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change, the Stanford Clayman Institute for Gender Research, and the Forum for Entrepreneurs and Executives.
Lorraine’s Inspiration:
RBG once said – “Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation”.
I believe this means casting aside the need for women to seek permission to be ambitious, to achieve, and to lead. This need to seek ‘permission’ has impeded our progress for far too long. As women, we should be able to talk about what some may see as their “unreasonable dreams”.
It may be 2021, but these conversations are still muted – diversity, equity, and inclusion refer to more than the number of women being promoted or ‘shattering glass ceilings.’ This is not enough. We must be seen and heard as a matter of course.
Finally, as a leader, I believe in the power of inspiration and conversation. They lead to ideas and action, and this is what I ultimately want to achieve for women everywhere. But this requires all of us – especially the men, who are an integral partner in this process and change.
Show your support for “Women in the Workplace” with Catalyst’s #biascorrect virtual meeting backgrounds.
