Embracing What’s Possible

“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.”

When Arthur Clarke wrote those words, he might have been talking about space exploration or science fiction. I hope he doesn’t mind my borrowing the sentiment in reference to this moment in time for our organization and our industry.

The concept of possible is on my mind this month for a number of reasons. Most immediately, She Runs It was invited to be the official DEI partner for the Possible Conference taking place in Miami April 17 through 19. We are programming our signature Best of the Badass Bosses event featuring six outstanding leaders from across our industry. Thanks to the generosity of Christian Muche and his Possible team, Andy Plessar and Beet.TV, our partners at Integral Ad Science and our panelists, attendees will learn lessons in wisdom, bravery, and tenacity that can help them on their journey to the C-Suite, the head of the table, or simply their next career stage.

I’m also focusing on possible because we are in the midst of gathering a second round of Education Loan Grant submissions from our membership. We already issued several $10K checks for fiscal year 2022, but because our partners and sponsors are so incredibly generous, we are able to commit more money to rising stars in our industry who have outstanding loans due to undergraduate or graduate degrees, or fees for continuing education or other courses that have strengthened their skills in our industry. To date, through the work of our Foundation Board, we have given nearly $1.5 million in loan grants to our community.

I’m also thinking about what’s possible because we are benefitting from renewed support from so many of our Corporate Alliance Partners (CAPs). The past three years have been disproportionately challenging for women in our industry, many of whom have left for a number of reasons and aren’t returning. Our CAPs recognize that women are good for business, and they are standing side-by-side with us to empower their workforces to stay strong, current, connected, and included. They are funding programs like our mentoring program – the most robust in the industry – which kicks off its spring 2023 program on April 25.

She Runs It and our mission to pave the way for more women to lead is made possible by the people and companies who join us and invest in our commitment to lift women of every background, ethnicity and identity in marketing, media, and tech. Last month on International Women’s Day, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Commission on the Status of Women that gender equality is “300 years away”. To 300 years we say, “Impossible”, and we celebrate the people who share our intention to make gender equality possible.