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sions that balance revenue growth and profit-making with the core values of respecting and supporting its environment and stakeholder network and influencing culture. Philanthropic at their core, social enterprises are rising in response to the global political environment. Where governments are unable or unwilling to address the multiple layers of social ills that exist in communities social enterprises are filling the gap, triggering social growth while contributing to the economic stability of communities through purpose-centric and profit-maximizing business practices.  

Social enterprise is playing a growing role in support of women’s empowerment – as a source of funding advocacy programs, a means of delivering training and creating employment, and as a way of empowering women socially and economically. The status of women in social entrepreneurship importantly disrupts the patterns of gender inequality. According to the British Council, there are approximately 210 million social entrepreneurs working to address social and environmental challenges. In the U.S., 31% of for-profit companies are led by women, but they are leading over 55% of social enterprises. Globally, social enterprise is changing the dichotomy between ‘the empowerer’ and ‘the empowered,’ giving women opportunity for and authority in decision-making. This requires a shift in how women are trained and elevated into leadership positions. Talent management experts, Development Dimensions International, found that while nearly 80% of women in senior roles had served as formal mentors, few of them had mentors of their own. 

The networks of successful male and female leaders are different. Men benefit not so much from size of network but from being central in the network and connected to multiple “hubs.” Io achieve positions with the highest levels of authority and pay women require centrality in the network but also need an inner circle of close female contacts, even when their education and experience is similar to their male counterpart. The Harvard Business Review reported research that suggests women especially benefit from mentoring relationships: “Because women seeking positions of executive leadership often face cultural and political hurdles that men typically do not, they benefit from an inner circle of close female contacts that can share private information about things like an organization’s attitudes toward female leaders, which helps strengthen women’s job search, interviewing, and negotiation strategies.” This leads to gender balance and equity across social and professional lines. 

Where gender balance in leadership is increased, there is a rise in productivity, innovation, and transparency. These corporate characteristics are important to American consumers. A Cone Communications study indicates half of Americans would prefer to work for a female-led company. The majority says women in leadership develop companies that are: 

•    more purpose driven (56%),  
•    more likely to include access to childcare (78%), and  
•    more likely to offer equal pay (75%). 

As women recognize the link between social enterprise, transformation of self, and influence over community, they must identify their personal level of responsibility to shape and participate in philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and mentorship. Traditional community-based interventions focus on women as beneficiaries, but mentorship empowers women as leaders, consumers, and contributors as innovators and agents of change.  

Philanthropic dollars, then, must focus on driving authentic connection between women leaders and their rising counterparts. Mentorship is an investment in future talent, creating a pipeline from which prepared leaders can be selected, protecting succession and mitigating risk – critical to the health of the future philanthropic and purpose-centric industries and the societies they serve.  

xt-decoration: underline;”>The world is a small place; by working glocally—together, across borders, with people and organizations who know their home markets but are global in their thinking—companies can help stakeholders succeed in a complex world while contributing to positive change and progress. Since its inception, APCO Worldwide has been on a mission to use its strength and global platform to not only service clients but serve as a catalyst for bringing people together across complex problems and thereby contribute to a better world.

As the largest majority women-owned communications company in the world, championing the progress of women and girls globally is a part of APCO’s DNA. APCO has been deeply involved in projects—both our own efforts and in coordination with clients—that center around the advancement of women and their economic independence, even when it wasn’t popular to do so.

Despite some progress, it is still a world with profound gender inequality. According to the World Economic Forum 2018 Global Gender Gap report, we still have over two centuries before the economic gender gap is closed everywhere. Companies have already been asked to take a stand, accelerated by the rise of #MeToo in 2017, and doing so will continue to engage and inspire employees, generate customer loyalty and help businesses chart a course for sustainable growth.

That’s why we’ve built empowerment and advocacy into our business model from the beginning, with pro bono efforts and service offerings that help our clients create their own solutions to these challenges. For companies to truly be the glocal agents of change, convictions must be organically born within, and from the top, of organizations.

 Future leaders must have passion, fight for what is right, think big and encourage other leaders to do the same. The next generation of leaders is more diverse and more connected than ever before—holding companies to new standards of equity—and their voice, input and leadership will lead us to worldwide balance.

The journey starts glocally.

ploy them in other areas that hold greater promise. The pivot allows one to rescue and make use of every single life lesson. Rather than to shrink back pivoting allows us to move forward and embrace what is still possible.

Considering the current state of our society and the harsh realities that face women at every turn in business and industry we must be nimble and wedded to nothing. Thus, allowing flexibility and adaptation we are armed and ready to embrace whatever challenge life throws our way.  Heretofore,   women have had only two options:  lean in or opt-out of various leadership roles.  Today, a growing number of us are refusing those limitations.  We can now be seen hard at work reshaping and remolding the rules of the game while at the same time crafting pathways for those who are bringing up the rear.  Redefining success and its meaning involves being able to align ourselves with new priorities while moving away from limiting beliefs and past failures. 

The work is to redefine the various metrics of success in business while at the same time increasing the power and place of women in corporate America.  In fact, the two ideas are mutually reinforcing. When we reframe the definition of success in a way that better includes and celebrates women executives in leadership roles in business and industry, we curate an ecosystem that is more likely to inspire and nurture women changemakers. This increased presence, in turn, inherently leads our metrics closer to a positive frame about the unique ways in which women lead and create impact globally.     

Regardless of the context as women, we are still in the position of having to fight for what we deserve while maintaining our executive presence.   We must gracefully accept the obligation as female business leaders to assist and lift up our female leaders of tomorrow. 

The glaring gender biases such as wage gender disparity, representation inequity, and under-representation of senior-level women in the boardroom will not be enough to deter our resolve to pivot in new directions.  Through our collective power, we must set out and build a platform capable of reaching and shattering the glass ceiling that dares to hold us back. We have the power.

e finally opened her own school. Pascale Setbon is the founder of the, “Language & Laughter Studio”, where young children learn a bilingual education.

Before starting her own business, Pascale Setbon taught at various schools. However, she wanted the freedom to teach in her own unique way using her desired techniques and structure. She wanted to veer away from traditional teaching methods in order to implement her own progressive methodology. Her students are able to learn through discussion and expression of ideas, which truly separates her school from the standard way of learning. Through her method of learning, Pascale is able to mold both American and French students into bilingual, expressive individuals.

Prior to the, “Language & Laughter Studio”, Setbon worked in a few environments that included many men that allowed her to recognize the true power of women within the male-dominated work world. Setbon states that women “are often abused in many fields, but they also have a lot of power if they know how to use it.” Setbon understood her use of this power as part of a “game,” and she did not want to play. She instead wanted to step away from the male-female tensions in the workplace and begin her own businesses that allowed her to operate according to her individual standards. Fortunately for Setbon, her gender did not hinder her from building the, “Language & Laughter Studio,” although she understands that oftentimes there is a greater challenge for women to begin their own businesses. She finds that in the world of education, which is generally more female-dominated, that she does not find herself struggling based on her gender.

Setbon’s French background is a vital element of her business journey, as she comes from a place in which women are provided with a greater opportunity to have children and also work. The government provides funding to women with children, while the work world is very understanding of familial obligations. Unlike America, France really helps women who have both jobs and children. In addition, in France gender inequality is not nearly as prominent, which is very important to Setbon’s business ethic. Back in Europe she did not have to experience gender-based ridicule, and this allowed her to enter the work world without holding the predisposed notion that men dominate the business world. Much of her journey can be attributed to her French culture, as she was given a sense of confidence that American women struggle to obtain.

With her French perspective, Setbon also offers a unique understanding of how to address gender inequality in the workforce. Today women are fighting for their rights, both in the workforce and in general, at a very fast and urgent pace. Just as the women in France are true fighters, American women are now ready to push their way into a work world with equal opportunity and gender blindness. Setbon believes that in order to end gender inequality, we all must become feminists. To not identify as a feminist, Setbon claims, is to be sexist and therefore both men and women need to address feminism as a way to equalize the work world. Setbon’s teaching methods can be applied to the issue of gender inequality, as she provides a space in which children have the opportunity to be who they want to be without the constraints or ideals of society. Her hope is that our world will become a place that, “is not about individuality, but about sharing resources being more compassionate.” If we all had this opportunity, or if our society implemented this way of being, individuals would be judged based on their character rather than their gender.

s in a box” platform with back-office software. The new business also includes $100 million in available credit — through several lenders including Dell Financial Services — to be dispersed during the next 12 months.

Best known for her motivational speeches and support of entrepreneurs, Vanderveldt said Empowering a Billion Women goes further by providing budding executives with practical tools.

The Austin-based venture includes a foundation focusing on women-related policies and women in the developing nations. The business side of the startup provides mentors and business plans in addition to software products designed to provide entrepreneurs with tools Vanderveldt has already tried herself.

The company, which employs four workers, is providing three subscription levels. The first is free and enables members to get discounts combined with access to videos and webinars. The company also offers a $19-per-month subscription that includes access to the platform, training programs and a private Facebook group.

The premium membership, which requires a $299 setup cost and $49 in monthly fees, features the platform coupled with training in addition to a mentor who provides 30-minute monthly coaching sessions and develops a business plan with the entrepreneur.

Vanderveldt began working on the Empowering a Billion Women model while at Round Rock-based Dell. She announced the mentorship program at the South By Southwest festival in March. At that time, she said the goal was putting a mobile device in the hands of every woman globally.

The singular issue that keeps women from leadership is lack of confidence, she said. And the mentorship segment of Empowering a Billion Women is a crucial part of the equation.

“People build confidence when they can take action,” Vanderveldt said. “And people can take action when they find a mentor.”