Julia Wada, group vice president for Toyota Financial Services, says sponsors and mentors throughout her career taught her that female leaders were a source of strength for an organization, and she has been paying the support forward by mentoring others and speaking up when she witnesses unconscious bias or microaggressions in the workplace. "I've seen a real shift from a 'you're on your own' culture to women supporting other women and more recently male allyship as well," she says, adding that "broader recognition of the role we all play to lift up women is the key to scaling."

The Consumer Brands Association has appointed government policy and consumer packaged goods veteran Jen Daulby as the group's senior vice president of government affairs. "As we unite the CPG industry around our focused advocacy agenda, Jen brings leadership, expertise and a deep knowledge about the intersection of business and government I know will benefit Consumer Brands and our members," said CEO and President Geoff Freeman.

Restaurants, meal kit makers and other foodservice operators have found a bright spot in the growing popularity of subscription services for food and drink, a new survey from Datassential shows. Those services, which mimic the model used by Netflix or Amazon, are primed to grow in the future and "clearly spell opportunity for all kinds of foodservice operators," writes Samantha Des Jardins of Datassential.

Shake Shack President and Chief Financial Officer Tara Comonte talks in this interview about how the burger chain emphasizes diversity and inclusion and recently scored 100% on Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. "Build a team that reflects the marketplace you're trying to address, and the community you're trying to engage," Comonte says, adding, "That will drive understanding and empathy and creativity, and the more successful you are going to be."

Hospitality-focused non-profit Made in New Orleans is launching an initiative that offers restaurant owners an opportunity to address racial disparities and the lack of upward mobility for Black culinary professionals in the area, beginning with an equity audit of their establishment. "It does require humility ... It's about taking responsibility and working together to make a difference," said Program Director Lauren Darnel.

PepsiCo's Lifewtr bottled water brand has partnered with actress and producer Issa Rae to create more opportunities for artists from under-represented groups. The "Life Unseen" campaign includes the #LifeUnseenContest on Instagram, which invites artists to submit their work for a chance to win $10,000 and mentoring from Rae.

McDonald's has issued new standards to combat discrimination and harassment at both its company-owned restaurants and franchises that encompass retaliation, violence and harassment trainings, annual team surveys and a reporting system for grievances. "When we or our franchisees fall short, we must all have a system in place to address those shortfalls immediately," said CEO Chris Kempczinski.

Venture capital group Fearless Fund, which invests in businesses started by women of color, will receive millions of dollars from such investors as Mastercard, Bank of America, Costco and PayPal. Less than 1% of venture capital funding went to Black and Latino female founders in 2020, according to a report.

A world-changing pandemic that led to a rapid drop in women in the workplace could lead to a watershed moment for working women, if policy leaders focus much of their economic recovery policies on women, addressing such key issues as wealth inequality and child care, as have some policies geared toward women entrepreneurs in Colombia. "It's not so much an opportunity, it's a demand: This moment demands a big structural change," says Jennifer Klein, co-chair of the White House Gender Policy Council.

Improve workplace gender equity by getting a commitment from leadership, recognizing female employees' accomplishments, offering unconscious bias workshops, giving everyone an equal opportunity and creating resource groups, HR leaders advise. "Last year, we launched the 'Men as Allies' network where we discuss topics around transparency, unconscious bias and breaking down silos," says Betty Wagglen, HR head at Verizon Asia Pacific.

Even before we combined remote work with homeschooling, the role of working mom was a multifaceted job many might hesitate to apply for if the demanding scope of work were outlined in a formal job description. Yet, in addition to the unique rewards of being a parent, women often report that being a mom has enabled them to develop additional competencies that help fuel career success. The WFF Working Mothers Community of Interest (COI) gathered virtually during the 2021 Leadership Conference to share strategies that help participants thrive at home and at work. Read more.