Women's History Month
March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women and their contributions to the world. To mark the occasion, we’re highlighting some fascinating stories of women in business available at Pardee. From CEOs of major corporations to obscure figures who’ve slipped through the cracks of history books, these eclectic characters demonstrate that a woman’s place is wherever she sees fit.
For more information on Women's History Month:
Featured Reading
Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier
Location: Online
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Financial Times Best Book of the Year * The "compulsively readable narrative of beauty, business, privilege, and mogul-dom" (The New York Times) that reveals--for the first time--exactly wat happened at Glossier, one of America's hottest and most consequential startups, and dives deep into the enigmatic, visionary woman responsible for it all. Called "one of the most disruptive brands in beauty" by Forbes, Glossier revolutionized the beauty industry with its sophisticated branding and unique approach to influencer marketing, almost instantly making the company a juggernaut with rabid fans. It also taught a generation of business leaders how to talk to Millennial and Gen Z customers and build a cult following online. In Glossy, journalist and author Marisa Meltzer combines in-depth interviews with former Glossier employees, investors, and Weiss herself to bring you inside the walls of this fascinating and secretive company. From fundraising to product launches and unconventional hiring practices, Meltzer exposes the inner workings of Glossier's culture, culminating in the story of Weiss herself.
Ellen Browning Scripps: New Money and American Philanthropy
Location: Online
Molly McClain tells the remarkable story of Ellen Browning Scripps (1836–1932), an American newspaperwoman, feminist, suffragist, abolitionist, and social reformer. She used her fortune to support women’s education, the labor movement, and public access to science, the arts, and education. Born in London, Scripps grew up in rural poverty on the Illinois prairie. She and her brother, E. W. Scripps, built America’s largest chain of newspapers, linking midwestern industrial cities with booming towns in the West. By the 1920s Scripps was worth an estimated $30 million, most of which she gave away. She established the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, and appeared on the cover of Time magazine after founding Scripps College in Claremont, California.
In Ellen Browning Scripps, McClain brings to life an extraordinary woman who played a vital role in the history of women, California, and the American West.
When Women Lead: What they Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn From Them
Location: Online
Here, in When Women Lead, Boorstin brings together the stories of over sixty of those female CEOs and leaders, and provides “critical insights into how women-founded companies begin, operate, and prosper” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Yet those who thrived, Boorstin found, shared key commonalities that made them uniquely equipped to lead, grow businesses, and navigate crises. They were highly adaptive to change, deeply empathetic in their management style, and much more likely to integrate diverse points of view into their business strategies, filling voids that their male counterparts had overlooked for generations. By utilizing those strengths, they had invented new business models, disrupted industries, and made massive profits along the way. Her combination of narrative and research reveals how once-underestimated characteristics, from vulnerability and gratitude to divergent thinking, can be vital superpowers—and that anyone can work these approaches to their advantage.
Books for Women's History Month
Betsy Ann Plank: The Making of a Public Relations Icon by
In 1973, Betsy Ann Plank became the first woman to chair the Public Relations Society of America in its twenty-five-year history. It was a tumultuous time to assume the national association's leadership. Civil society seemed to be fraying at the edges, and trust in political institutions and corporations had plummeted in the aftermath of Watergate. Nevertheless, Plank, in her fearless style, took up the challenge head-on. From the start and throughout the span of her sixty-three-year career in public relations, she managed to overcome the very real barriers she faced due to gender-based discrimination in what was a male-dominated industry. As a PR practitioner, Plank served as executive vice president of Daniel J. Edelman, Inc., director of PR planning at AT&T, and assistant vice president of external affairs at Illinois Bell. Beyond her service in the professional realm, Plank grew her legacy by taking the time to mentor countless PR professionals, educators, and students. She saw this dissemination of knowledge as her greatest gift to the field of public relations. In this highly readable biography, Karla Gower explores Plank's personal life and career, tracing her evolution from a low-level job in advertising through her contributions to the rise of the rapidly changing PR industry in the 1960s and the evolution of her personal devotion to the enhancement of public relations education.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2022
Leading Our Way: How Women are Redefining Leadership by
The world is changing, and so must our understanding of leadership. Through the stories of trailblazing female leaders, discover what leadership can look like and how you can become a catalyst for change. In Leading Our Way, renowned executive and author Gaia van der Esch shares an inspiring collection of leadership stories from seven iconic women around the world. Stories that explore new leadership models, concepts and tools, to inspire action and solve global challenges. Featuring exclusive interviews with Christiana Figueres, Gitanjali Rao, Becky Sauerbrunn, Diane von Furstenberg, Tawakkol Karman, Comfort Ero and Gloria Steinem, this book examines key trends in leadership, and in how female leaders from across the globe are redefining its meaning, surfacing essential patterns and ideas to re-imagine our present and future. You'll find: In-depth discussions of how women - still heavily under-represented in leadership positions and debates - are contributing to changing our cultural, economic and political scene Strategies for overcoming the mounting polarization in our communities, companies, and countries, by re-focusing on the common ground and the common good - for humanity and for our planet Tools and inspiration to become an effective leader and act as a catalyst for change in your organisation, your community, your country, as we collectively strive to overcome today's global challenges and build a fair and sustainable world An inspiring and essential new exploration of leadership, Leading Our Way is a must read for both men and women in leadership positions and those who aspire to them. A stepping-stone to build your purpose, find inspiration, and lead in your own way.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2023
To the Top: How Women in Corporate Leadership Are Rewriting the Rules for Success by
Wall Street Journal Bestseller The Next-Generation Women Leadership Playbook In To the Top: How Women in Corporate Leadership Are Rewriting the Rules for Success, accomplished leadership advisor Jenna Fisher reveals how the world faces a once-in-a-generation opportunity to close the gender gap at the top of organizations today. You'll discover how traits often held by women--including compassion, empathy, communication, mentorship, and collaboration--are now in high demand. And why, in this time of volatility and disruption, women are standing on the most solid foundation for success than ever before. Drawing on scientific research and the powerful stories of women business leaders who have already made it to the top, the book sets out how we can seize this opportunity in front of us. You'll learn: Why corporate progress for women has historically been stubbornly slow and strategies for breaking through systemic biases to take a seat at the top table Why women are particularly well-suited to lead companies through the complex challenges facing our world The specific leadership skills that are in high demand and how to develop a compassionate and commanding leadership presence The stories of women business leaders at the top of organizations today--their success, their missteps, and their lessons for success An essential and insightful treatment of women leadership in a world that desperately needs more of it, To the Top is the first book since Lean In that promises to energize and accelerate the potential of woman leaders everywhere.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2023
Where You Are Is Not Who You Are: A Memoir by
The first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company looks back at her life and her career at Xerox, sharing unique insights on American business and corporate life, the workers she has always valued, racial and economic justice, how greed is threatening democracy, and the obstacles she's conquered being Black and a woman. "I am a black woman, I do not play golf, I do not belong to or go to country clubs, I do not like NASCAR, I do not listen to country music, and I have a masters degree in engineering. I, like a typical New Yorker, speak very fast, with an accent and vernacular that is definitely New York City, definitely Black. So when someone says I'm going to introduce you to the next CEO of Xerox, and the options are lined up against a wall, I would be the first one voted off the island." In 2009, when she was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Xerox Corporation, Ursula Burns shattered the glass ceiling and made headlines. But the media missed the real story, she insists. "It should have been 'how did this happen? How did Xerox Corporation produce the first African American woman CEO?' Not this spectacular story titled, "Oh, my God, a Black woman making it." In this smart, no-nonsense book, part memoir and part cultural critique, Burns writes movingly about her journey from tenement housing on Manhattan's Lower East Side to the highest echelons of the corporate world. She credits her success to her poor single Panamanian mother, Olga Racquel Burns--a licensed child-care provider whose highest annual income was $4,400--who set no limits on what her children could achieve. Ursula recounts her own dedication to education and hard work, and how she took advantage of the opportunities and social programs created by the Civil Rights and Women's movements to pursue engineering at Polytechnic Institute of New York. Burns writes about overcoming the barriers she faced, as well as the challenges and realities of the corporate world. Her classmates and colleagues--almost all white males--"couldn't comprehend how a Black girl could be as smart, and in some cases, smarter than they were. They made a developed category for me. Unique. Amazing. Spectacular. That way they could accept me." Her thirty-five-year career at Xerox was all about fixing things, from cutting millions to save the company from bankruptcy to a daring $6 billion acquisition to secure its future. Ursula also worked closely with President Barack Obama as a lead on his STEM initiative and Chair of his Export council, where she traveled with him on an official trade mission to Cuba, and became one of his greatest admirers. Candid and outspoken, Ursula offers a remarkable look inside the c-suites of corporate America through the eyes of a Black woman--someone who puts humanity over greed and justice over power. She compares the impact of the pandemic to the financial crisis of 2007, condemns how corporate culture is destroying the spirit of democracy, and worries about the workers whose lives are being upended by technology. Empathetic and dedicated, idealistic and pragmatic, Ursula demonstrates that, no matter your circumstances, hard work, grit and a bit of help along the way can change your life--and the world.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2021
Whistleblower: My Journey to Silicon Valley and Fight for Justice at Uber by
In 2017, twenty-five-year-old Susan Fowler published a blog post detailing the sexual harassment and retaliation she'd experienced as an entry-level engineer at Uber. The post went viral, leading not only to the ouster of Uber's CEO and twenty other employees, but 'starting a bonfire on creepy sexual behaviour in Silicon Valley that... spread to Hollywood and engulfed Harvey Weinstein' (Maureen Dowd, The New York Times). The moving story of a woman's lifelong fight to do what she loves - despite repeatedly being told no or treated as less-than - Whistleblower is both a riveting read and a source of inspiration for anyone seeking to stand up against inequality in their own workplace.
Location: Pardee Stacks HD6060.5.U52 S36 2020Publication Date: 2020
Wolf Hustle: A Black Woman on Wall Street by
From the South Bronx projects to the boardroom--at only nineteen years old, Cin Fabré ran with the wolves of Wall Street. Growing up, Cin Fabré didn't know anything about the stock market. But she learned how to hustle from her immigrant parents, saving money so that one day she could escape her abusive father and poverty in the Bronx. Through a tip from a friend, Cin pushed her way into brokerage firm VTR Capital--an offshoot of Stratton Oakmont, the company where the Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, had reigned. She was shocked to find an army of young workers, mostly Black and Brown, with no real prospects for promotion sitting at phones doing the drudge work of finding investment leads for white male brokers. But she felt the pull of profit and knew she would do whatever she had to do to be successful. Pulling back the curtain on the inequities she and so many others faced, Wolf Hustle reveals how Cin worked grueling hours, ascending from cold caller to stockbroker, becoming the only Black woman to do so at her firm. She also discloses the excesses she took part in on 1990s Wall Street--the strip clubs, the Hamptons parties, the Gucci shopping sprees--while reveling in the thrill of making money. From landing clients worth hundreds of millions to gaining, losing, then gaining back fortunes in seconds, Cin examines her years spent trading frantically and hustling successfully, grappling with what it takes to build a rich life, and, ultimately, beating Wall Street at its own game.
Location: Pardee Stacks HG4928.5 .F33 2022Publication Date: 2022
Women's Work : Stories from Pioneering Women Shaping Our Workforce by
"A beautiful book that provides genuine encouragement and inspiration. Vivid portrait photography and accompanying essays declare that all work is women's work." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) In this stunning collection, award-winning photographer Chris Crisman documents the women who pioneered work in fields that have long been considered the provinces of men--with accompanying interviews on how these inspiring women have always paved their own ways. Today, young girls are told they can do--and be--anything they want when they grow up. Yet the unique challenges that women face in the workplace, whether in the boardroom or the barnyard, have never been more publicly discussed and scrutinized. With Women's Work, Crisman pairs his award-winning, striking portrait photography of women on the job with poignant, powerful interviews of his subjects: women who have carved out unique places for themselves in a workforce often dominated by men, and often dominated by men who have told them no. Through their stories, we see not only the ins and outs of their daily work, but the emotional and physical labors of the jobs they love. Women's Work is a necessary snapshot of how far we've come and where we're heading next--their stories are an inspiration as well as a call to action for future generations of women at work. Women's Work features more than sixty beautiful photographs, including Alison Goldblum, contractor; Anna Valer Clark, ranch owner; Ayah Bdeir, CEO of littleBits; Beth Beverly, taxidermist; Carla Hall, blacksmith; Cherise Van Hooser, funeral director; Jordan Ainsworth, gold miner; Magen Lowe, correctional officer; Mindy Gabriel, firefighter; Nancy Poli, pig farmer; Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne, Founders of Georgetown Cupcake; Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential biographer; Sophi Davis, cowgirl; Abingdon Welch, pilot; Christy Wilhelmi, beekeeper; Connie Chang, chemical engineer; Danielle Perez, comedienne; Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo; Lisa Calvo, oyster farmer; Mia Anstine, outdoor guide; Meejin Yoon, architect; Yoky Matsuoka, a tech VP at Google; and many more.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2020
The Women of Berkshire Hathaway : Lessons from Warren Buffett's Female CEOs and Directors by
A fascinating look at the top women at Berkshire Hathaway and how they got there Although proportionally women continue to lag far behind men as CEOs and board members at major institutions, there has been a marked uptick in the number of female business leaders in recent years. Looking at the changes that have happened at Berkshire Hathaway--Warren Buffett's holding company, The Women of Berkshire Hathaway: Lessons from Warren Buffett's Female CEOs and Directors provides a unique look at the gradual shattering of the glass ceiling at one of America's top firms. An influx of female leadership over the past few years--today there are four female CEOs, up from just one a decade ago--has invigorated Berkshire Hathaway with energy and unique female insight. Profiling these remarkable women, the book provides motivational and management information for a wide range of readers, from business students to Buffett fans. Looks closely at the female board members of Berkshire Hathaway and the female managers who run Berkshire Hathaway companies Follows the paths that brought these women to their current positions Explores their working relationship with their employees and Warren Buffett, and how they balance work and their private lives The only book focusing on eight of the most powerful women at Berkshire Hathaway, The Women of Berkshire Hathaway is an inspirational read about the triumph of a group of remarkable women within a company once dominated by men.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2012
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