New Jersey Women’s Business Leaders Forum
In keeping with AQUABLUE’s commitment to supporting gender diversity in the telecommunications industry, four of our employees attended the Women’s Business Leaders Forum on September 23–24.
In addition to new connections across industries, these women took away from the event new outlooks on the role of advocacy, and renewed respect for the community and environment that AQUABLUE nurtures.
“How do you get a man to be your advocate?” This question, posed during small breakout sessions, was met with curiosity. If the ultimate goal is empowering women in the workplace, how does having a man advocate meet that goal?
Nihada Bracic – Sales and Marketing Support Associate
Priscilla Grainger – Director, Sales Operations and Client Support
Carli Castellano – Manager of Client Support and Marketing
Nicole Browne – Infrastructure Analyst
One of the outcomes when considering this question was that women must advocate for themselves, flexing to ensure equal opportunities and treatment by virtue of their own voices. Another was women advocating for one another, matching the underlying tone of the WBLF conference.
Alongside learning about the power of advocating for themselves and others, the attendees also heard stories about companies where ‘boys clubs’ remain a strong presence. The women attending the WBLF universally agreed that they feel fortunate to work at AQUABLUE as an organization that supports women. They recognize that management actively works to change perceptions and internal culture to create a community of inclusion and empowerment.
When leaders step up and support gender diversity, in action as well as in words, it resonates at all levels of an organization. By advocating for their own attendance at the event, and in turn by AQUABLUE leaders supporting that request, these four women gained not only perspective in terms of comparison with other organizations but also trust that diversity initiatives at AQUABLUE aren’t just talk – they are actively practiced.