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By Mary Shank Rockman | September 1, 2020
Did you know the 19th Amendment to The U.S. Constitution that helped confront traditional gender conventions for the rights of all women to vote was certified into law 100 years ago on August 26, 1920? While the celebration of this centennial milestone is extraordinarily significant, it also spotlights the decades of struggle, tenacity, and perseverance that were necessary for all women to realize their civil liberties. Fast forward 100 years. It shouldn’t be as difficult today to ensure all women are treated equally, however, despite the substantial progress, there’s still so much more that needs to be made–especially in the workplace across industries like financial services, technology, and for female entrepreneurs looking to raise capital and build successful businesses.
At MSR, every day is Women’s Equality Day! As a woman business owner, equality and inclusion have been top priorities since the day I opened the firm 21 years ago. You could say this runs in my DNA. Back in the day, my grandmother formed the very first League of Women Voters chapter in the state of Oregon and hosted the Rev. Martin Luther King at its inauguration. Her impactful experiences and perspectives on fighting for equality for all people have long guided my vision for creating a workplace that not only values individual diversity and contributions; and also one that equally yields opportunities for all employees commensurate with experience. This long-standing commitment extends to working with like-minded clients that invest in the growth, success, and progression of women personally and professionally. Elevating this conversation is an important step, and taking action is paramount to the prosperity of all businesses. MSR takes pride in collaborating with clients whose goals involve support, advocacy, and the actions necessary to ultimately help to progress equal opportunities for all.
You may not associate what happens behind the scenes at the intersection of entertainment and technology with women–especially as the technology industry–particularly engineering and coding–have historically been known for widespread gender disparity. MSR’s client BitMovin, a global leader in cloud-based video streaming solutions is making strides to help elevate awareness of women leaders who are actually digitally transforming the streaming media sector. As COVID-19 has slowed the production of live-action content; animation and gaming are growing exponentially. And women are leading the way, encoding where it matters most to support these new content demands. As part of its continued commitment to providing free, professional resources via live, virtual events, Bitmovin will host an interactive webinar on September 14th that features a panel of women leaders who will discuss the most critical factors for developing the future of video workflows. Click here to participate in this fascinating conversation Encoding where it matters.
And finally, I am always excited to promote the successes of others, and most especially female entrepreneurs who‘ve also experienced what’s required to accelerate from concept to business growth with their vigor, determination, and perseverance similar to what it’s taken to progress the women’s equality movement. MSR client Terrie Absher Kochman, founder and CEO of Total Glow/MD is such an entrepreneur. Despite many independently owned businesses being forced to shutter during the COVID-19 pandemic, medical aesthetician to the influencers and celebs, this dynamic leader has created new business opportunities from the global spotlight on individual health and wellness. As a result, Total Glow is both thriving and expanding its footprint. Be sure to read her blog for expert tips about how to stay healthy while enduring the ‘new normal,’ masked and all.
As this historic centennial reminds us, it’s incumbent upon all business leaders to continuously assess and reaffirm ongoing commitments to equality, diversity, and inclusion. And as the adage suggests: “Actions speak louder than words.” I hope you’ll join me in continuing the progress toward making women’s equality a reality every day.