Achieving diversity, equality and inclusivity in the workplace is a long time coming.
Although the industry still has a long way to go, there’s a throng of companies out there setting a new standard and implementing strategies that lead to real, lasting change.
Enter, marketing technology company NextRoll. As part of its DEI strategy, the San Francisco-based company created RollWomen, a women’s employee resource group (ERG).
In order to get a better pulse on RollWomen, what it entails and the impact it’s having on both the group members and the company’s culture as a whole, Built In SF caught up with ERG Lead Rachelle Geary.
NextRoll is a marketing technology company that uses machine learning and integrated data platforms to accelerate clients’ growth. RollWomen, NextRoll’s women’s ERG, offers a safe space for individuals to present their perspectives in order to better understand and support the progression of women in the workplace, ERG Lead Rachelle Geary said.
How would you describe the goals of NextRoll’s women’s ERG?
RollWomen is an employee-led community founded to act as both an intersectional resource and community for women at NextRoll. We work to create valuable programming for our members, crafting opportunities and spaces for women and allies to engage and grow personally and professionally. Our goal is to create lasting changes in the workplace as well as become a beacon of modeling to share our progress with other companies within the tech industry.
What resources does this group provide for its members?
RollWomen offers a safe space for women to present individual perspectives in order to better support and understand how to keep the progression of the workplace evolving. We have three distinct pillars that help us accomplish this.
- Professional development. We provide opportunities for RollWomen members and NextRoll employees to enhance their professional skillsets, such as internal mentoring programs and development resources.
- Community engagement. We’ve launched programs and events that engage other women, allies and organizations in our community.
- Giving back. We’ve created programs and events focused on philanthropy, allowing us to give back to our communities and networks.
This year has allowed us the opportunity to bring our programming into a completely virtual space, which has broadened our reach and brought our many locations closer together.
Our goal is to create lasting changes in the workplace and become a beacon of modeling to share our progress with other companies.”
What impact has this group had on your company and its culture so far?
RollWomen has brought women and allies together through a number of events and we believe it’s made a significant impact for members. The following are the events we’ve hosted:
- Educational events. Every year, RollWomen puts on educational presentations highlighting and celebrating women in order to advance the conversation of women within the workplace.
- Women’s Equality Day Happy Hour. We presented an educational dialogue highlighting the intersectionality of women’s rights and the work that we still need to do.
- Single Working Women’s Day. We spotlighted this day by creating a feature interview recognizing the resilience and contributions of the women at NextRoll.
- Honored Ruth Bader Ginsberg. We hosted a watch party and discussion on the life and work of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
- Professional development events. This year presented unique challenges for women, and we’ve helped our members build professional development by hosting a handful of events including lean-in circles, which are connection circles that bring women together to help them feel empowered through peer mentorship and allow them the space to be unapologetically ambitious.
In addition, we’ve hosted a virtual book club where we provided educational literature for members to read and then share their thoughts in order to build a connection outside of work.
Our goal for 2021 is to be a resource for our RollWomen members, its allies and all of our employees. We are working with leadership to create an action plan that better supports women in the workforce during the pandemic.
