It’s true that women in business are making bigger and bolder strides than ever before. It’s also true that, at our current rate of change, women will be forced to wait another 200 years before the United States reaches pay parity among the sexes. Facing these realities means examining the underlying structures of business, and creating new networks for more and more women to thrive. Hence, Chief was born.
“As a woman reaches the top of her career, her decisions carry more weight [...] yet often her circle of trusted peers shrinks,” explained Carolyn Childers, co-founder and CEO of Chief, a new private network and clubhouse space designed exclusively for women in senior-level roles.
“The inspiration for Chief came after a coffee meeting with my co-founder, Lindsay Kaplan. After bouncing ideas off one another we realized that, as senior women at our respective companies, we didn’t really have a network of support,” Childers said. Prior to founding Chief, Childers served as SVP of Handy, while Kaplan held the title of VP of Communications at Casper.
We realized that, as senior women at our respective companies, we didn’t really have a network of support.”
“We wanted to create an organization specifically designed to meet the unique needs of women in power. We started to share Chief with our networks, and it spread through word of mouth. We were totally blown away by the level of response we received from women in New York, throughout the country, and around the world,” said Childers.
As of this week, Chief is open for business, with 200 founding members and thousands more on the waitlist. Members will have access to exclusive mentorship groups, a salon series that includes workshops such as “How to Get a Board Seat” and “Dinners With Captains of Industry”, and a secure, pseudonymous community app. The icing on the cake is Chief’s Tribeca-based loft, featuring feminine, functional design, bright light and plenty of workspace.
While Chief may only open its doors to women at the executive level, the mission is to empower women at all levels of business, by providing resources to the next generation of leaders. And for those merely beginning their journey of rising through the ranks, Childers advises wisely: “Build a support system of different people outside of your office so you can generate new perspectives, productive conversation and power to make a lasting impact.”
