Learner Today, Leader Tomorrow: Why Empowering Women to Lead Starts in the Classroom
Whether your professional path leads to a career in technology, finance, fashion or an industry emergent, becoming who you want to be starts with access to education.
Diane von Furstenberg, inventor of the iconic wrap dress, has said when describing her early 20s, “I never knew what I wanted to do, but I always knew the kind of woman I wanted to be – a woman in charge.” DVF’s #InCharge movement is about commitment to yourself, which is why Anthology is teaming up with the Iconic fashion brand for a webinar on how education plays a critical role in empowering the women leaders of tomorrow.
Watch the recording to hear an hour of truth-telling, vulnerability-sharing, and tactic-oriented conversation with Gabby Hirata, president and chief executive of DVF, and other female leaders from Anthology, Google Cloud, and Accenture. Panelists discussed leadership qualities they look for in an applicant and offered truthful tips to help students to succeed in this uncertain world.
Presenters
Gabby Hirata, President and Chief Executive, DVF (Diane von Furstenberg)
Gabby Hirata is the president and chief executive of DVF (Diane von Furstenberg), having joined the company in January 2020. Prior to DVF, Gabby served as the chief strategy officer of Jill Stuart in 2019, and the managing director of Adeam, a NY-based Japanese luxury brand from 2014 to 2018.
Prior to these senior management roles, Gabby specialized in product development and supply chains at Ralph Lauren, managing the global sourcing of Blue Label and the launch of Polo for Women from 2009 to 2014. Raised in China and educated in the US, Gabby is passionate about leveraging her multi-cultural and tri-lingual background to streamline and scale organizations through establishing international offices, standard operating procedures, and global go-to-market strategies with a focus on China.
Gabby had to break not only the glass ceiling but also the bamboo one. Underlining the hardship that one has to endure while trying to find a job in America as an immigrant with the current visa policies is more relevant than ever.
Ingrid Gonzalez, Sales Director, Google Cloud
Ingrid Gonzalez is a versatile executive and client advocate with 18+ years of leadership and international sales experience in established Fortune 500, startup, and on/offshore International organizations. Ingrid’s greatest strengths focus on crafting the requisite strategic vision to achieve business goals, a unique blend of executive acumen, global team-building, and IT solutions development, credited with strong ROI and operational improvement in various organizations she’s worked for.
Ingrid joined Google in December 2017. She has built and is leading a strong Cloud sales team that is focusing on changing the world with innovation and technology by 'Organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful'.
In July 2020 Ingrid was appointed President and Chairwoman of the board of directors of Positive Planet US, a 22 year old non-profit organization helping underprivileged communities to leave poverty through entrepreneurship. Ingrid’s passion is to help drive diversity, inclusion, and equal parity to those that need it the most.
Jaclyn Smith, Business Strategy Manager, Accenture
Jaclyn is a Business Strategy Manager at Accenture and based in Chicago, IL. She received her MBA at The University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business and a B.S. from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA. Jaclyn is a generalist with over 10 years of business experience within corporate strategy, business development, and investment management. In her most recent role at Accenture, Jaclyn focused on Supply Chain & Operations, helping Fortune 500 clients in High Tech, Retail, CPG, and Financial Services. Prior to consulting, Jaclyn spent time at Veritable LP providing investment consulting to ultra-high-net worth clients and at Harding Loevner LP in institutional business development. She is a first generation college student and hopes to help students understand the financial impact of their education and future career decisions.
Richa Batra, Vice President and General Manager, Student Success, Anthology
Richa Batra is the Vice President and General Manager of the Student Success organization at Anthology. Richa has held various roles within Student Success over the last 13 years and has 20 years’ experience in workplace development and Education Technology. Richa is passionate about the intersection of higher education, workforce development and employability. Richa is a first generation college student and is focused on her work to drive increased access and student retention to students from underserved populations.