Happy Women’s History Month!
Welcome to our new site! All year long we’re celebrating 10 years of using sports to help women excel in their careers. What was a small football blog for women, grew to programming for women to use sports to breakdown communication barriers and make #girlpowerplays.
This month we’ll recognize the women who have made history in the United States. On March 8, the world will celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women for International Women’s Day. There are tons of pioneers and accomplishments to celebrate.
More women are going to college and completing advanced degrees. We are witnessing women lead companies, political parties, universities and nations. Women are opening more businesses and joining the upper-middle class.
With all the success, there is still work to do. A lot of it.
Look at these embarrassing statistics.
- In the U.S., Asian-American women earn 90% of men’s salaries, White women earn 82%; African-American women earn 62%; Native American women earn 57% and Latina women earn 54%
- Women hold just 5% of CEO positions in the S&P 500
- As of 2017, among the top 100 venture capital firms, 8% of partners are women
- In 2018, $58 billion was invested by venture capitalists; $1.87 billion reached women-led companies — That’s barely 3%!
You know what makes this really crazy? Babson College’s 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor United States Report showed that women were more likely than men to introduce products and services that are new to customers and not generally offered by competitors (40% compared to 35%.). So… women have the unique ideas and can’t get funding?
I am working to eradicate this inequality through sports.
Why Sports?
From my studies in psychology and sport sociology, I learned how influential sports are. The intoxicating emotion of victory opens doors and minds and leads to change. I believe what Nelson Mandela said:
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.”
Sports have maintained a distinct ability to build relationships despite cultural differences. My first job in sports working at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta was an up-close look at this power. It was further cemented working with the U.S. Department of State’s SportsUnited division whose objective is to use sports for diplomacy.
Vision 2020
For the first 10 years, our focus was on giving women tools to be successful. It’s not enough. The facts show we have innovative ideas and don’t get funding. We have education and don’t get the opportunity.
Our vision is to level the playing field in business. In this next decade, we’re going to develop SHEMAKERS and work to ensure that women have equal pay and equal access to capital.
Ladies: We are not the future waiting for the world to give us next. We’ve got now.
Let’s get to work.
Game on!
Shavannia
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