LinkedIn, Gainsight, Okta, Delphix, Workfront and Costanoa Ventures join Athena for customized programs that maximize female executive development
MOSS BEACH, Calif., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athena Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to achieving gender parity in the boardroom by helping women advance as senior leaders and attain board seats, today announced that six new organizations have made the commitment to helping their senior female leaders maximize their impact as executives. These organizations, including LinkedIn, Gainsight, Okta, Workfront, Delphix and Costanoa Ventures, are investing in their women VP- and C-suite leaders by sponsoring their participation in a custom-tailored Athena Alliance program designed to increase their board savviness and refine their leadership abilities, both inside and outside the boardroom.
“I’m inspired to see so many leading companies make the investment in their female leaders,” said Coco Brown, Founder and CEO of Athena Alliance. “These companies are not only investing in developing their leadership team, but they are also investing in making a difference in boardrooms around the world.”
Women who are seeking a board seat for the first time face a mountain of barriers compared to their male counterparts. Athena Alliance works with individual women, as well as companies of all sizes, to craft customized programs to guide women through the ranks of executive leadership, from progressing into even more senior roles and, if they choose, into board directorship service.
“The statistics speak for themselves: companies with diversity in leadership consistently outperform their peers,” said Kristina Johnson, Chief People Officer at Okta. “There’s no industry where diversity and representation are more important than the technology sector as the things we build have the power to reach everyone in the world. We’re committed to working closely with Athena to champion our powerful, cross-functional female leaders—together taking one step closer to gender parity in the boardroom and across our industry.”
Athena’s programs are designed to deliver value at every level of women’s executive development. Executive women gain exclusive access to customized programs, including a board readiness assessment, individual coaching, workshops and salons, and curated networking opportunities. These opportunities give women the ability to refine their personal brands and become board-savvy, something that can make or break their career as they seek to move on to more senior roles. Athena helps female leaders position their strengths and brand effectively, as senior roles often require presenting to boards and gaining their formal or informal approval.
For companies, Athena offers a unique opportunity for companies to deliver a curated senior executive development program, a pain point for many organizations. The Athena executive development program speaks to the long-lasting, strategic nature of companies’ relationships with senior executives.
And for investment groups, Athena can help to enhance the value of their portfolio companies by providing access to Athena’s broad network of experienced, board-savvy women across a range of disciplines. Its curated, white-glove access to an extraordinary group of women can help transform a company’s future.
"We felt it was important to take explicit action that helps our companies move toward gender equality,” said Greg Sands, Founding Partner of Costanoa Ventures. “Athena Alliance gave us a partner at the board, buyer and leadership development levels, so we were excited by all the ways it can help our companies improve."
In the first two years alone, Athena Alliance has made over 700 connections between top female executives and board influencers and decision makers, has secured over 200 board interviews for women and has secured 20 board seats with another 60 working with Athena today. Athena is helping companies such as Forrester, Mulesoft, Pricesmart, Axon and more. Athena also recently expanded its partnership with Intuit, one of its earliest corporate supports. It has also formed a partnership with TA Associates, a leading global private equity firm. Learn more about Athena’s partnership with TA Associates here. To learn more about The Athena Alliance’s latest partnerships and programs, please visit https://athenaalliance.org/building-ecosystem-modern-boardroom/.
About Athena Alliance
Athena Alliance is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women to contribute at their highest level of impact. Athena advances gender diversity in the boardroom by extending board networks across a range of industries and executives, with a network of more than 1000 C-level women, venture capitalists and CEOs from more than 100 companies. Sponsors include TA Associates, Autodesk, Intuit, Microsoft, OpenView Venture Partners and others. Founded in 2016, Athena Alliance is headquartered in Half Moon Bay, Calif. For more information, visit http://athenaalliance.org.
Contact:
Lexie Banks, Communications Manager
Athena Alliance
(801) 882-2755
communications@athenaalliance.com