Equity, Education, and Business as a Platform for Change

When I found out the World Economic Forum (WEF) was going to be held virtually, I have to admit I was skeptical. While this was the first WEF I participated in, I wasn’t sure the influence and magnitude of the event that had been so carefully described to me over the years would translate. But from the moment I opened my first Zoom, which happened to be a panel I was participating in as part of Goals House, I knew the event would be special and would hold space for the conversations so desperately needed on the urgent issues our global communities face. After some reflection, here's what remains top of mind for me:

There is no equality without gender equity.

According to a recent report, 140,000 jobs were lost in the United States. 100% of those jobs were lost by women, specifically women of color. If you had told me this stat was from the early 1900s, I would have believed you. But now, in 2021, this is unthinkable and shows the speed at which women and girls are being left behind. It also shows that we aren’t doing enough globally to bridge the growing divide.

It’s shocking to me that women still have to prove themselves – we’ve already done the work! And we continue to see it in practice. If you look at countries run by women, like Finland and New Zealand, COVID recovery is happening quickly. To me, this just shows the power, strength, and perspective women bring. Our investment in them should be a no-brainer.

There needs to be greater investment in women and girls, and it starts with education...where I recently learned during a conversation with Malala that there are nearly 140 million girls out of school globally. Without access to education, opportunity and success become almost completely unattainable. If we’re serious about building an equitable post-COVID economy, our focus should start with SDG 4 and access.

The future of work is now.

One thing that became abundantly clear in my conversations during WEF is that the future of work is NOW. We used to talk about it like it was a far off thing but COVID has accelerated our global digital transformation, and we’ve entered a new world of work that is here to stay.

We are seeing a spike in digital jobs but do not have the talent to meet the demand. Part of this is a skills problem. In many classrooms around the world, students are being trained for jobs that will soon become obsolete, which means their skills are outdated before they even graduate. We should start building our future workforce as early as possible, beginning as early as secondary school to ensure we don’t perpetuate the very problem we’re trying to solve.

Equity also plays a crucial role in building our future workforce. We need more companies to be deliberate about opening the doors to untapped talent, people with non-traditional backgrounds but equivalent work experience. We’ve started doing this at Salesforce both through our internship and apprentice programs, partnering with organizations like Year Up and ADA, the National College for Digital Skills, and in our FTE and contract hires by beginning the process to drop the degree requirement from roles where we can. I truly believe this is the future work and one of the best ways to build equity directly into your business.

Stakeholder Capitalism is the new business as usual.

The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer showed something different this year: business replaced government as the most trusted institution. Business also surveyed as the only institution seen as both ethical and competent. This captures how CEOs and businesses showed up to take care of their employees during the pandemic, and how many pivoted their business operations to meet the needs of their communities and the planet...all of their stakeholders, not just their shareholders.

More and more businesses are realizing their role in making the world a better place, and where the idea of corporate purpose used to be a “nice to have” it is now non-negotiable. This is the new business as usual and ushers in a new era proving business truly is the most powerful platform for change.

It’s so important we not only keep these conversations going but we continue to take action and make progress. These are the areas I’m committed to incorporating into my leadership agenda and hope others are inspired to do the same. If you attended WEF or have followed along via the coverage or social media that came out of the event, I’d love to hear how you are taking action.