Women's History Month - Pagaya leaders #EmbraceEquity

Yesterday, for Women’s History Month, hundreds of Pagayans from around the world joined a special, global session with senior women leaders at the Company to hear about what drew them to the fintech space and how they #EmbraceEquity in their personal and professional lives.?

The panel included conversations with Chief Growth Officer, Leslie G. Gillin , Chief Compliance Officer, Meryem B. Erzi-Colakoglu and SVP of Product, Tamar Sharir Beiser , moderated by Pagaya’s General Counsel, Richmond Glasgow . Plus, we heard from board member Amy Pressman , in conversation with Chief People Officer, Tami Rosen . Here are? just a few of the insights they shared with the Company:

Amy Pressman, co-founder of Medallia and board member for Pagaya Technologies Ltd.:

• On why she decided to join Pagaya’s board of directors: “Pagaya’s unquenchable thirst to learn and get better. Every company will have speed bumps, but any company with that culture will not only survive, but ultimately will prevail.”
• On emphasizing ‘growth’ over ‘perfectionism’: “There is no such thing as perfect. People who have grown up from the US education system and have gone through the college admissions process in America know how much ‘perfection’ is pushed, especially on our youth. But all startup companies know that if you get stuck on this concept of ‘perfectionism,’ you’ll be stymied. Instead, let it go. You may not always nail it - learn from the misstep and move forward.”

• On working with your spouse: “A lot of people say ‘I can’t work with my spouse,’ but I always found that odd because in one way or another, you’re always in business with your partner. I remember doing a lot of soul searching when making the decision to go into business with my husband, and one thing that I noticed when looking at successful women was that they were able to strike a good balance between having a healthy family life and a meaningful career. A quote that has always struck me was ‘Know when you want a job, when you want a career and when you want a calling.’”
• On the biggest challenge as a female founder: “The biggest challenge was raising three children while building my company. I paid myself a cofounder salary, which sometimes meant no salary at all. We bootstrapped for 10 years and I relied on the support of family and friends. Additionally, I’m very proud of how I made such an effort to remain approachable to all women at Medalia. So, no matter their level, employees felt they could interface with me, regardless of my co-founder title.”

Leslie Gillin, chief growth officer at Pagaya Technologies Ltd.:

• On how things have changed and more companies #EmbraceEquity today: “In the 90s, I wasn’t allowed to wear pants, I would get passed over for promotions and so much more. It’s better now, but we still have a ways to go. I talk to my daughter about this a lot and tell her, “you can either be a victim or be part of the solution.””

• On how our mission at Pagaya resonates with the theme of #EmbraceEquity: “We are creating equity for people by giving more opportunities to people to receive more credit and lending products that they wouldn’t have otherwise had.”
• On being the change you want to see in the world: “There is unconscious bias. We all have it because we have different experiences. Recognize that and assume positive intent from everyone. Help educate others.”
• On mentoring other women: “You always want to be pulling someone else forward. Be a sounding board for others. Instead of waiting for someone to ask for help, do proactive mentoring and reach out.”?

Meryem Erzi, chief compliance officer at Pagaya Technologies Ltd.:

• On how things have changed and more companies #EmbraceEquity today: “I started my career in a very male-dominated space. I had all the right experience but I never had a seat at the table - I was excluded.? When I came to Pagaya, I’ll never forget my first day here - I met with Leslie [Gillin] and she looked me in the eye and said ‘I’m here for you.’ And without actually saying the words, I knew exactly what she meant, because both of us came from that male-dominated world.”
• On being the change you want to see in the world: “You have to speak up and own your career. We can sit here and say ‘oh, I don’t have this or that.’ Do something about it - we can make it happen.”
• On women’s allies: “I don’t have daughters, but I have two sons, and rest assured they are being taught to respect women. I am impressed by the men in this room - you are our allies. It’s not about winning at the cost of others, it’s about winning together.”?

• On balancing a career and parenthood: “We talk about having a ‘support system’ at home when raising kids, so why should that be any different at work? We can be our best at work, if we feel we are fully supported in all aspects of our life. It’s less about the balance, it’s more about integrating your personal and professional life to be the best at both.”

Tamar Sharir Beiser, SVP of product at Pagaya Technologies Ltd.:

• On how things have changed and more companies #EmbraceEquity today: “As a woman in tech, I was either the only woman or one of a few. I was also the only one with very young kids. We’re making progress, and that person was an outlier, but it still happens, sometimes in small ways.”
• On speaking up for yourself: “I make sure my daughter knows to speak up when she feels uncomfortable in a room. You’ve got to be yourself. Be what makes you different and don’t be afraid or hold back. Bring that authentic approach to the work you do. Be the person that women feel comfortable coming to.”

• On balancing career and parenthood: “Normalize women with young kids in the office. I recently brought my kids to work because I had an important meeting while their school was on vacation, and I had to weigh the decision of ‘should I or shouldn’t I?’ I chose to normalize the fact that I have my career which is important to me, and at the same time have my family.”

Richmond Glasgow, general counsel at Pagaya Technologies Ltd.:

• On equity vs. equality: “Let’s not judge ourselves or judge others when they can’t necessarily meet the same standards as everyone else… we’re all here because we bring something very special to this company. It’s why we hired everyone. It goes beyond gender, it’s many things and we want to see that value at work every single day.”
• On having open and honest conversations about the change that needs to happen: “I had one of those very real conversations with my mom in my 20s and to this day, it remains one of the best and most formidable conversations in my life. Have that conversation - a mother, daughter, sister may be holding on to something that they don’t need to.”
• On women’s allies: “Most people know I identify as LGBTQIA and most of the work done is by people who aren’t in the community. Similarly, it’s our job, as women’s allies to do something about it. We’re all in this together.”?

If you haven't yet, check out our "Pagaya Spotlights Women" series, featuring amazing women at Pagaya. The series celebrates their inspiring accomplishments and encourages us all to pursue our dreams fearlessly.

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