On International Women’s Day in 2020, I distinctly remember walking into LiveIntent’s New York City office and finding a red rose on my desk tied with a note saying, “Happy International Women’s Day.” All LiveIntenters who identify as women receive this every year from Women With Intent, LiveIntent’s original Employee Resource Group (ERG), in recognition and celebration of this great day for all women. It’s a simple gesture, but I remember looking across our open office space admiring the array of red roses placed gently on the desks of my fellow women colleagues. I had an immense sense of pride: this day, more than any other, made me feel not only part of a community but allowed me to see that I was part of a community.
A few short days later, on March 12th, LiveIntent embarked on a new chapter: a remote workforce. In the beginning, I found it challenging to adapt to this new way of life. It felt temporary, but with no known end date, it felt even more unsettling. As time went on, people began to adjust; we got used to staring at our screens while finding time to take walks, create new routines, and prioritize our mental health. However, as I reflect on the last year, I recognize we didn’t just adapt; Women with Intent gave us the tools, opportunities, and relationships to do more than that. We thrived.
Women with Intent started long before I joined the company over 3.5 years ago. This group’s mission has always been to make awareness, philanthropy, leadership, and networking more accessible and celebrated to those who identify as women. Over the years, we’ve hosted many internal and external events, such as book clubs featuring prominent female writers, volunteer opportunities to support women victims of domestic violence, and panels highlighting successful women leaders within the technology space. Over the past year in a fully remote world, Women with Intent has continued its mission, transforming these events into virtual experiences.
At the end of 2020, I was lucky enough to co-host a virtual Vision Board event with this group. Creating yearly vision boards is something I worked on throughout college as a member of the Women’s Leadership Institute. When the opportunity came about to brainstorm internal events with Women with Intent, a light bulb went off in my head. I immediately felt empowered, knowing that I could tap into that passion and lead the exercise. While I used to run this type of activity in person, we hosted this event virtually, and still, I felt so inspired by each attendee’s vision and creativity.
Fast forward to Women’s History Month in 2021, Women With Intent has organized various internal events to empower each other. These events include a fundraiser for Girls on the Run, a women-led panel, a coffee pairing event, and a book discussion on I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, co-led with our BlackIntent ERG.
Although saddened at the reminder of how different things were a year ago, the e-card from Women With Intent also gave me feelings of hope and empowerment. The ERG has gone above and beyond to strengthen our sisterhood during a challenging time, and I have the utmost confidence that we will continue to do so long after.
