A Community of Crown-Straighteners
This year is a milestone anniversary for ElevateHER®, celebrating five years of bringing together doers and visionaries to make the AEC industry a better place for all. Over the last five years, more than 50 speakers, facilitators, and sponsors, and 124 cohort members have been
To get a better sense of how the community surrounding ElevateHER has developed over the last five years, we launched an impact survey about a year ago, asking alumni, speakers, advisors, and sponsors just
directly impacted by ElevateHER® and countless have been impacted indirectly. We set out to Elevate the Industry by envisioning a more welcoming and accommodating work environment where everyone will thrive—specifically the historically under-represented demographics. ElevateHER is a community, one that is more widespread than any we know of in AEC–not by number, but by demographic penetration. The ElevateHER community is a vast network that spans across North America, across org charts and disciplines and across demographics. This is a community that continues to celebrate each other’s successes, and be there for each other: as a mentor, friend,
two questions: how has your involvement/ engagement in ElevateHER® impacted your career? What would you like to see in ElevateHER’s future? One of the main themes that emerged as a common response to this impact survey was that the ElevateHER program has significantly impacted careers by fostering a sense of community and belonging. Participants valued the connections made with like-minded professionals, which broadened their perspectives. Many reported a newfound passion in advocating for a better workplace, and they viewed themselves as change agents in addition to technical professionals. The ElevateHER experience increased their confidence, and provided them with tools and vocabularies to articulate their vision of what a supportive
Crown-Straightener (n): Someone who is always in your corner, working in the background to make sure you have the support you need to grow and succeed. A hype- person who can be trusted with candid conversations based on their wholehearted desire for your success.
hype-person, cheerleader, or whatever else is needed. This culture and community has given rise to things like a grassroots alumni effort that is currently underway aimed at carrying on the relationship built thus far. These efforts are a testament to the lasting bonds that are developed through ElevateHER.
workplace looks like, and in return, they feel more respected in their own firm. Many can now add “author and speaker” to their resume for co-authoring and co-designing these workforce solutions, and for all the articles and speaking opportunities that come with their final deliverables (the projects).
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