“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg 

Representation of women in the workplace is an ongoing discussion at many companies. At Maven Wave, Women and Allies at Maven Wave (WAM), our women-focused resource group, is working toward an all-year-long initiative that helps women grow their voice and teaches allies how to support this goal.

We interviewed the WAM core leadership team, Victoria Ronn, Head of Rebranding, Restructuring, & Relaunch, Amy Furrow, Head of FunOps, Budget, & Sponsorship, and Quincy Alves, Head of Peer-to-Peer Mentorship & New Membership, to discuss the importance of creating an inclusive workplace environment for women. Read on for the full interview.

What prompted the WAM core leadership team to rebrand the WAM program? 

With the impacts on workplace culture by COVID-19 and the Atos acquisition of Maven Wave, we believed that WAM was due for an upgraded mission, vision, and list of key pursuits to match our new organization and structure. 

We want to ensure Maven Wave / Atos fosters a community of diverse perspectives that instill inclusive values within the community and our deliverables. Additionally, we advocate for female leadership — both company-wide and in the larger technology space. 

Why is the value-add of organizations like WAM in the workplace?

In a workplace that is increasingly distributed and remote, WAM fosters a diverse and inclusive community. We amplify under-represented voices and break down biases through education, conversation, and programming.

How does WAM encourage women in the workplace?

Our monthly 50/50 meetings on the third Tuesday of every month — which are 50% business and 50% fun — are a great spot to start! Our grassroots programming educates women and allies on challenges and opportunities that women and BIPOC face in and out of the workplace. Invaluable programming like this empowers everyone with the tools for decision-making and to speak up against inequity. 

What are your long-term goals for WAM? 

WAM aims to create measurable success that is a source of pride for WAM members and the larger Maven Wave organization. The scarcity of women in tech — especially in tech leadership roles — is a pervasive issue that spans the entire industry. We will help women confidently navigate through their careers by developing a robust network centered around female mentorship and skills development. Lastly, in the next year, we’d like to scale in both membership and engagement. 

How do you garner employee interest in WAM events and initiatives? 

WAM leadership created an engagement survey to gauge interest in various community events and initiatives. Our grassroots survey drives our mission from the ground up based on the desires of contributing members in WAM and the needs of the larger Maven Wave organization. 

As a group, we brainstormed powerful topics related to women and allyship in the workplace and let participating WAM members focus on topics they are most passionate about to encourage participation and deeper conversation.

WAM’s Mission

We believe…

diverse perspectives are a driving force behind technology’s global impact and successful business transformations. 

Therefore, we exist to…

inspire women to lead an inclusive community of consultants and solution providers.

Key Pursuits

• Champion a community of diverse perspectives that instills inclusive values within the Maven Wave community and our deliverables. 
• Advocate for female leadership and influence within the organization — and within the larger technology space.

To learn more about WAM, check out this post from the Maven Wave blog. And to learn more about life as a Maven, take a look at our Careers page.