Founded 27 years ago. Thats just so amazing. Its grown up. Its actually grown up. Thats a generation. It is. And we have built this with volunteers, women in the workforce that want to help other women. And i love every year when we have the conference to be able to walk through the halls and have women come up to me and say, this has changed my life. And it does for many women. Were already sold out this year. And this is a program that its not just the oneday conference. Its a program all year round, and we are providing an opportunity to network and for personal and professional development. So its not just the speakers. Its the workshops, its the opportunity to dream beyond your wildest dreams. Well, you have come from a place where you were a beginner, entry level. Youre a mom. Youve had so many incarnations of your career. [ laughs ] and youve seen change. Have we made enough progress . Lets start with the corporate world for women. So, weve made some progress, but it is so slow. Its glacial in nature. Weve seen a doubling of the number of women on corporate boards, but weve gone from 8 to 16 . The number of women serving in congress has inched up to 20 even though we represent 56 of the voting population. When you look at areas like sports, i mean, women, even with title ix, have had great benefits. Theyve improved in terms of the numbers participating in High School Sports by some 900 and 500 in college sports. But look at the womens soccer team that won the world cup. They got 1 4 in prize winnings as the u. S. Mens team that lost. Well, Venus Williams is the one who became the first woman to get equity in sports pay. Thats right, because she demanded it. Well, and she is gonna be one of the speakers at the event, which is so awesome. Women in technology we are at the heart of this huge Tech Movement in the bay area. Are Tech Companies doing enough . I dont think Tech Companies are doing enough, and i think that there is a culture that has weve allowed to grow that has discouraged women. There are actually fewer women getting Computer Science degrees today than there were in 1985. Why is that . I think the bro culture has created an environment that is not hospitable to women. The bro culture. Mmhmm. Huh. Youre talking about all the young men who are in that industry. My sons one of them. Oh, well, were just gonna call him out right here on this show, arent we . [ both chuckle ] you serve on a lot of committees. One is to push issues to create jobs and strength the middle class, and a wall street journal article said that gender equality is a long way off at most u. S. Companies. But is there hope that we can change that . We can change it. And i think by drawing attention to the issue and helping the senior management, helping the c. E. O. S to recognize that they have got to make this Crystal Clear to everyone who reports to them. If they make it a priority, it becomes a priority for the company. And what we do know in all the studies that have been done, when you get more women on your board, when you get more women in policymaking decisions in a company, it goes to the bottom line. Its profitable for the company. Before we run out of time, you work with veterans on housing for homeless vets a lot of women vets are homeless and also military sexual assault, which is a huge problem. You want to take that decision for punishment and for any legal issues out of the chain of command. Talk about that. Because theres a conflict of interest. If the chain of command is allowed to make the decision when they dont have any expertise in prosecution or investigation, if they are the best friend of the predator, if they are, in fact, the predator, thats a huge problem. We see it over and over again in the military. 20,000 men and women every year sexually assaulted in the military. So taking it out of the chain of command is the answer. Were a long way from achieving that, although we have made incremental improvements in terms of how victims are treated in the system. Now, before we run out of time completely we have about 30 seconds left what can women do to make this life better for them . They have got to demand greater equality. Theyve got to be not afraid to fail. And they have to network. All of those components make for success. I think the most important is really not being afraid to fail, cause i love to tell people im a threetime loser. [ laughs ] and this is what a threetime loser looks like. And youre very successful in so many arenas. Thank you so much, congresswoman speier. Nice to have you here. All right, we are gonna be right back with more about the professional businesswomen of california, or pbwc, in just a moment. Stay with us. singing i just cant wait to meet you, sweet child youre on the way, im filled with expectation, and youre growing everyday. instrumental billions are spent to confuse and, dare i say it, flummox the american public. Save 16 on car insurance. Switch now. Well at compare. Com, we say enoughs enough. So weve created this mind boggling facility. Where were constantly scrutinizing millions of rates. Answering the question who has the lowest. Go to compare. Com, plug in some simple info and get up to 50 free quotes. Choose the lowest, and hit purchase. Its fast and easy. Compare. Com saving humanity from high insurance rates. Welcome back to beyond the headlines. Were talking about women in the workplace and an inspiring organization founded 27 years ago by congresswoman jackie speier. Joining us now in the studio is nicole soluri. She is the board president of pbwc and the chief counsel for the california state lottery. So, nicole, thank you for being here again. Thank you having me, cheryl. Always great to see you. Likewise. The conference is called changing the game. What does that mean to you . It means many things. I think for the organization, we are seeing women in tremendous leadership roles, taking on more responsibilities across industries, at all levels. And our conference program, it features Venus Williams, who is a tremendous advocate for equal pay in sports and has done so many things. Truly a trailblazer in womens professional sports. And she headlines the conference along with two other incredible Game Changers in their respective areas. We have memory banda, whos a young activist from malawi who helped to increase the age for marriage within her country. She is just tremendously inspirational. That is a cultural shift in that country, isnt it . That takes a lot. Huge cultural shift that requires really the talents and the skills and the abilities and the passion of someone who is so young but yet so driven to see change in her country. Boy, thats some good speakers. You have some panelists, too. We do. We have a tremendous array of workshops and seminars. One of my favorites, cheryl, is michael kimmel. Hes a professor in new york who also spoke at the ted Women Conference last year and does an incredible job educating our communities about gender partnership and ways that men and women can Work Together to help promote gender equality. Im really excited to hear from michael kimmel, and many others, including judy smith, who is a Crisis Communications consultant, built her own business, and was the inspiration for the olivia pope character in the hit series scandal. Oh, thats an abc show, too. It is. [ laughs ] we like that. Yes. You are a mom, a wife, a lawyer, a businesswoman. You have so many things that you are juggling. How do you do that, and what do you recommend for other women to survive . Partnership. Partnership whatever that means to you. But it really does take a village. I know we all hear that phrase, but its truly the case. I have a wonderful husband, patrick, who is there by my side and helping at all levels when it comes to childcare, daycare dropoffs and pickups, insuring sleep and exercise, and helping support one another in our professional ambitions, as well. Its not perfect. With my kids at this age, 18 months and 4 years, sort of survival mode, but you keep growing and learning, and when you stop, then its time to do something different. You had a very prestigious appointment by Governor Brown to the lottery commission. So, that was a bold move. He could have chosen a man. But he chose you, a young woman. The governor has done a tremendous job within his administration of helping to promote women and put them in a variety of leadership roles, significant leadership roles statewide, which the data is there. When you put women in Senior Leadership positions, it helps bottom line, it helps success of any organization. And the administration has done a wonderful job of putting women in these roles. Its really equal representation across all of the different state agencies under his leadership. He really has a great vision. Why do you think corporations are not as aggressive as they could be in putting women in those top positions . Its tough to change behavior, cheryl. I think theres an appetite. You can see that by our incredible lineup of sponsor organizations who continue to partner with pbwc on an annual basis. These are Renowned Companies across the country in our own backyard, which really are dedicated to the mission of the organization and promoting and advancing women, inspiring them, giving them the ability to make connections and build skills. And so i feel like theres tremendous progress, but sometimes its just slow going in terms of changing behavior. You and congresswoman speier touched on some of the benefits of belonging to pbwc. Could you go into that a little bit . We have about 60 seconds left. Sure. Its really life changing. It truly is. The connections, the skills, the programming, the people really help to increase your understanding of diverse viewpoints, improve your presentation skills, learn new things. It really is a community that has helped me grow personally from a Leadership Development standpoint and i think has touched thousands and thousands of women over the years. Its really an honor to serve, and im so thrilled to have the opportunity. And finally, advice for women who might be thinking about joining pbwc. Dont hesitate. Do it as quickly as you can. Its really a tremendous organization, and, you know, there are so many programs, whether its the conference, webinars, community events, our scholarship program, many ways to get involved and start on your adventure. Thank you so much, nicole. Pleasure to be here. Nice to have you as the president and the leader. Thank you so much, cheryl. All right. And please stay tuned for more on what you can expect at this years professional businesswomen of california conference. Well be right back. Welcome back to beyond the headlines. In the studio with me right now is linkedins pat wadors. Shes the Senior Vice President of Global Talent organization. Pat, thank you for being here. Oh, thank you for having me. Im excited to be here. You are a panelist with the professional businesswomen of californias conference thats coming up, and i love that organization. You worked at linkedin. Its one of the organizations i always tell all my students, youve got to join linkedin. Yes. And before we get to that, your company has grown so dramatically over the past few years. Its amazing. Its been a wild ride. Ive been with the company a little over three years, and its gone from 3,000 to 10,000 employees almost as of today, and its been amazing. Now, youre in human resources, which means because you advocate diversity and inclusion, 10,000 people thats a lot of diversity and inclusion that you have to make sure that you work for. I think the first six months, nine months of joining the company, you do this whirlwind tour at least i do and i want to listen, so i go to the regions, i go to the different offices, i hold small employee sessions. Tell me how its going. Whats working, whats not. And from that dialogue, i recognize that there were certain benefits that would support samesex couples or women that wanted babies that needed better fertility support and went back home and said, lets make this happen. And so by listening, you change the world. Wow. And you have a measure of control over that, too. Yes, i do. Im in a privileged opportunity. I get to go back and say, okay, my benefits team, what can we do here, right . This is a problem. This is a need. What can we change . Thats amazing. All right, now, linkedin is something that i really love that service, and i mentor a lot of college kids. I tell them to be on linkedin, and they dont understand why. So, for those who dont know what linkedin is, what is it, how does it work . It is a professional networking site, so to speak. You put your digital resume, footprint, identity on linkedin. Its a way to connect and to share, so its not just who i am. Its what i know. So, you have people that have already been retired and done Amazing Things around the world that get to post their knowledge on linkedin. And if i was a student, id be like, whats up . You know, how do i become a c. E. O. . How do i become a chief marketing officer . What does that look like . What leadership tips do you have for me . Linkedin has this wealth of information and connection to the world. Plus i love the fact that its so interactive. Oh, i do, too. [ chuckles ] you can post things that youve written. So, when you talk to young people, what do you tell them about it, why its so important . cause some of them dont get it. They dont get it. Ive got three millennials. My children have linkedin profiles, the ones that are in college. I go to universities and i say, start with your profile. Start with your network. And youre building your network as you sit in this office, so connect with your professors. If you have an alumni group, connect with them. If they are working for companies you admire in entertainment or in pharmaceutical, connect with them. Ask them what its like. Tell them that youre interested in pursuing a field of x or y, and they are gonna want to help you. And so linkedin creates this Great Exchange of people, places, and things that you get more information and better guidance. You have people signing up for linkedin quite rapidly, right . Yes. Were over 400 million members today. Whoa. And you said that people will want to help you. Sometimes people might be intimidated about reaching out to that person. Oh, theyre too important, too big. They might reject me. What do you say to them . Whats the worst that can happen . Right. They just ignore you, right . Yeah. Just keep going. You know, its like a goldilocks rule of thumb. Mmhmm. If you put yourself out there and you have great intent, the gifts will come back to you. And linkedin is just great. I mean, people have found jobs. They changed their life by connecting through linkedin, so its pretty magical. Why is it so important to use linkedin to help with the diversity and inclusion that we need in this world . Its interesting, because people want to be found, right . They want to belong, they want to be found, they want to add value. They dont want to be underrepresented in meaning that they dont have enough of a role, the impact theyve envisioned. And so by connecting and learning from others, you can explore bigger, better opportunities. I think you can learn from others and, you know, stand on their shoulders, so to speak, from the prior generation, the prior learning, and linkedin affords you that conversation. Its changing the world and that conversational tone. The other thing i find with linkedin is that you get to find companies that are open to lbgt or, you know, genderfriendly and have the benefits that you look at, so what are your vacation benefits, your parental leave . You can find that out through connecting through linkedin, by connecting with someone and asking. So, for people who are a little intimidated by going online and i say get over it. [ laughs ]. Learn from it, but you can also use linkedin to link with other social media. Oh, yes. Absolutely. So, ive learned to write. Im an introvert, so writing, to me, has been a new foray into my new skill set. I am still fledging. And on linkedin, you get to post. And when you post on linkedin, you get this great dialogue going, and now i can link it to my twitter handle, i can when i post on twitter, it links right to my facebook account. My family can see what im writing about. So it makes it very smooth and connected. All right, final thoughts before we run out of time. So, for diversity and inclusion, i think that the conversation has to change. I think its about belonging. I think its about creating a culture where people feel they want to be a part of, not only respected. But i remember the moments where i felt like i belonged and they transformed my career and my confidence. And teaching companies and leaders how to create those magical moments for others will create the Diverse Workforce youre looking for. And we need that, dont we . Yeah, we do. All right, pat, thank you so much. Oh, my pleasure. Looking forward to hearing you at the conference. All right, coming up next, were gonna hear from our very own kristen sze about a oneofakind young womens summit hosted by pbwc. Stay with us. Well be right back. Thank you so much. Did you say honey . Hey, try some . Mmm that is tasty. Is it real . Of course. Are you . Nope animated you know im always looking for real honey for honey nut cheerios well youve come to the right place. Great, mind if i have another taste . Not at all mmm youre all right bud . Never better i dont know if he likes that. Yeah part of the complete breakfast welcome back to beyond the headlines. Right now with me in the studio, abc7 news midday and 5 00 p. M. Anchor kristen sze. So nice to Work Together again. I cant believe it. I feel like jumping out of the seat to hug you, cheryl. This is fantastic. Well hug later. You know, weve been talking about the professional businesswomen of california conference, and kristen is a big part of a sister summit. Thats fight. In the fall, theres a young womens summit. Theres been two of these so far, and theyve proven so successful, and ive been lucky to be a part of that. Cheryl, youve talked a lot about how important it is for women to network in a professional setting. Well, this is where it starts for young women. About 300 young women get together. They have mentors, women who are already in professional fields, from tech, to medicine, to fashion, to marketing, all sorts of fields, kind of telling them how they did it, what were their challenges, what were their setbacks, how did they overcome them, what are the educational steps they need to take to prepare themselves, what they can do now. So its really inspiring, and it really opens up the young womens eyes so they can see a future for themselves. Now, for you, you and i have taken different paths to come to the same place. How important is this kind of conference based on your personal history and your struggle . You know, so important. When i was a Young Journalist starting out, i really tried to network and meet people who i respected already in the field who would take the time to look at my work, give me advice, feedback, confidence, and give me the will to keep going when its tough. But its hard, though, to get people. Its so hard, right . Yeah. It really is. But when you come to the young womens summit, you have women who are ready and willing to help you. That is their whole mission for being there. Congresswoman jackie speier, of course, there, but so many women who have made it and theyre there to open the door wider for the next generation of women. I mean, they will sit there and critique your resume and be fullout honest. Hey, you need work on this. But you want to hear that kind of feedback, right . You need to have a firmer handshake. I know thats something you always emphasize. Very good point. And well work on all those things, too. And one of my favorite new activities they started last year is called a speed mentoring session. So, you sit down at a table and theres a mentor there. And its called speed mentoring because you whip through it in about 10 minutes or 15 minutes, Something Like that. The young women at the table ask questions and you answer them and you give them feedback, and they just move on to the next one, next one, and then they glean so much for every mentor that they get to sit down with. And they have great questions, those young ladies. 17 to 23 i think is the age range. All right, and is that free or is there a charge . You know what . It is free. And if you go on their website, itll tell you how to sign up and be a part of it, but i know the group does outreach to schools, community centers, both high schools and Community College and that type of thing, and they say, welcome, come, just sign up. But i think there are about 300 spots typically. Now, before we run out of time, weve got 30 seconds left, we had talked about diversity and inclusion. So, its really important to have that, and its a safe place for young women. It absolutely is. I mean, sometimes when you dont see someone who looks like you or came from the same background as you, whether economically, socially, racially, you might think, that cant be me. I cant be sitting in that 17floor office, you know, at the google headquarters. But then when you see people who are like you, whove gone through the struggles and theyre telling you, you can do it and these are some of the steps you might want to think about taking, that really gives you a shot of confidence, and i see the women leaving with big smiles, having a lot of confidence, saying, can i email you in the future if i have more questions . And that is the seed that they have planted to start networking and thinking about building their futures. Thats great information, kristen. Thank you so much. Sure. Thanks for being a part of this. Yeah, its my pleasure entirely. All right, and thank all of you for joining us. For more information about todays special program and resources where you live, just go to our website, abc7news. Com community. Were also on facebook at abc7communityaffairs. And follow me on twitter cherylabc7. Im cheryl jennings. Have a great week. Well see you next time. Meteorologist drew tuma will have the forecast. Happening now. History in cuba. Well go live to havana to see what president obama has already done and what he has planned. I really learned to stay prepared any all facets of my life. The special celebration for four young the first full day of spring brought rain