Intrepid Woman: Educating Children in Goa

P1050292By Cleo Thompson (London), founder of The Gender Blog. A regular contributor, Thompson has just returned to the UK from a period of volunteer work for a charity in India. This is her story.

Goa: the smallest and the richest state in India; a former Portuguese colony, a place of beautiful golden beaches, swaying palm trees and over a million domestic and foreign tourists per year. The wealth brought by the tourists also brings an influx of economic migrants. In search of work and money, they travel to this tiny state in western India from other areas – hundreds and in some cases thousands of miles away.

I first visited Goa in 1999, have been back many times since then and have seen the volume of both tourists and of workers from other parts of India soar in the intervening years. Unsurprisingly, the Goan infrastructure is now creaking under this flood of people; from a tourist’s point of view, power cuts and water shortages are increasingly common but can be dismissed as being “part of the Indian experience.” However, what many tourists never see are the living environments of many of the migrant workers – and, more particularly, how this impacts the health and education of their children.

Before Christmas, I spent time undertaking volunteer work for a small Goan-based charity called Educators’ Trust India – I’m pictured here with some of the children on a trip to the beach. The charity was set up two years ago in order to provide practical assistance to the children of these migrant workers and they now, funded only by donations, run two schools, Leading Light and New Light, and a number of outreach projects where they work with migrant workers in the local slums.

Read more

/by

Intrepid Woman: From Futures Trader to Microfinance Film Maker

RachelCook1Contributed by Rachel Cook

I was working as a Futures Trader on the European shift – in the middle of the night, Chicago time – in September 2009 when I first came across an op-ed in The New York Times written by Nick Kristof the month before, “The Women’s Crusade.” I was completely floored by the article – it told the stories of women in the developing world, facing terrifying, seemingly insurmountable odds. And some of these women were able to overcome these odds using a development tool I’d heard little about – microfinance. I was intrigued. Microlending seemed to help women, and it seemed to be a high-return financial investment – both topics of high interest to me.

I’d studied film in undergrad, as well as Economics and English. I’d loved movies since I was a kid.

It occurred to me that this could make an amazing topic for a global documentary film.

But I’ve never made a feature documentary before; I’d made a few shorts in school, and beyond that I knew virtually nothing about production. It was imperative that I surround myself with professionals who could compensate for my own greenness. And I got lucky; I was able to put together a wonderful group of people who are highly seasoned professionals just as passionate about the project as I am, and what’s more, they were willing to volunteer.

So we got started. While maintaining my trading job, the crew and I traveled to South America and filmed in Paraguay in 2010, and we’re only getting started – we’ll continue filming throughout this year.

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Rhonda Mims, President, ING Foundation & SVP, Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs, ING

rhondamimsBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Rhonda Mims, President, ING Foundation & SVP, Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs, ING, said she was glad to have learned the value of a non-linear career.

Having begun her career as an attorney, then working for the government, and finally moving to the corporate space, Mims has had a broad range of experiences. She explained, “For a number of years, I have understood the fact that every career doesn’t have a straight linear curve.” Looking back though, she said, “When I started, I was so focused that I may have missed opportunities to go to the left or the right, instead of going straight up.”

Mims now leads the ING Foundation as well as corporate responsibility and diversity and inclusion initiatives at ING. “It’s an incredible job,” she added.

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Aynesh Johnson, Head of the Office of Global Leadership and Diversity, Goldman Sachs

,

Aynesh Johnson“Look ahead to other senior women who have gone through the experience and learn from them,” said Aynesh Johnson, Managing Director and Head of the Office of Global Leadership and Diversity at Goldman Sachs. But, she continued, “Be comfortable that you will be successful and do it on your own terms.”

Johnson, who has been with Goldman since the beginning of her career, is enthusiastic about the importance of leveraging mentors and sponsors throughout one’s career. But, she said, ultimately you are responsible for your own success.

“You have to be able to find support, but you are responsible for owning your career,” she advised.

Read more
/by

35 Under 35: Louise Mor, Partner, Asset Finance, White & Case

Mor_LouiseBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Louise Mor, a new partner at the global law firm White & Case, is building a career in asset finance law. She has built a store of expertise in the global financing of aircraft and trains. And now, at just 34, Mor has recently been named a partner at the firm.

She advised young women in law to get involved as much as possible at the office. “Not only doing your work, but get exposed to other people. Try to get involved in wider things, like pro-bono work and marketing initiatives. It’s a great way to get people to know you – to know your face. Get your face out there all the time.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: DiAnne Calabrisotto, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, The Williams Capital Group, L.P.

DiAnne CalabrisottoBy Elizabeth Harrin (London)

DiAnne Calabrisotto wanted to be a graphic designer or a paralegal when she grew up, but reluctantly settled for a job as a receptionist at Prudential Securities in 1984. Since those early days, Calabrisotto has risen through the ranks to the C-suite, and is now Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at The Williams Capital Group, L.P., a leading boutique investment banking firm in New York.

“Working at a boutique firm allows me, on the one hand, to have creative input on challenging special projects. On the other hand, I deal with a lot of legal and regulatory issues, working closely with top-notch attorneys at prominent law firms,” she says. “I never thought I could combine my two passions on Wall Street.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Yaarit Silverstone, Managing Director, Talent & Organization Performance, Accenture

Yaarit Silverstone Picture-higher resBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Be your own best critic,” advised Yaarit Silverstone, a managing director in Accenture’s Talent & Organization Performance practice. “Be sure you are showing up as the best you – and be open to development.”

Silverstone’s career, which spans continents and industries, has taken her from consulting on human capital issues externally to human capital management within the firm, and she is passionate about the importance of helping people develop the skills to succeed, no matter what their career or geographic location. “It’s a matter of global economic importance,” she said.

She said, “Each of us, every 2 years, should be somehow different in terms of our capabilities. And the only way to do that is to be aware of your strengths and where you would like to stretch. I’m doing something entirely different every 2 years.”

Read more

/by

Movers and Shakers: Susan Ganz, President of the Financial Women’s Association of New York

Susan GanzBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I got involved with the FWA 11 years ago – I was essentially a newlywed, pre-kids. I wanted to give back to the community, and had always been involved in mentoring,” said Susan Ganz, President of the Financial Women’s Association of New York and a Financial Services Professional at the Center for Wealth Preservation.

“I began helping recruit mentors for the Wall Street Exchange program, a workshop series for to-be college seniors who were interested in the Financial Services arena,” she continued.

“And from there I was hooked,” she said. While Ganz’s interest in the FWA began with the Wall Street Exchange mentoring program (which is now going on its 35th year), her commitment to the organization has grown, having served first as a volunteer, then a committee chair, later Annual Dinner Co-Chair, then Treasurer and Vice President, before being asked to take on the President role.

“As the whole financial services landscape is changing, we are working to ensure our own sustainability for the next 50 years,” she explained. “My passion is educating and empowering women, businesses, and non-profits.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, Senior Vice President, Commercial Group, Moody’s Investors Service

ArleneIsaacsLoweBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I think it’s really important that women are authentic in their professional lives,” said Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, Senior Vice President at Moody’s, and recently appointed to head business development for Moody’s Commercial Group’s bank loan franchise.

She continued, “There are aspects of you that make you the best you – and if you put up a facade to fit into an organization, eventually that facade will crack. You are better suited to put that energy into contributing to the organizations strategic objectives.”

Isaacs-Lowe’s drive to learn – to excel at multiple disciplines – has often taken her to the next professional opportunity. Moving from accounting to investment, to entrepreneurship, and now to the credit industry, Isaacs-Lowe has diligently followed her authentic interests.

She said, “Rather than worrying about what people think of the real you, be thoughtful about working for a company that can embrace the authentic you.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Anna Pinedo, Partner, Morrison Foerster

annapinedoBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“If you’re good at what you do, most people will understand different approaches and work styles,” said Anna Pinedo, a Partner in the Capital Markets Group at Morrison Foerster. She advises women entering law “not to assume that there is any one right path.”

“The one rule I’ve leanred is that there aren’t any hard and fast rules to follow,” Pinedo said. She continued, “All along, colleagues, clients, and friends have given me career advice. I listen carefully, but decide things for myself.”

Having been named one of the Best Lawyers in America 2010, as well as featured in Crain’s New York Business “Forty Under 40,” Investment Dealer’s Digest “Forty Under 40,” and Hispanic Business‘s “100 Most Influential Hispanics, Pinedo has build a successful, globally recognized career in capital markets and derivatives law.

Her leadership advice for professional women is: “Spend time being involved in professional organizations, talking to colleagues at other firms, and building close relationships with clients – it’s amazing how helpful other people can be.”

Read more

/by