by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Pipeline

We’ve all heard the saying, “Two heads are better than one,” but, it wasn’t until I met Rachael Chong and Jane Slusser, the partnership that heads up Catchafire, that I really believed it. Friends since college, Rachael and Jane combined their passions and skill sets to change the world of volunteering. Rachael Chong, Founder and CEO, is ablaze with energy and drive to innovate the volunteer world. For Rachael, every professional can volunteer their skills and every nonprofit has a real need for skilled volunteers.

Edited by: Ghazel Ghazaleh Abassalian, Pipeline

Catchafire connects nonprofits with professionals who can provide the expertise that they are looking for. In turn, professionals are matched with a nonprofit that needs their specific skills, in turn creating a meaningful volunteer experience. Jane Slusser, Vice President, is the peanut butter to Rachael’s jelly. When Jane joined Catchafire, she had the opportunity to apply lessons learned from her time spent organizing volunteers for the Obama campaign.

I caught up with Rachael and Jane on another hot New York summer day. They had fun with the #womaninnovator interview, bouncing answers off one another and finishing each others’ sentences. They shared the back-story of Catchafire’s launch and what makes them women innovators.

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Manager. Her responsibilites include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. She also manages Pipeline’s volunteers. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observations as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline

My very first week working at Pipeline, I found myself on the red carpet at Manhattan hot spot Santo’s Party House for the GIRLS WHO ROCK benefit concert. This is where I first met the lovely Tammy Tibbetts, Creator of She’s the First. Female recording artists Kat DeLuna, Lenka, MoZella, Shontelle, Cara Salimando and Kelli Pyle, along with DJ Kalkutta, made music to make a difference for She’s the First, raising funds to support girls’ education in Africa.  She’s the First is a global education campaign that sends girls to school around the world, so they are able to become “the first” to achieve their goals.

Edited by: Ghazel Ghazaleh Abassalian, Pipeline

Despite the inevitable stress of putting on a benefit concert and the chaos of the red carpet, Tammy was poised and friendly as she answered my questions that evening. Fast forward a month later, Tammy Tibbetts sat across from me at In Good Company to formally define what a #womaninnovator is to her. In true woman innovator fashion, Tammy wears many hats these days. She works at Hearst Digital Media on the site DonateMyDress.org. The huge success of this creative site, that gives girls the chance to attend prom who otherwise couldn’t, set off a light-bulb in Tammy’s head. She’s the First is a directory of nonprofits that seek sponsors to send girls to school, capitalizing on social media and creative marketing. As full as her plate is, Tammy invites women and girls who are looking to become innovators to reach out to her and join the conversation about #womeninnovators.

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilities include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observations as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline

Cynthia Hellen, co-founder of GIRLS WHO ROCK and board member of She’s the First, sat down with Pipeline to discuss the role of women in innovation. I quizzed her on what her definition of a woman innovator is, why she is passionate about women’s issues, and what advice she had for girls who want to grow up into innovators. Here are her excellent answers!

CM: Can you please introduce yourself and your current projects.

CH: Sure! My name is Cynthia Hellen, and I am one of the founders of GIRLS WHO ROCK. I also sit on the board of She’s the First. GIRLS WHO ROCK is a project designed for She’s the First. It brings together creative communities. Simply, we use our social media as a way of getting the word out and bringing together all these creative individuals under one roof to give back.

CM: Sounds interesting and very innovative! Tell us a little more about how GIRLS WHO ROCK is breaking new ground.

CH: By using social media, GIRLS WHO ROCK relies on Twitter, Facebook fans…We do a lot of blogging. We connect with our beneficiaries online, like AfricAid, what we do is bring what we know about social media and share it. We get people to join us, let them play with it, and have them come to us if they want to do something more.

CM: Explain your role at She’s the First.

CH: I am one of the board members. I manage ideas, meetings, and connecting. I make sure that She’s the First and Tammy Tibbetts, the founder, are connected with individuals who will help.

CM: Why are you involved in this work? Why is it important to you?

CH: The reason why I am involved with women and innovation in general is that I think we have advantages over men. Like being able to listen and going into anything that we do and focusing. We can take a project, take an idea, and mold it as far as what we see and hear from our supporters’ suggestions and ideas. With these projects, like GIRLS WHO ROCK and She’s the First, we try to use everything that is given to us…Building that communication and collaboration with people who are as passionate as you. Innovation is taking what we have, but not forgetting that there are bigger issues at hand. We as women have an important role. We can be that change…women have the initiative to create something ten times better than what they started out with.

CM: What is your definition of a #womaninnovator?

CH: A woman innovator is what I see from the people that I surround myself with. I am going to mention Tammy Tibbetts. I think she’s confident, she has a purpose, and she has a passion. My mother, who is one of the best role models that I have. She has been persistent in business. She is so focused. Natalia [Oberti Noguera], she is a great mentor when it comes to sharing the knowledge that she knows, and making sure that she not only is a guide for those who are seeking that advice, but is also a friend. A woman innovator brings a lot of who they are into any project. They are not afraid of failure. It is about going for it. And knowing that it may not work out. She goes with her idea and she continues on.

CM: How are you a woman innovator?

CH: I simply show and bring who I am into the work that I do, to the projects and the people that I collaborate with. To me, it’s important to find people who you click with, who will drive you and who will give you that push when you need it. I can realize an idea and make it into an action…We had only two months to prepare GIRLS WHO ROCK. We were open to every person who was interested in the idea…we let it be theirs [our supporters], too. When it comes to sharing an idea and letting it grow, you have to share it. You can’t keep it to yourself. If you do, it will never grow. That is why I am a woman innovator: I share and I connect.

CM: What advice would you give to girls who want to become innovators?

CH: My advice for girls, young and older, would be to find your passion, and I think you’ll find your passion in who you are. Find your purpose. If [you] step outside of [y]our comfort zones, if [you] really take a look at what’s going on around us, I think you’ll be able to connect your passion with a great purpose. I do believe in collaboration, so meet as many people as you can. Get involved in volunteer work. It’s the learning that comes with the people you meet…I would suggest you volunteer, you collaborate, you find your passion, and you pursue a purpose.

CM: What is your #womaninnovator mantra?

CH: My mantra is not giving up and going for it.

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilites include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observatinos as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initatives Associate, Pipeline

It was 103 degrees out (yes that’s not a typo. One-hundred three degrees!) when I made my way over to Cindy Gallop’s Chelsea apartment to conduct our #womaninnovator interview. I had seen Cindy speak at a NYWSE* event, “Social Media for Social Change”, so I had a general idea of what I was getting myself into. I remembered her humor, her style, and her ability to engage the entire room.

Walking into Cindy’s fabulous home felt like a mirage drawn out of the summer heat: the colors, the fabrics, the art! As Manhattan scorched outside in the heat, I found myself in a breathtaking oasis with a woman innovator. As we began the interview, Cindy’s confidence radiated through her. We discussed her fantastic work with MakeLoveNotPorn.com, which was inspired by her real life experience. “I date younger men,” she stated flatly. “And when I date younger men, I have sex with younger men.” MakeLoveNotPorn.com grew from the disappointing fact that the growing trend of real sex education comes from hardcore pornography. And for those on the receiving end of that education, it can be a drag. Cindy was compelled to start MakeLoveNotPorn.com, and the response surprised even her! After launching at the TED Conference (and becoming one of the most watched speakers of the series), Cindy’s website took off. She told me of her plans of expansion, too, so stayed tuned!

Recently, however, Cindy has been focusing on IfWeRantheWorld.com, an online platform that seeks to turn human good intention into action. One of Cindy’s pet peeves is the fact that most people want change and to do good, yet don’t get off the couch to make it happen. Her platform wants to make it ridiculously simple for people with good intentions to mobilize that desire. Cindy’s philosophy on innovation is straightforward and clear: women by the very fact that they are women, and inherently a minority in the mainstream culture, are natural innovators. Cindy advises other women innovators to ignore the doubters, the haters, and the second-guessers. “Those people who say it can’t be done should get out of the way of people doing it.”

*New York Women Social Entrepreneurs (NYWSE)

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilites include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observatinos as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline 

On a warm summer night, I ventured down to the YMCA for an advanced course in Social Media. One cool facet of my job at Pipeline is the opportunity to polish my skills through more education. When the opportunity came to take a course taught by some of the best and brightest in social media, I jumped at the chance. Columbia J-school’s professor and dean Sree Sreenivasan is “a technology evangelist/skeptic” (according to his Twitter profile). He also contributes to DNAinfo.com as an editor as well as runs facebook.com/sreetips, a wonderfully helpful facebook page focusing on the goings-on in social media. Formerlly with the New York Times and developing their social media strategy, Fast Company’s cover girl Soraya Darabi is a celebrity in the social media game. Her expertise was evident, but her presentation was approachable.

Sree and Soraya made social media approachable and stressed the importance of these platforms going forward. Sree even went so far as to say your Twitter domain name will be one of the ways that other people know you. The class focused on how to utilize these tools in a way that promotes and brands yourself, your business, or both. The Pipeline team learned a great many tips and tricks, and we recorded our debrief session for all of you to enjoy. Implementing some of these strategies can jump start your online strategy, which can help your brand and your business!

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilites include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observatinos as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline 

Smart. Bubbly. Eclectic. Artsy. Fun. Friendly. Innovative. These are all words to describe Tara Pyle, Pipeline’s fourth interviewee for the #womaninnovator series. I met Tara outside of In Good Company (IGC), and we slipped into a nearby café to conduct our interview. She carefully answered each of my questions thoroughly and honestly.

I learned that, up until last month, Tara was the Senior Marketing and Events Manager at the Center for Architecture in NYC. At the Center, Tara managed event production for meetings and events, as well as coordinated the Center’s marketing. She has a BA in Art History from Vassar College. Tara realized, however, that she wants to start her own business, “a socially conscious venture.” As a woman innovator, Tara understands the importance of constant learning and growth. This philosophy led Tara to enroll in the TBL Mastermind (formerly the NYWSE Mastermind-Mentoring Initiative) where she had the opportunity to get feedback from other women in transitional periods of their career pipelines and received support from TBL Mastermind’s Program Director, Janet Wise*. Now, Tara is headed to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth to earn her MBA. One of her many aspirations while at Dartmouth: show those guys in suits that she means business.
  
*Janet Wise is an experienced facilitator who has spent the past ten years creating, designing, and managing professional development programs for Fortune 500 companies

 
Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilites include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observatinos as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline

Like I said, fate is a funny thing. Long before meeting Natalia and working for Pipeline, I came across Women’s Education Project (WEP) on idealist.org. Women’s Education Project helps women of limited means discover their unlimited potential for college and career success to improve their lives, families, and communities. I joined the mailing list and was receiving updates in my inbox over the last few months. Fast forward to a meeting with Natalia and listing the women we should reach out to for our #womaninnovator interviews. “Zoe Timms! She would be so great to interview,” Natalia suggested.

Zoe Timms, the founder of WEP, had participated in the TBL Incubator program (formally NYWSE Incubator). Zoe Timms, whose emails I had been receiving for months regarding her fantastic nonprofit, would answer my questions and discuss the creation of the nonprofit I had been interested in for quite some time. So, on an afternoon in Madison Square Park, I finally met Zoe. She answered my questions with poise and certainty. We discussed the joys and trials of working abroad, the importance networking effectively, and the term #womaninnovator.

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilites include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observatinos as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline

Geri and I met on a sunny summer morning at Le Pain Quotidien in midtown. Over coffee, we discussed her career pipeline as the Founder of Ventureneer.com, an online education and peer support community. Among her many roles, she takes great pride in her work as a mentor. “I play more of a coaching role,” she noted. As a mentor, Geri works with the TBL Incubator (formally the NYWSE Incubator), Columbia Business School, and NYU Stern School of Business. For Geri, it’s important that her mentees think through their problems themselves. Cultivating a woman innovator requires a mentor to actively listen and provide feedback, and Geri happily fills that need.

Does she identify with the term “woman innovator”? She had to think about her definition first. Is she entrepreneurial? Yes. Starting a business where no one has gone before? Check. Concentrating in social innovation and corporate responsibility? Oh, yeah. Geri said, “I didn’t think that I fit into it, but as I put my own definition to it I said, ‘Yeah, I am a woman innovator. Yeah, I am!”

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilites include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observatinos as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline

Laina Vlasnik is the EPIC (Effective Practice Incentive Community) Partnerships Manager at New Leaders for New Schools, a national educational nonprofit organization that ensures outstanding leadership for urban public schools in the United States. Laina and I sat down to discuss her career pipeline. Thanks to her passion for equality in education coupled with her go-getter attitude, she continues to blossom as a woman innovator. As a participant in the TBL Mastermind program (formerly the NYWSE’s Mastermind-Mentoring Initiative), Laina experienced firsthand the power of female collaboration and co-mentorship:

I was fascinated to hear about the important work that New Leaders for New Schools is doing. Laina radiates an air of security in her work, confident in her organization’s ability to correct the achievement gap in schools. “It’s thinking about the future and what’s possible for our kids,” she said. “If it’s innovation to work hard and want that every day, then I’m proud to be an innovator.” 
 

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilites include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observatinos as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.

by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline

The first week of working with Pipeline threw me for a loop. My job is…fun! For a college student who has spent her time babysitting and bussing tables, attending a benefit concert like the GIRLS WHO ROCK event felt like anything but work. Armed with my press badge and flipcam, I took to the red carpet for Pipeline and interviewed the ladies of the evening. I began the dialogue of what a woman innovator could be:

“Ooh. A ‘woman innovator’….” She stroked her chin, considering the weight of that label. Ms. Shuyler certainly doesn’t have to look far to find a woman innovator. During a trip to Tanzania in 1996, Shuyler learned that only a small fraction of girls in Tanzania are able to obtain an education beyond the primary school level. In response to that experience, she founded AfricAid, which has already raised $600,000 dollars in its mission to support girls’ education in Africa. Being the humble woman innovator that she is, Ashley was quick to credit She’s the First founder Tammy Tibbetts and colleague Cynthia Hellen for the success of the event, noting Tibbetts and Hellen’s powerful network was the glue for the first annual GIRLS WHO ROCK concert. 

“How would you define the term ‘woman innovator’?” I asked Ashley Shuyler, the founder of AfricAid.

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by Claire McGovern, Strategic Initiatives Associate, Pipeline

Fate is a funny thing. It sneaks up on you, and it is only in hindsight that one realizes how certain moments in life change everything. I experienced one such moment on a cool spring morning in New York City when I met Natalia Oberti Noguera for an interview. Having just finished my junior year at Fordham University studying English and Women’s Studies, I was seeking a summer opportunity that would combine both of my passions. Natalia bounced through the door, a ball of energy and enthusiasm, and before I knew it, I signed on to work for her budding organization. Pipeline is a hub for women innovators. Pipeline invests in, incubates, accelerates, and mentors women in an effort to guide them through their own personal pipeline.

 Pipeline’s core programs include the TBL Accelerator (supports professionals), TBL Incubator (for entrepreneurs), TBL Mastermind (resonates with women in transition) , and TBL Fund (trains women to become investors).  The TBL stand for Pipeline’s criteria for innovation, triple-bottom line, which requires environmental responsibility, financial performance, and social impact. As a student of Gender and Women’s Issues, I immediately gravitated toward Pipeline’s mission. Pipeline equips women with the tools and expertise to break that age-old glass ceiling. Pipeline magnifies the impact of each woman innovator by bringing them together to collaborate with, learn from, and support each other wherever they are in their personal pipeline.

You may be asking yourself what we mean by a “woman innovator.” What does she look like? How old is she? Where does she work? What does she do? What is she passionate about? Pipeline has launched the #womaninnovator video series to answer all these questions and more.  I will be interviewing entrepreneurs, professionals, women in transition, investors, mentors, and students. These women live and work by Pipeline’s TBL criteria. And they are all women innovators. Check back as I uncover the many different examples of women innovators as I continue to navigate through my own personal pipeline!

Claire McGovern is Pipeline’s Strategic Initiatives Associate. Her responsibilities include managing Pipeline’s social media presence, content creation, and producing the #womaninnovator series. Claire’s posts will document her summer at Pipeline and her observations as she navigates through her own personal pipeline.