On this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Shelley Zalis,  Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient,  joins hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter to discuss the importance of gender equality and diversity in business.Shelley begins by sharing her personal experiences as one of the two women on a board of 25 men, shedding light on her journey towards founding The Female Quotient. She emphasizes how, rather than waiting for change to happen, she took the initiative to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the corporate world, even when it was not widely recognized as a priority.Drawing from a pivotal experience where she gathered a group of women at a male-dominated convention, Shelley shares how this moment of collective empowerment became the catalyst for The Female Quotient. She emphasizes how this experience highlighted the power of women working together, challenging the status quo of competition, and promoting a culture of collaboration and shared success.Finally, Zalis concludes with her approach to success, "If you don't fail, you don't succeed", highlighting the importance of embracing failure as a stepping stone to success.Key Takeaways:Waiting for the right time doesn't bring change; it's the initiative and action that doesThe potential for faster change increases when existing norms are actively challengedA decade ago, diversity, equity, and inclusion weren't business priorities. Today, they must be central to all sectors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.