Trump good for women in business?? That is what Sallie Krawcheck, CEO of Ellevest, an online investment platform for women, is saying and I happen to agree with her. Here’s the article she recently posted in LinkedIn. Krawcheck is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and is one of the most powerful women on Wall Street. So she might just be worth listening to.

We’re awake now.

She writes, “And while as a mother, an aunt, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it that we haven’t made more progress for younger women, this does represent an odd form of forward motion: We can’t really deal with an issue until we fully understand the issue.” Krawcheck says that ‘[there] is some proof that we can’t rely on others to fight this battle for us and so we must redouble our efforts [to support women in business]. Women control $5 trillion of investable assets, direct 80% of consumer spending and make up more than half of the workforce. We have a lot of power IF we care to do something about it.

Women must ‘put on our big girl pants.’

Women must start doing something. Collectively, women can empower each other and make a difference. Here is a list of things Krawcheck suggests that we can do:

• Mentor other women
• Sponsor other women
• Talk up other women at work
• Amplify what other women say in meetings
• Point out to others when they interrupt other women or ignore other women in meetings
• Point out when the words they use to compliment men (‘aggressive’, ‘go-getter’) are used to put down women
• Don’t work at a company that doesn’t ‘get it’.
• Think hard about joining a company has no successful senior females running it
• Invest your money in women
• Vote with your wallet. Buy from companies that promote women (Buyup Index is a place to start)
• Invest our money in companies that promote women (SHE Index or Pax Ellevate Index)
• Donate to a female candidate
• Fund another women’s business
• Encourage other women to run for office
• Run for office
• Start your own business with a strong mission to support women (a foundation for Vijilent)
• Agitate for mandated parental leave (the US is the only developed country in the world without one!!)
• Talk to your children of both genders about these issues, honestly and openly

Now imagine if each of us picked two or three things off this list. The impact would be heard all the way to the White House. For those inclined to take the word directly to the White House should participate on the March on Washington.

March on Washington

Women nationwide have started to unite by organizing the Women’s March on Washington, which is scheduled for January 21, the day after the inauguration.

The national organizers for the March released an official statement through the NYTimes, “The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us — women, immigrants of all statuses, those with diverse religious faiths particularly Muslim, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native and Indigenous people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, the economically impoverished and survivors of sexual assault,” they wrote. “We are confronted with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear.”

“The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us,” they added.

Vijilent will March

The march on Washington will be symbolic for Vijilent of the next four years. Starting a company is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. With the recent election results, my team and I have become even more passionate about making Vijilent a success. Not just for ourselves, but as a way of showing how women and minorities have so much to offer. I believe the next four years will be one in which Vijilent will grow as a company while women nationwide will stand up and be recognized for the force we are. For this kick in the pants, we have to thank Mr. Trump.