Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2017 i Working Mother

Champion of Breakfasts Carla Vernon takes us through her climb to VP at General Mills, one of our Best Companies for Multicultural Women, and shares what you can’t see on her resume that’ll help you rise too. 1988–1992 Princeton University, AB, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology I wanted to have a positive impact on the world and do sustainable things for the planet. 1992–1993 The Nature Conservancy, Program Associate, Chicago Developed environmental education curriculum for Chicago Public School children. 1993–1995 Office of U.S. Senator Carol Moseley-Braun, Constituent Services Assistant Advised on issues related to the environment, education and the arts. 1995–1996 City Year, Director of Special Events and Public Relations Managed and executed the first Chicago Serve-A-Thon, a citywide day of service, along with securing several national news stories. Nonprofits weren’t…

This year marks the 15th year of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women. Over the past decade and a half, the list has gone from just three qualifying companies to 25 winners. Two of the original three winning companies have gone on to earn spots on the list every single year. For their steadfast efforts to recruit and retain women of color and to nurture the careers of those employees, making sure they have access to the highest level of corporate jobs, we welcome American Express and IBM to the Hall of Fame. PAGE 26 THE WINNERS THE WINNERS PAGE 28 POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS A new survey explores how men can be allies to women of color at work. PAGE 32 FIRST LINE OF DIVERSITY Progressive companies make sure panels that…

Many of you know that I’m of South Asian/Indian origin, but did you know that I’m a proud immigrant too? In 1983, I got a scholarship from India to attend Rice University. That opened up a world of new possibilities. In India, after graduating from college, I would have gotten married, raised a family and grown old without ever having tapped into the executive/ leader/activist part of me—what a loss that would have been! For millions of other immigrants like me, America is not just the land of opportunity, but it’s also the land of personal possibilities, offering the chance to invent the you that you dreamed about. For me, it was to become a business leader and activist. I was a student when I came here, but I was…

Stefanie is a mom who works in an office where many people have flexible schedules. Still, she worries that leaving early to pick up her kids or unexpectedly canceling meetings when a child gets sick isn’t fair to her co-worker, Allison, who isn’t a mom. Allison has hesitated to ask Stefanie for help with projects requiring outside-the-office work because she knows figuring out childcare is stressful. Can these two help each other stop feeling guilty? Stefanie’s Side “I generally work from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but it’s acceptable to leave early to pick up my boys,” Max, 8, and Michael, 2. The science writer in the marketing and communications department at Michigan Tech also teaches a university class Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. “Whenever I have to leave early, I…

Walking into Chris Marston’s office for a coaching session two years ago, Nikki Reid was nervous. The KPMG partner had volunteered to prep her for interviews for the internal job she was being considered for, but she worried that Chris would say she was a long shot (discouraging) or, white guy to African-American woman, he’d “coddle” her with vague praise (even more disheartening). Neither of those things happened. Instead, Chris gave her candid insights and a strategy. Most of all, she recalls, once he knew the ins and outs of her background and skills, “he kept drilling into my head, ‘You deserve a seat at this table.’” Nikki landed the position: managing director in KPMG’s federal advisory practice, based in metro Washington, DC. Today Chris is officially one of Nikki’s…

Ida Nieto Vice President, Global Internal Audit • Procter & Gamble • Cincinnati, OH • Mom of Ana, 19, and Sofia, 17 I get a lot of questions about whether to make a move to a new role or to a new location. That’s something I’m happy and passionate to talk about because I relocated to Venezuela when I was six months pregnant. My family and I spent five years in China. A couple of times I’ve had people I’ve mentored quote back to me advice I’ve given them. That’s kind of scary, but it’s also extremely gratifying and frankly quite humbling. Zulema Garcia Audit Partner • KPMG • Los Angeles and New York • Mom of Adrian, young adult I’ve mentored working mothers seeking advice about having a child…

KRISTEN MOSS pays $2,800 to $3,000 a month for her 2-yearold to go to daycare five days a week and her 4-year-old to attend preschool and aftercare four days a week. “It was worse last year when both kids were in daycare,” says the corporate communications professional, who lives in the Boston suburb of Melrose, MA. “We have a calendar counting down the days until September 2018, when our son goes to kindergarten and we will have an extra $1,500 a month.” Massachusetts may have been voted the best place to live by U.S. News & World Report in February, but it has the highest daycare costs in the country after Washington, DC: It’s an average of $1,422 a month for full-time, center-based infant care in Massachusetts, and $1,065 a…

I was laid off five days after I told my boss I was pregnant, and I need a new job. It’s obvious I’m expecting, and I want to spend 12 weeks at home with my newborn. Should I apply for jobs now? Good for you for focusing on affording that new baby instead of wondering how your former manager sleeps at night (but if you speak to her again, please ask her for us). Kelly Brooks, executive director of human resources at Atrium Staffing, knows your position well. She was six months pregnant when interviewing for a new job and ended up starting it two months later. She insists that now is the time to begin your hunt. “Finding a job could take you months,” she says, and there are…

Kid Car kidcar.net Serves: New York City area, 24/7 Ages accepted: Newborns(!) to 15-year-olds Cost: Sedans are $5 plus $2.25 per mile plus $0.45 per minute with a minimum charge of $25; minivans and SUVs are more. Prices from Manhattan to airports are flat rates ($85 to LaGuardia, $105 to JFK, $115 to Newark) and do not include tolls, taxes/fees or gratuity. There’s a $25 surcharge plus round-trip tolls for trips starting or ending outside NYC (except Newark Airport). Car seats are $10 each. About: Offering vetted and trained drivers with constantly inspected cars and up to four installed car seats, this service also allows multiple families to share the ride cost. You can request a “preferred driver” (add on a 20 percent gratuity) and either a sedan, minivan or…

When Karenga Ross met Intel senior leaders at a conference of the National Society of Black Engineers two years ago, they invited her to throw her hat into the ring for opportunities at the company. The next day, she found herself facing a panel of interviewers that included two women who—like her— are African-American. “Wow, this is different,” Karenga recalls thinking, as she discussed her skill set, career experiences and goals. “It’s nice to be able to look across that table and see someone whom I can aspire to be. I can see someone who looks like me. It was refreshing. It was inspiring.” Shortly after the conference, Intel flew Karenga and 28 other African- American women to interview on-site in Hillsboro, OR. A black senior executive took them around…

Winning elected office isn’t easy under the best of circumstances. It requires a rare combination of charisma, connections and determination. Holding elected office isn’t much easier. Many city council and state legislative positions are part-time, so you have to have a job with flexibility and the wherewithal to serve. For working mothers, that’s a high bar to entry. Even if they’re confident they can manage the demands of civic life, a 2017 study by the Barbara Lee Family Foundation confirmed it’s harder for moms to reassure voters that they can balance work and family than it is for dads. And those are just the first few obstacles for working moms who weren’t born in the United States. “Many immigrants come to this country and work on economic and financial stability,…

THE WESTIN KIERLAND RESORT & SPA Phoenix-Scottsdale, AZ Why We Love It By day, drift along the lazy river, head down a 110-foot water slide or catch a wave on a surfing machine; come sunset, hang at the fire pit, listen to Scottish bagpipes and other live music, and sip drinks from Waltz & Weiser Whiskey Bar and Cantina. On Fridays, water activities stay open until 10 p.m., and there’s a poolside DJ, s’mores and party games. There’s also a kids’ club for ages 4 to 12, offering activities such as scavenger hunts, movies, soccer, tennis and more, starting at $35 per child for a half day and $75 for a full day. For $120, drop off two kids ages 4 to 12 at a hotel pajama party to play…