By Bridget Quinlan, Chief Growth Officer

As we assembled for our most recent Women of Grow meeting the other day, we noticed one of our coworkers managed to sneak a handwritten sign onto the conference room wall while we weren't looking. It gave us all a smile.

The fact is, women make up about 25 percent of the workforce at Grow—on par with the national average—and that makes me proud! But what makes me prouder is the support we show for each other as women, and the support we receive from the rest of the company.  

Creating a culture of inclusion doesn’t just happen—it has to be done with intention, and it starts at the top. From the CEO and board of directors, to the leadership team, to the individual contributors at Grow, we share a collective passion and commitment to creating a diverse company. We also embrace the belief—and this is an important distinction—that “diversity” isn’t just a box we check to look good. Grow sincerely believes that the best ideas are born from collaboration among people with different backgrounds, beliefs, religious affiliations, and skills in an environment that celebrates both the similarities and the differences among us. 

Not only do I have the privilege of working with some pretty incredible women, I had the opportunity to lead this most recent discussion. After sharing a bit about ourselves, including some of our challenges both in and out of work, we talked about what’s important for all of the Women of Grow. Here’s what we came up with: 

• Celebrate: In keeping with the “we rise together” theme, we decided it is our duty to celebrate the wins of individuals and the collective. 
• Support: Whether it’s the challenges associated with keeping all the plates spinning with career and home life, dealing with loneliness and mental or physical health challenges, or handling general professional struggles, everyone needs to feel supported.
• Give: We pledged to contribute time and resources to the community, both to women in tech and to women in need.
  

In reflecting on this meeting, it struck me that, while we Women of Grow are all working in tech, there is much diversity among us. We are from Massachusetts, Utah, Michigan, California, and India. Some of us are tech veterans working and raising families while others are new to their career. We are short and tall. Some were soccer players, others ballerinas. We are single, married, divorced, living with partners in committed relationships, or trying to make it on our own. We've done some amazing things in our lives, accomplished the unthinkable, and are passionate about everything we do.

We are Women of Grow.