Session: Motherhood in the C-suite: creating room for diverse groups of women in leadership
Being a working parent isn’t easy. The professional challenges and barriers are only further compounded for women dealing with underrepresentation, imposter syndrome, pay gaps, and discrimination around pregnancy and motherhood. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t get any easier the further you progress in your career, as expectations and responsibilities grow and some view you as a “token female leadership” hire.
Dorothy Kilroy understands the struggles of both women in the tech industry and working parents well, as a C-suite member and mother to twins. When working at Airbnb in 2015, she discovered there was no maternity leave in place yet and was coping with the loneliness and isolation of being a new, young mom in the workplace. This led her to sponsor an internal company parents' group and was amazed to see how many other women felt the same way. This led to an important bonding moment that connected her to her team and helped her realize the necessity of creating networks for women to share in the struggles they’re facing, offer support and compassion, and grow both personally and professionally.
Now, as ŌURA’s Chief Commercial Officer, Dor strives to create a space where women feel comfortable bringing their full authentic selves to work and support other women at every level to grow and feel confident in their role. During this talk, Dorothy will discuss her personal experiences navigating the tech industry and C-suite as a working mom, the path forward to creating a more inclusive work environment for parents, and why having a diverse C-suite (including mothers) ultimately puts the business on top.
Bio
Dorothy (Dor) Kilroy is ŌURA’s Chief Commercial Officer. Dor leads ŌURA’s B2B organization and drives forward its partnerships strategy, expanding ŌURA’s market presence, brand awareness, scientific credibility, and sales. Previously, she served as General Manager and Head of Community for Airbnb, overseeing the products and programs that drive growth and success for 4M+ Hosts on Airbnb. Before Airbnb, Dor was the VP of Business Development and Revenue at Marqeta, and prior to that, she worked at Visa, as the Director of Product for loyalty solutions. She is on the board of EatReal, a nonprofit that focuses on getting “real food” for kids in schools.