This past weekend, I attended one of the hottest women conferences called Creative & Cultivate. It’s a ‘movement for women looking to create and cultivate the career of their dreams’. It was founded by Jaclyn Johnson, a blogger turned CEO and one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 for marketing and advertising. The organization is targeted to millennial women who love social media, fashion, and lifestyle influencers. Women who aspire to something more than a 9am-5pm job.
Never heard of this organization? Feel like you know very little about millennial women? I’m here to help you. As a millennial women in tech, I can give you the quick overview of what I learned from #CreateCultivateSEA presented by Microsoft:
1. Millenial women are thirsty to find like-minded individuals who want something more in their lives
I’ve been to Microsoft’s Inspire and Ignite, SXSW and AdTech, and nothing compares to the energy I felt here. Every woman was incredibly nice, open-minded, and ready to chat. Each are searching for ways to create their own unique value in this world. While we may get ourselves in trouble for not supporting each other, you couldn’t feel that one bit at this event. I also felt this during Friday’s Happy Hour at The Riveter. A co-working space targeted towards women, The Riveter is made for those who want a seat at the table and are ready to take risks together.
2. Creative content and experiences are key to engage them on social media
Every part of this event was out of a Pinterest board (if you don’t know what that is, read more here). From pastel colors to floral arrangements to pristine furniture and gift bags, Create & Cultivate makes every aspect beautiful and inspiring.
The sponsors were innovative and reinventing themselves with cool installations that made you Instagram every moment. The brand essence and décor made the event inherently social, generating incredible social engagement for Create & Cultivate.
3. Sexism, racism and ageism are everyday occurrences but millennial women want to change that
The most popular and talked about panel was ‘The Intersectional Workplace: Why Everyone Deserves a Seat at the Table’. It was moderated by Noor Tagouri and included Yvonne Orji from HBO’s Insecure, Morgan Debaun founder of Blavity, and Amanda de Cadenet founder of Girlgaze. From crazy assumptions about all black women to being a Muslim woman to sexism, the ladies were passionate about their experience. And everyone in the audience could relate. When asked what we can do to close the gender gap and create more inclusive workplaces, everyone agreed on one thing. That women who are in leadership positions, must bring other women along with them. Those at the top, must demand for the right practices and speak up when unconscious biases, racism, and sexism are blatant.
As you can imagine, it was an incredibly inspiring day. It gave me hope that women are using their power and coming together. That we will rise up and change the world. I also believe that it’s crucial for men to support us along this journey. The more men can understand our pasts, inspire our presence, and support our future, we can truly all rise together.
Check out my Facebook community called Rhea to stay on the pulse of millenial women: Rhea
Follow me on Twitter @rkbraunstein