Fellows mentioned in this story: Meli James
From Pacific Business News:
Despite decades of diversity initiatives and record numbers of women entering the professional workforce, corporate leadership remains majority male. Women hold just 29% of C‑suite roles nationwide, according to McKinsey & Co.’s Women in the Workplace 2025 report, a figure that has remained largely unchanged in recent years.
The problem, the report found, is not a lack of ambition. Women report being just as committed to their careers as men. Senior leaders are less likely to sponsor women — advocating for promotions, stretch assignments and leadership visibility.
In Hawai‘i, that stalled progression has produced a clear shift. Women are not leaving leadership behind. They are increasingly pursuing it outside traditional corporate hierarchies.
Women own 47.6% of businesses in Hawai‘i, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, one of the highest ownership rates in the country.
Continue reading at bizjournals.com.
HumanizeHer — In this episode of HumanizeHer, we sit down with Dawn Lippert to talk about everything she believes about clean energy, community, and how we can build a better world. Her passion for the planet started from her childhood instinct, charging her family a quarter for leaving the lights on. Today, Dawn leads as the CEO of Elemental Impact, her non-profit platform that has deployed over $105 million into climate innovation. While also leading her sister venture fund, Earthshot Ventures, a $94 million private fund. Together, these two engines have unlocked more than $11 billion in additional funding for global solutions.