On Women's Equality Day, Chicago's Women Tech Leaders Share How Their Companies Elevate Them

This is a reprint of an article originally published on BuiltIn Chicago on August 26, 2022. 

On this day 102 years ago, women received the right to vote when the 19th Amendment was officially added to the United States Constitution. The amendment traces its history back to 1848 when the first women’s rights convention in the United States was held in Seneca Falls, New York.

The 300 men and women in attendance at the conference voted on resolutions that would appear in the “Declaration of Sentiments,” a document modeled after the Constitution whose resolutions declared women had the same social, political and legal rights as men. All 11 resolutions were passed, including resolution nine, which called for giving women the right to vote.

Fifty-one years after the 19th Amendment came into law the United States commemorated it with Women’s Equality Day, which was the brainchild of Bella Abzug, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977.

Women’s Equality Day is a reminder that equality between men and women is no longer a fringe idea. Yet full gender equality remains elusive, particularly in the workplace. However, just like the Seneca Falls convention, a relatively small but dedicated group of people at companies across the country have committed themselves to continuing the fight.

BuiltIn Chicago spoke with women leaders at 10 companies in Chicago, including Liz Sink from Amount, about the concrete steps their companies have taken toward this goal and how those steps have helped them reach their own professional goals.

What are your overall career goals, and to what degree have you been able to fulfill them at Amount?

Throughout my career, I've focused on continuing to develop as a people leader with a goal to positively impact the culture across the tech industry and be an advocate for underrepresented groups in tech. As a leader, I want to build great products, increase diversity, equity and inclusion and improve people's lives at work. Amount has presented many opportunities for me to do all of this by way of running projects, managing teams and leading cultural initiatives. I am grateful to learn from so many impressive leaders who inspire me to strive to be better every day. 

What benefits and/or professional development resources does your company offer that help support and elevate women in the workplace?

Amount has a vibrant employee resource group called "Women of Amount" for women and their allies. It seeks to address the needs of our growing women workforce by providing opportunities for networking, coaching, professional, personal, and leadership development. 

"Every year an outside consulting company conducts a pay equity study to ensure women at Amount are keeping pace with their male colleagues." 

How has Amount built an inclusive and equitable culture for women?

Amount has been very deliberate in addressing the gender pay gap. Every year an outside consulting company conducts a pay equity study to ensure women are keeping pace with their male colleagues. This study not only reviews compensation but also ensures that no discriminatory practices are taking place across more than just gender lines.