Women’s History Month offers a fantastic opportunity not only to honor the fearless women who paved the way for women’s rights and gender equality in the past – but also to recognize women business leaders who are transforming the modern workplace into a more equitable environment for all. The tech industry has a reputation for being male-dominated, but here at Loop, we’re proud to say that 53% of our team is made up of women. Loop’s culture provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for our employees. Our teams have the option to work remotely or in our HQ office, enabling team members to balance work with caregiving responsibilities – and we offer generous PTO policies and maternity and paternity leave policies for employees who are growing their families. Our employees are overwhelmingly happy with our workplace culture: 97% of them ranked Loop as a great place to work. Many of our leadership positions are also filled by talented women executives, and they’re instrumental to both Loop’s inclusive, empathetic culture and our rapid business growth. Learn more about some of our top women executives below. Kelly Nestor | VP of People/Operations What women inspire you the most, either throughout history or in your own life, and why? I admire women who’ve been told that they’re too bossy, too opinionated, too tough – but continue to feel confident in who they are. I was an outspoken little girl who grew into an even more outspoken woman. I’ve experienced when this personality type is rejected, because it came from a woman vs. a man. I’m inspired by women who experienced the same, and still were so bold as to become the matriarch of their families, the leader of their teams, the decision-maker within their friend groups. What does success at work look like to you? I feel fulfilled when my team members achieve their career goals, when I earn the opportunity to take on more responsibility that scares me, and when I know I’ve turned a coworker into a life-long friend. What’s your favorite strategy for learning on the job? I enjoy micro-mentorship, in which I ask a variety of people for advice on the same question vs. relying on one long-term mentorship relationship. It’s a great way for me to get informed quickly, consider an assortment of perspectives and build my own critical-thinking skills about the topic. It quickly makes me feel smarter than I was before I asked. Kristen Kelly | VP of Product What women inspire you the most, either throughout history or in your own life, and why? My mom and both of my grandmas inspire me the most. They aren’t famous, and they didn’t hold positions of power, but they have shaped who I am today! These 3 women have inspired me to be a better version of myself…being someone others can depend on, providing support and positivity, and always standing up for what you believe in, even if it’s unpopular. What did your career trajectory look like and why did you choose your current role? I originally wanted to be a writer. After taking an internal communication role, I realized I enjoyed doing that for fun, but not for work. The best part of that role was bringing people together and making sure that projects got completed. Through relationships with an agency we had worked with to redesign our website, I took a role as their first project manager. I continued to grow through that role into leading teams of project managers. When agency life got too tough, I joined my first product company, a health tech startup in Columbus, where I had the opportunity to lead project management, product management, operations and customer success. I joined Loop because I loved the stage we were at. I’ve been able to again combine my love of project management, operations, and product management into my role here. What do you love about your job? I love being able to work with amazing people and helping them grow and do great things. I also love that I am learning and growing each day! What does success at work look like to you? I don’t have any specific title or position I’m trying to reach. Success to me is being on a team in a role where I feel like I’m making an impact and I’m valued for that. What recommendations do you have for driving more women into leadership roles at work? 1. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your role. Becoming a leader isn’t about having a title… It’s about having people follow you. Build relationships. Learn as much as you can. Keep your eyes open for chances to lead, even if informally. 2. Don’t be afraid to go after what you want. Set goals. Find opportunities. Ask for more. Jill Londino | Chief of Staff What women inspire you the most, either throughout history or in your own life, and why? A constant source of inspiration in my own life comes from a woman I deeply value as a friend and mentor, Dr. Electra Paskett. I got to know Dr. Paskett in a previous role in the cancer industry, where she is known as an international leader in cancer health disparities research. More than anything, she embodies what it means to be a selfless leader, and shows an unbelievable dedication to driving the long-term success of her peers, team members, patients, and her field, at large. Even at the top of her field, she’s the first to step into front-line community work and invest ample time in developing students and junior employees. Her influence is a constant reminder to invest in others and ambitious, long-term goals, no matter how busy I may feel with my day-to-day priorities. What did your career trajectory look like and why did you choose your current role? I’ve been lucky enough to work on teams where my curiosity and desire to solve problems across all aspects of a business were continually encouraged. If there was an ambiguous challenge or gap in knowledge, you bet I raised my hand to figure it out. I took on roles and projects spanning communications, technology & product, partnerships, operations, strategy, and people management, while gaining first-hand experience helping leaders evolve their ideas from early stage to adoption. This generalist skill set, plus the energy I get from partnering with leaders to sharpen and execute their goals, led me to seek out a Chief of Staff role where these traits are valued. I feel lucky to have landed in this role at Loop, where I get to work with our CEO and team members across every function to advance our goals! What recommendations do you have for driving more women into leadership roles at work? Nothing lights me up like the Ruth Bader Ginsburg quote, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made” – but the barrier to women actually being welcomed into those rooms is very real. Women need peers and leaders who are motivated to play an active role in building a workplace culture that’s supportive of women. Simple actions you can take to uplift women in your professional orbit, like publicly crediting their work, advocating for their inclusion in a high-level meeting, ensuring their opportunity to present in a public forum, actively supporting development goals, etc. can make all the difference when it comes to helping women advance in their careers. Hannah Bravo | Chief Operating Officer What do you love about your job? At the end of the day, it really comes down to two things that I love most about my job: 1) solving interesting problems, and 2) doing it alongside great humans with shared values. I’ve had the opportunity to hire many Loopers (the majority of whom are women!) over the last ~4 years, and most are still here today. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing them recognized for their accomplishments, growing in their careers, and developing quality relationships that transcend far beyond the “walls” of Loop. What recommendations do you have for driving more women into leadership roles at work? Representation of women in leadership falls off at the first promotion level. This is both because women are far less likely than men to apply for something they aren’t technically 100% qualified for, and because supervisors are less likely to tap on women for increased responsibility (likely related to the former). My recommendation is for leadership representation (in recruitment and promotion) goals to be set and measured (go, Loop!) — and as a company scales, to look specifically at entry-level management to change some of the systemic biases that compound upward over time. Interested in joining a flexible workplace culture where women have unlimited opportunities to shine? Check out our open career opportunities at Loop.
