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Shelley Zalis      

CEO & Founder of The Female Quotient

Shelley Zalis is an internationally renowned entrepreneur, speaker, mentor, and founder and CEO of The Female Quotient (FQ), an equality services company that creates platforms for women and solutions for organizations committed to closing the gender gap in the workplace. Through its signature Equality Lounge® at key industry conferences around the globe, such as the World Economic Forum, Consumer Electronics Show and the Milken Institute Global Conference, Zalis and the FQ are connectors for the largest global community of mission-driven business leaders.

Zalis left the corporate world in 2000, pioneering online research with her company Online Testing Exchange (OTX). In just nine years, it became one of the largest and fastest growing research companies in the world, and she became the first female chief executive ranked in the research industry’s top 25. She sold OTX to Ipsos, where she led global innovation in over 80 countries. Today, she works with Fortune 500 companies, impact organizations, and conscious leaders to advance gender equality across industries.

Speech Topics

The Secret to Successful Leadership Today

Leadership matters more today than ever before. Traits traditionally associated with femininity, such as empathy, collaboration and passion, are essential in today’s changing business environment.

Shelley Zalis, CEO, The Female Quotient, will share:

  • A time when she was told there was no room for emotions in the boardroom, why she didn’t listen to that advice, and how it helped her to build and sell an $83 million online research business
  • How men and women can cultivate their own feminine leadership strengths
  • Why doing so will boost your impact as a leader—and your company’s bottom line

How to Create a Culture of Belonging At Work

With so many companies talking about making diversity a priority but falling short of the mark, diversity and inclusivity initiatives will be successful only if everyone experiences a feeling of belonging in the workplace. It’s not just a feel-good move; it’s good for business. Study after study has shown that diversity leads to more creative teams and more profitable companies. Shelley Zalis, CEO, The Female Quotient, shares solutions to creating a culture of belonging at work to help employees—and companies—thrive.

You will learn:

  • Why diversity isn’t just about gender or race, it’s also about diversity of background and mindset
  • Strategies for helping each individual feel included and like she or he belongs—regardless of gender, race or sexuality
  • Practices for getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in order for companies to progress towards more inclusive workplaces
  • Why we need accountability in order for change to happen, and how to create it

Be a Change Agent: What You Can Do To Advance Gender Equality Now

The United States (and the world) is going backwards on gender equality: The U.S. now ranked 49 in gender equality (down from 23rd out of 144 in 2006), according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2017. We have to stop admiring the problem and start activating solutions for change. Shelley Zalis, CEO, The Female Quotient, offers action steps to help drive equality now.

You will learn:

  • Why gender equality isn’t just a female issue, but a social and economic imperative
  • How to create a safe and comfortable space for employees to honestly reflect about bias, which we all have
  • How to attract and retain more female talent in your company
  • How to bring men into the equality conversation and engage them to be part of the solution

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