Female Change Makers: Part 2
In our last blog post for Women’s Equality Day, we shared two inspiring female change makers, Vibha Bakshi and Jane Fonda, who have both created a positive impact - on our distillers Esther and Lucy, and on the wider world.
This week, we are continuing the celebrations by celebrating more groundbreaking heroines. In this second post, Sheyenne and Emily will be talking about women who have inspired them.
Sheyenne Rowel
Editorial Data Manager
Chosen female change maker:
Issa Rae
What they've done to create change
Issa started her own media company to create content that focuses on diversity, giving a platform to underrepresented communities in TV and film. She has since been nominated for many awards and wrapped up her first show Insecure on HBO.
Why do you admire them?
I admire Issa because she is truly self made. She always seems to be looking for ways to uplift others.
Is there something they have done that has inspired you in your work/how have they affected your attitude/actions?
Through her career, she has shown me the importance of embracing obstacles and finding creative ways to overcome them.
Emily Goodson
Marketing Assistant
Chosen female change maker:
Whitney Wolfe-Herd
Background: Whitney originally co-founded Tinder, but after she was ousted by her other co-founders, she sued the company for sexual assault and discrimination. Following the lawsuit settlement, she set up another dating app called Bumble.
What they've done to create change:
Whitney turned this negative situation into an opportunity by launching Bumble, where only women can send the first message after a match - the first app of its kind which completely broke dating norms. She did this to protect women’s safety, giving them more control and hopefully protecting them from abusive relationships. By giving women the control you’re protecting them from potential bullying and harassment, which Whitney found to be more common than you think on online dating apps, especially for women of color.
Why do you admire them?
I love that she advocates for women’s safety. She has recently taken Bumble to India after research showed it was the most dangerous country in the world for women. Bumble may help women in India take back some control and help change sexist attitudes, which would be a massive win.
Why did it resonate with you?
I love that she is a woman in the male-dominated tech space bringing a different perspective and providing representation for younger girls that might want to get into tech. She is also massively successful: she took Bumble public in 2021, making her the youngest self-made billionaire. Seeing successful women like this is so inspiring to me and so important for young girls' attitudes about themselves.
Is there something they have done that has inspired you in your work/how have they affected your attitude/actions?
I found it inspiring that when one massive door closed for her due to terrible circumstances, Whitney opened an even bigger door for herself in the male-dominated work space. She has done so much for women in tech and future girls joining tech, as well as challenging gender power dynamics in the dating space. It has made me even more of an advocate for women supporting women and made me re-evaluate my own biases.
If you’d like to see how we can make content that makes a positive impact for your brand, or would just like to have a chat, get in touch.
