Welcome back to The Community Strategy Podcast: Season Three! I’m thrilled you have joined us; I can’t wait to meet you inside Community Builders with Purpose! This season, you’ll hear recordings of our live events inside this new community. For the first episode of the season, I wanted to share a recording of a live event I hosted with women to celebrate International Women’s Day! It is a global celebration observed annually on March 8 to recognize and honor the achievements and contributions of women throughout history.

We forge a better world by inspiring others to understand and value women’s inclusion. When women are inspired to be included, they feel a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. So, collectively, let’s forge a more inclusive world for women. Many individuals participate in events and initiatives to mark the day, including conferences, panel discussions, workshops, and awareness campaigns. International Women’s Day is a time for celebration and an opportunity to reflect on the progress made and the work that still needs to be done to achieve gender equality worldwide.

Here are the speakers who participated in the panel:  

• Serena Snoad is the Founder of Good Community. She is a consultant who helps community professionals protect and improve well-being and build ethical and practical online communities. Serena has 15 years of experience building, scaling, and leading online communities. Serena is excited to share appreciation and recognition of women working in the community profession — the importance of seeing progress for women as professionals — the challenges of being a woman online/in authority/with expertise — the need for informal or formal networks of support for women in the community — the steps women can take if they feel unheard or unsafe at work You can read insights I previously shared about IWD on my website.

• Jenny Kay Pollock co-founded the Women and AI Podcast and community focused on advancing AI by amplifying women’s voices. Jenny’s superpower is driving monetization strategy for B2C software startups. Her background and expertise is in scaling growth trajectories and providing business model expertise. She routinely speaks on using AI to drive revenue, women in the workplace, and the art of building a tech career. She has published on these topics in outlets like Forbes and Ellevate. Jenny will be sharing women who’ve inspired her along her AI journey, including Joyce Li, author of AI Playbook for the Boardroom and AI for Business Leaders newsletter; Stephanie Dinkins, Time 100 AI multimedia AI artist; Kim Carson, CEO of Parallax Futures using AI for social good, and Marissa McNeel CEO and Founder of Toast removing bias in the hiring process.

• Maria James-Thiaw is a poet and playwright from Central Pennsylvania. She is a dynamic performance artist and author of 4 poetry books. Her choreopoem, HairStory Reclaiming Our Crown, was nominated for a Broadway World Regional Award in 2023. Her first choreopoem, Reclaiming My Time, won the 2018 Art of Protest Award. Her upcoming novel in verse of the same name is inspired by women’s memories of the Civil Rights era. Maria will share stories of women she interviewed for the American Griot Project. She says, “Their stories are the building blocks for my chosen poems and describe the women who lived through the civil rights movement as well as the poems I’ve created from their stories.”

• Melissa Schoettle is a trauma therapist focused on treating Borderline Personality Disorder. She utilizes Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) modalities to foster healing and facilitate change. Melissa will share stories about her friend Kristina, who works for Pathways of Hope, helping homeless families regain stability. Intergenerational friendships are essential to fostering growth and healing from trauma.

• Theresa Anderson is a dynamic marketing leader and a captivating speaker who brings unparalleled expertise and energy to the stage. With a career spanning SaaS, HR, and education, Theresa has mastered translating complex go-to-market ideas into actionable, relevant strategies. Theresa will share some of the most influential women in her communities, including Jen Allen-Knuth (sales), Lindsay Cordell (GTM), Christina Garnett (CS), and Katrina Klier (marketing).

• Cha’Von Clarke-Joell is an AI ethics and data protection advocate. CJ’s role as the Data Ethics & Governance AI Working Group Chair at Mia and Head of International Relations at Women in AI Africa (WAIA) further underscores her influence and dedication to empowering women in technology. She is recognized on the “100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2024” list and brings invaluable insights and strategies for navigating the digital poll crisis. Today, as we celebrate the achievements of women, CJ’s presence adds a profound layer to our discussion, sharing her journey and insights from her upcoming book ‘The Digital Polycrisis.’ CJ’s voice is a call for celebration and a beacon of hope and direction as we forge a more inclusive and equitable digital future for women everywhere. “I’m looking forward to joining the conversation on this inspiring day.”

I hope you have found this interview-style format enjoyable. Below are a few additional resources for you to learn about International Women’s Day and some inspiring women to follow and learn more about! 

• UN International Women’s Day

• International Women’s Day Website  

• Spotify Women and AI Podcast 

• Women and AI Podcast and Community LinkedIn

Jenny shared a few women who’ve inspired her along her AI journey, including Joyce Li, co-author of AI Playbook for the Boardroom and creator of the AI Simplified for Business Leaders newsletter; Stephanie Dinkins, Time 100 AI multimedia AI artist; Kim Carson, CEO of Parallax Futures, using AI for social good; and Marissa McNeelands, CEO and Founder of Toast, removing bias in the hiring process.

For questions or comments, email [email protected]