HomeStartupsTriumphed Women Lean in Innovations Triumphed Women Lean in “So here I stand, one girl among many. I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.” – This was said by a writer and activist, Malala Yousafzai. It is common to have women say things like ‘Be the kind of woman who makes other women want to up their game’ but, we rarely have women who actually do. However, there is a woman who has made this an assignment. Her name is Sheryl Kara Sandberg. Born in August 28, 1969, Washington, D.C., U.S. Sandberg studied Economics at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, she did her undergraduate thesis with economist Lawrence Summers as her adviser. She received her bachelor’s degree in 1991 and was the top student in economics. When Summers became chief economist at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., Sandberg joined him there, and together from 1991 to 1993 they worked on projects that helped developing countries. In 2001 Sandberg joined the search company Google, Inc, as general manager of its business unit even though Google has none at the time. She soon became vice president of global online sales and operations. She was in charge of development of AdWords, which placed text advertisements on search result pages, and of AdSense, which placed relevant advertisements on the Web sites of individuals and companies that contracted with Google. Both AdWords and AdSense helped Google become a profitable company and were responsible for much of Google’s earnings. In 2004 she was put in charge of Google’s for-profit philanthropy arm, Google.org, which focused on the problems of climate change, public health, and poverty. In 2008, Sandberg was recruited as Facebook’s first COO. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg felt that someone more experienced in management was needed to supervise the daily operations of the company and he thought Sandberg will be perfect for the responsibilities. Just as she had at Google, Sandberg created an advertising strategy for Facebook that allowed the company to finally become profitable, and her close partnership with Zuckerberg was seen as a crucial ingredient in Facebook’s success. Sheryl Sandberg is chief operating officer at Facebook, overseeing the firm’s business operations. In June 2012, she was elected to serve on Facebook’s board of directors becoming the first woman to serve on its board. She is the founder of LeanIn.Org.. LeanIn.Org also known as Lean In Foundation is nonprofit organization founded in 2013 dedicated “to offering women the ongoing inspiration and support to help them achieve their goals.” The organization desires to support women in three main ways: community, education, and circles, or small, coordinated peer groups that meet to share their experiences and learn together. The NGO was Launched after the release of Sandberg’s bestselling book, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead , the organization views itself as the next step in an effort to change “the conversation from what we can’t do to what we can do.” Since its launch, over 380,000 women and men have joined the Lean In the community, creating 34,000 Lean In Circles in over 157 countries to date. Lean In Circles are communities of peers who “meet regularly to learn and grow together.” Circles were originally designed to have 8 to 12 peers who would meet monthly. Although each circle varies in location and size, all Circles provide robust networks of peer support, they involve facilitated discussion on gender issues between both women and men. After a year of operation, there were 14,000 Lean in Circles around the world. To date, over 34,000 Lean In Circles have been created in over 157 countries, and 85% of circle members accredit Lean In Circles for a “positive change in their life.” We also have different chapters like the Lean in Computer Science and Engineering Chapter who supports women studying computer science and engineering. Founded in collaboration with The Anita Borg Institute, Facebook, and Linkedin, to date, there are over 250 Circles and 6,000 members. In summer 2015, chapter members launched a “Lean IN-terns Program” for students interning at Bay Area tech companies. We also have the Lean In Military Chapter launched in September 2015 in partnership with the Department of Defense. Within just one year, the chapter grew to over 100 circles and nearly 2000 members. This Chapter includes all branches of the military. On May 21, 2016, National Armed Forces Day, Lean In kicked off the launch of Veterans Circles by top influences like Michelle Obama, Sheryl Sandberg, and Senator Amy Klobuchar. The goal is to assimilate and integrate women veterans into civilian communities. Having been through different tides especially in family life, from divorce to the death of a husband, Sheryl hasn’t allowed any of these seasons to downplay her progressiveness. She has written two books: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead in, (2013) and Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy, Written with Adam Grant. Sandberg has been ranked one of the 50 “Most Powerful Women in Business” by Fortune Magazine. In 2007 she was ranked #29 and was the youngest woman on the list. In 2008 she was ranked #34. In 2009 she was ranked #22. In 2010 she was ranked #16. In 2014 she was ranked #10. In 2016 she was ranked #6. In 2017 she was ranked #5. In 2018 she was ranked #6.On the list of 50 “Women to Watch” by The Wall Street Journal. She was ranked #19 on that list in 2007. She was ranked #21 on that list in 2008. Sandberg was named one of the “25 Most Influential People on the Web” by Business Week in 2009. She has been listed as one of the world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes. In 2014, Sandberg was listed as ninth, just behind Michelle Obama, and in 2017 Number 4. In 2012, Newsweek and The Daily Beast released their first “Digital Power Index”, a list of the 100 most significant people in the digital world that year (plus 10 additional “Lifetime Achievement” winners), and she was ranked #3 in the “Evangelists” category. In 2012, she was named in Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world assembled by Time. Lean In was shortlisted for the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award (2013). In 2013, she was ranked #8 on “The World’s 50 Most Influential Jews” conducted by The Jerusalem Post. She uses her media to also lift up other women. Support PisonTechAfrica.com For inspiring tech content and articles, PisonTechAfrica.com is the platform to go. Great content takes a lot of resources; we are poised to motivate young start-ups and give them leverage with our platform. It is a platform for inspiring tech entrepreneurs to display their talents. Africa is the next big thing for technology. PisonTechAfrica.com is the tech media platform committed to positioning Africa in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Donate Ayinla Oluwajumoke Toyosi Share This Previous ArticleBehind the Silicon Lagoon's Admiration is the Fintech Revolution Next ArticleSix Things you Didn't Know Your iPhone Could Do April 5, 2021
