107. Shawn Kaminski, Executive Director of DirectWomen, on Board Diversity, Leadership Transition, and International Expansion

Did you know that corporations that have diverse Board members have been shown to be more profitable and successful than those with less diverse Boards? So how do you get more women on these Boards?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Shawn Kaminski, Executive Director of DirectWomen. Shawn discusses:DirectWomen’s mission to increase the representation of women lawyers on corporate boards.How DirectWomen prepares women lawyers for board service through an annual board institute.How DirectWomen serves as a resource for companies looking for diverse candidates for their Boards.How companies with more diverse boards are shown to be more profitable and successful than those without.How there's both a moral and business case for having diverse voices and representation in corporate boardrooms.Her personal journey, going from the American Bar Association, a large well supported organization, to DirectWomen, a smaller nonprofit.DirectWomen’s selective Board Institute program, which only accepts a small number of applicants each year. The small cohort size is intentional, so that DirectWomen can provide personalized attention to ensure participants' success.DirectWomen’s international expansion, starting with high attendance events in London.How DirectWomen will ring the New York Stock Exchange Bell on October 18th to celebrate reaching their 200th board seat milestone.References:DirectWomen’s websiteMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexusLicense code: M2POPMBVFCE0RIPZ