In May of 2015, Joyus CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy launched the #ChoosePossibility project to quantify, identify and raise the number of female executives and entrepreneurs in the tech space. The first initiative of the project, theBoardlist, began a few months later in July as a campaign to put more qualified women in board positions at companies.
The organization has announced today that theBoardlist will have a brand-new platform and expansive reach, including a beta in Europe with participation from a group of leaders in the UK.
Cassidy explained the purpose of theBoardlist in a press release:
Long-held assumptions about a lack of qualified women candidates for private and public tech company boards don’t align with reality. There is a wealth of board-ready female talent in the US and globally. And with over 40 active board searches in theBoardlist, we’re seeing a desire from CEOs — early stage to public — to engage qualified women leaders as board directors. I’m hopeful that theBoardlist will help change the narrative and number of women in corporate leadership, starting in tech boardrooms.
Since its launch in 2015, theBoardlist has more than 1,000 female board candidates nominated by 200 business leaders in the industry.
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Additionally, theBoardlist will also have a Corporate Partner program in conjunction with founding partners eBay and Marketo, which will allow entire companies to endorse senior-level women for board positions.
Finally, the beta launch in Europe will begin with 100 international women leaders, with founding partners Atomico Ventures and Reed Smith LLP.
Cassidy’s mission aims to change a very important tide: women hold just 12 percent of board positions in corporate companies worldwide, and chair only 4 percent of them. It is currently seeking to place women at every stage of companies, from seed to late-stage.
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