Exclusive Interview with Talia Bender Small and Shelley Zalis from The Female Quotient

Workplace gender equality will be achieved when people are able to access and enjoy equal rewards, resources and opportunities regardless of gender. It will require: Workplaces to provide equal pay for work of equal or comparable value. Removal of barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the workforce. The Female Quotient, also known as the FQ, is an equality services company that provides thought leadership platforms for women and solutions for organizations committed to closing the gender gap. Analytics Insight has engaged in an exclusive interview with Talia Bender Small and Shelley Zalis from The Female Quotient.

1. Kindly brief us about the company, its specialization and the services that your company offers.

Shelley Zalis: The Female Quotient, also known as the FQ, is an equality services company that provides thought leadership platforms for women and solutions for organizations committed to closing the gender gap. We work with organizations in a few key ways: First, we have our signature Equality Lounge®, which pops up at key industry conferences (everywhere from Davos to CES to Cannes Lions) and is a place for leaders to convene, build community, and source strategies for advancing equality in the workplace. We also produce custom content and research packages, working hand-in-hand with brands to develop storytelling that advances equality and boosts the profile of their women executives. Finally, we do custom advisory work, developing programming based on an organization's unique needs in the gender equality realm.

2. With what mission and objectives, was the company set up? In short, tell us about your journey since the inception of the company?

Shelley Zalis: In the early parts of my career, I was the first female CEO in the Top 25 in research, and truly was the "lonely and only" woman at industry conferences. I would walk the floor of these conferences, spanning across many industries, and all I saw was a boy's club. One year, I was planning on attending a tech conference, but quickly realized I didn't have anyone to attend with; that's when I decided to create for other women what I didn't have when I first started my career: a support system. So, I invited a handful of women to walk the conference floor with me and that's when I realized that a woman alone has power, but collectively we can make an impact.

I saw so many women just like me, leaders in their industries, but often alone. When we came together, we realized that we were all dealing with similar challenges like imposter syndrome and maintaining a work/life integration. Being able to come together as a community was so powerful, women were uplifting each other and that was the driving force behind creating The Female Quotient and the Equality Lounges, which have evolved and are now a staple at every major conference across the world.

3. Please brief us about the products/services/solutions you provide to your customers and how they get value out of it.

Talia Bender Small: The FQ offers a variety of services and solutions to support women in business and work to close the gender gap. The most pivotal service is the world-renowned Equality Lounge. As seen at industry conferences like Davos, Cannes Lions, CES, SXSW, and more, The FQ's legendary Equality Lounges have altered the business agenda and sparked change in the workplace. These pop-ups at industry conferences unite a network of leaders, from Fortune 500 to female founders, to collaborate and ignite breakthrough ideas to foster equality.

The FQ is prioritizing our expansion into the Metaverse, with the goal of ensuring women are at the forefront of Web3 and have an active hand in setting standard practices in the digital space. In March 2022, The FQ purchased land in Decentraland, NFT Worlds and Sandbox with the plan to bring their Equality Lounges to the Metaverse. This year, The FQ is focusing on activating the Equality Lounge in Decentraland to create a safe space for women to learn about Web3, connect with other members, and host events at major Web3 conferences.

By offering learning sessions, fostering a space for creativity and relationship-building, and uplifting the voice of the collective minority, The Female Quotient is an invaluable partner for conscious leaders who are working to close the gender gap in all areas of business.

4. How do you see The FQ and the Metaverse in the future ahead?

Shelley Zalis: The FQ is entering the Metaverse with big ambitions. First and foremost, we want to ensure that women are at the forefront of the movement and are setting the tone for how things are going to work. By coming together to write the rules of the Metaverse for the collective minority, everyone will benefit — this is how we prevent Web3 from mirroring the inequities of the video game industry, for example.

5. What does your business roadmap look like for the rest of the year?

Talia Bender Small: First, The FQ is buzzing over the opportunity to ensure that women are at the forefront of Web3. As part of our educational efforts, we are working with women with a variety of expertise in Web3, everyone from Metaverse influencers to the "crypto-curious." Our goal is to bring people together to educate and empower, so women are at the forefront of this movement.

Our virtual Equality Lounges can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere, which offers the flexibility many women need to be successful in business. These Equality Lounges will be an accessible and safe space where women can come together to create the infrastructure for business in the Metaverse.

Along with educating women and upskilling them for Web3, we are expanding our content offerings to our partners. One new initiative is She Speaks, a professional development package that accelerates the profiles and influence of women in business. This service will allow women leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations who want to sponsor individuals or groups of women within their industry to help them craft their own legacy in business.

6. Do you also feel that the right kind of talent is a challenge in the industry?

Talia Bender Small: Finding talent for Web3 isn't a challenge, it's our greatest opportunity. Right now, most companies are searching for talent in industries related to technology, and many are seeking to fill roles in Web3. Because Web3 is a relatively new space, we are going to see a wave of upskilling and reskilling talent to fill these positions. The FQ is excited about the enormous opportunity to help women get comfortable in and lead the way in Web3 and the Metaverse.

Companies need to begin recruiting in new spaces for talent so employees can be reskilled now, instead of retrofitting to fit the space later. Companies also need to create cultures that women want to work in. When women are leading the way and building the foundation for these new spaces, the workplace becomes better for everyone, not just women.

7. What is the edge of The FQ over other institutes in the industry?

Shelley Zalis: The Female Quotient is unique because we provide thought leadership platforms to women across all industries to foster the sharing of ideas and expertise. This has allowed us to build an authentic community that uplifts one another. When I launched The FQ, I wanted to create a safe space for women to come together to support and learn from one another. In the early years of my career, all I saw were "Boy's Clubs" at every conference. That's where I had the idea for the Girls' Lounge, our first iteration of FQ's renowned Equality Lounge®.

Our edge comes from the warmth and supports the women in our community share with one another. What started out as a safe place for women in business, quickly transformed into a safe space for the collective minority to learn from, share ideas with, and create a thriving community. This isn't a competitive space, but rather an environment that champions each other's successes.