Isabella D’Ambrosio

Women around the world deserve to go after the career they desire, and I'm on a mission to tear down the barriers holding them back. I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, and from a young age knew that Gender Equality and Education were the connecting thread of my passions. I want to make sure that companies across sectors are safe spaces where women feel welcomed and encouraged to be who they are, and shine through the unique elements that we bring to the workplace. Embedding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into any business strategy is no longer a nice to have, but a must have if companies want to compete in a market where we are no longer accepting business as usual.

How did IE help you get to where you are today?

IE is a community of inspiration. Believing you can achieve something is already half of the work, and being part of IE is being surrounded by brave, purposeful and innovative people. You can find passion in everyone, and this fuels me to go after my dreams.

How are you impacting the lives of women?

I'm guiding companies to implement Gender DEI in the core of their cultures and strategies. I dream of workplaces where everyone can truly thrive.

In your opinion, what institutional or societal changes need to be made to keep women at the forefront of business and society?

One of the most important things is that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion needs to become an inalienable pillar of companies and organizations worldwide. Diverse teams are proven to outperform by up to 35% those that are not, and employees who feel included in their organizations are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged in their work. It's a smart decision to invest in women and in diversity. But having women at the forefront is not something that just happens, but the result of incredible commitment and investment from the bottom up. From teaching girls that they can reach their wildest dreams, dismantling the barriers that prevent women from accessing education, working to reduce the unpaid work burden on women, creating and maintaining safer workplaces. It's a multilateral change that needs to happen in every layer of society.