Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Erin Baudo Felter, VP of Social Impact at Okta.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
I lead Okta’s Corporate Social Impact Initiative, Okta for Good, which directs our technology, employee and financial resources to mission-driven organizations around the world.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Investing in my professional relationships and network. There is no way my career could have grown in the way that it has without an intentional investment in these relationships. In particular in the small world of social impact, where the field is still emerging, being able to learn from – and with – my peers throughout the various stages of my career has been a game changer.
I’m not talking about going to a networking event once a quarter. I’m talking about building real relationships, investing in them, going out of my way to hop on the phone or answer a text or share a playbook.
The best part is that our field is full of wonderful, generous people aligned around a common goal of leaving the world a little better than we found it. That alignment has made my professional relationships much deeper and more fulfilling than I ever thought possible.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
I’m just going to say it: imposter syndrome. I have had a textbook case of it for most of my career!
It helped me so much the first time I simply put a name to it. It helped even more when I started to lean into my curiosity about it. Two of my favorite reads about this topic are The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and Ho... and The Confidence Gap.
Recently, I’ve done some intentional work with more direct coaching and support to try and shed the imposter mindset once and for all. If you’re in the middle of that journey, you are not alone! Keep going. There is clarity and confidence on the other side, I promise.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
I have never uttered the words “Would you be my mentor?” Yet, I feel I’ve had many mentors throughout my career. I believe mentorship has to develop organically and that you really can find it anywhere. You can find it in long-term relationships or in powerful moments and conversations; in leaders much more senior than you or in peers.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Be gentle on yourself! We are all our own worst critics. I spent the first 5 years of my early career obsessing over how far I was from where I thought I should be and feeling discouraged and lost.
The truth is, it does feel like that in the early days, but that’s because you’re building your experience, trying things and figuring out what sparks you. There will come a time when that knowledge, experience and confidence builds up and you suddenly realize you’re the expert in the room.
What woman inspires you the most? Why?
My aunt. She built a technology company in the 80s and took it public during a time where she truly was the only woman in the room. When I think about how we are all standing on the shoulders of those who came before us, I think of her.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
I re-read Radical Candor recently. It is so solid when it comes to management books that resonate with the kind of leader I actually want to be. For fun (fun for an anthropology major), I’m reading The Ohlone Way which is a beautiful little book about the life and culture of the indigenous people of the SF Bay Area.
What’s something coming up that excites you?
This is a big year for Okta for Good. We’re growing our team and stepping into some new and deeper work in the areas we care about. In particular, we are expanding nonprofit technology enablement. Stay tuned for more details!
Originally posted: March 19, 2020
