Gabriella (Gabi) Espinoza
Product Lead, Vera Solutions
📍Mumbai, India / Seattle, USA
If you could describe yourself in one word, what would that be and why?
Open. Whether it's my mindset or my metaphorical door, I believe it's crucial to create a space in which my teammates can feel comfortable to honestly share whatever is on their mind. My primary goal in leadership is to ensure my teammates feel empowered to navigate whatever challenge they face and to share whatever feedback they have.
Pledge 1% provides a framework for businesses to do good. Do you think it’s important for today’s corporate leaders to prioritize social impact? If so, why?
I think it's absolutely important for corporate leaders to prioritize social (and, for that matter, environmental) impact. We have enough data now to fully understand the repercussions of business on both people and environment, whether from the supply chain, energy consumption, etc. With that knowledge, it's imperative to continuously improve the role that business plays in society and in the environment.
What’s the best piece of advice you've ever received?
When I was early in my career doing admin at a nonprofit and feeling like I was falling behind my former university classmates, my manager comforted me by telling me that even she was still figuring her life out. Something clicked for me immediately to stop comparing myself with where my peers are at, and to simply forge ahead with what I want to achieve in life.
This year’s International Women’s Day themes are focused on investing in women and inspiring inclusion. What can we do to make today’s workplaces more equitable and inclusive for women?
First, we need greater intersectionality in DEI initiatives. By that, I mean we to increase visibility for women of color, transgender and nonbinary women, women from historically disenfranchised communities, and so forth. As Maya Angelou famously said, "The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free." It is every woman's responsibility to work towards the equity and inclusion for all other women.
Second, I think it's important to not ignore the role that men have to play in driving equity and inclusion. They also have the responsibility for making space for women to contribute and participate at the workplace, where women may otherwise not be present. Whether that's actively sponsoring women to have a seat at the table or simply examining one's own implicit biases, all of it helps to drive us towards greater equity and inclusion.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Whatever you think you deserve in your career, you probably deserve more. I personally have struggled with low expectations of myself despite being a generally high-achieving person. It took a lot of mentorship and external validation before I fully started to comprehend what I deserve - and then to be able to actually ask for that.
"So whatever you think you deserve, wherever you think you're at - be bold and ask for it."
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