Closing the GAP™ for First-Generation Female Professionals
Facilitating cohort-based learning and long-term guidance
Systemic inequities in the workplace disproportionately affect first- and second-generation female professionals, limiting economic mobility and leadership representation and diversity.
Executive Insider provides the evidence-based programs and support systems needed to create a more equitable and inclusive professional landscape.
Find Out if You Are Trapped in the GAP™
Skills Development & Certification
Industry-aligned curricula boosting employability and wage potential
Mentorship & Coaching
Structured, long-term guidance to navigate systemic barriers
Supportive Community Cohorts
Cohort-based learning for shared support and collective problem-solving
Professional Network Access
Connections to a robust national network of professionals and partners
Our Programs & Outcomes
NextGen Women Fellowship Cohort
A foundational group program providing core skills and community
→ 85% report increased negotiation confidence
→ 70% strengthen their professional network within 6 months
NextGen Women Leaders/Leadership/Executive/Impact/Trailblazer Fellowship Cohort
An advanced program adding intensive, personalized leadership coaching
→ Over half achieve a promotion or significant raise within a year
→ Need-based scholarships available
Our co-founder’s story & work have appeared on or in:
Evidence-Based Foundation
Our model is validated by leading research institutions:
“. . . to achieve the executive positions with the highest levels of authority and pay, [women] also had to have an inner circle of close female contacts despite having similar qualifications to men including education and work experience.”
We operationalize this research by intentionally building that critical “inner circle” for our cohort members.
Our Theory of Change
We address
the root causes of career inequality through four strategic pillars:
Overcome Structural Barriers
Combining mentorship and skill-building to disrupt cycles of inequity
/
Overcome structural barriers
. . . by combining mentorship and skill-building to disrupt cycles of inequity.
Provide Expert Mentorship & Coaching
Facilitating long-term, cross-industry relationships to build social capital
/
Close the social capital gap
. . . through our RISE framework, with 70% of participants reporting stronger professional networks.
Foster Ecosystem & Network Building
Creating pipelines to opportunity that transcend socioeconomic barriers
/
Grow donor-supported programs
. . . to serve 1,000+ women annually.
Promote Sustainable Success & Well-being
Integrating mental well-being as a foundation for long-term economic security
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Wellness & Sustainable Success
Our programming integrates mental well-being and work-life balance, recognizing that sustainable career success is foundational to long-term economic security.
Partner with us to scale this proven model.
Our research identifies four (4) primary barrier domains we address:
1. The Social Capital Deficit:
Lack of access to networks, mentors, and sponsors.
2. The Confidence Gap:
Imposter syndrome and underdeveloped professional identity
3. Institutional Navigation:
Understanding and overcoming hidden barriers to advancement
Managing debt and building economic resilience
The Population We Serve
Direct feedback from our program participants illustrates the systemic nature of the challenge:
“Like, how do I even ask for a promotion, or should I be networking more?”
“My parents are proud of me, but they can’t help with this stuff. They never had office jobs, online jobs.”
Research & Validation
Shalini Unnikrishnan and Cherie Blair
Global Lead for Societal Impact in the Consumer and Social Impact practices at Boston Consulting Group
“However, unleashing the power of women entrepreneurs will require action from a range of groups, including venture capitalists, nonprofit organizations, and corporations. These efforts must address a critical and at times overlooked issue: the lack of networks that effectively support and mentor women entrepreneurs.”
Shalini Unnikrishnan and Cherie Blair
Global Lead for Societal Impact in the Consumer and Social Impact practices at Boston Consulting Group
A recent research study tested the impact that a [conference for women] had on attendees in the year following the event, and the results were impressive: Their likelihood of receiving a promotion doubled, and their likelihood of a 10%+ pay increase tripled.
Shawn Achor
Harvard Business Review
And the positive outcomes weren’t limited to women’s finances: 78% of attendees reported feeling “more optimistic about the future” than they had before the conference, and 29% reported that they “agree a lot” with the statement “I feel happier.” Twenty-five percent of the attendees reported that they “agree a lot” with the statement “I feel more capable of handling stress in a positive way.” Perhaps most significant, 71% of the attendees said that they “feel more connected to others.” The data shows connecting [with other women] has real power that can have significant ramifications in terms of well-being, work performance, and overall career satisfaction.
Shawn Achor
Harvard Business Review
Ellen Keithline Byrne, Karen Kirchner, and Denise D’Agostino
Forbes
“The problem with perfectionism is that it’s unattainable, so linking confidence to perfection keeps women stuck. Instead, they need to give themselves permission to be good enough. Caring a little less about every detail frees up mental space to make more strategic contributions.”
Ellen Keithline Byrne, Karen Kirchner, and Denise D’Agostino
Forbes
Mission
Our mission is to advance economic equity for first and second generation female professionals by overcoming systemic barriers to career mobility through evidence-based mentorship, skills development and inclusive professional networks.
We are dedicated to helping these trailblazing women navigate the unique challenges they face, equipping them with skills for career advancement and fostering a balance between their professional and personal lives.
Vision
We envision a transformed workforce where women of all backgrounds thrive, driving inclusive economic growth and closing the wage and opportunity gap for underrepresented communities.
Fellowship Cohort Programs
foundational skills for economic stability
Apply for Program Scholarship
$[value] Need-Based Scholarships
NextGen Women Fellowship Cohort
This foundational program provides a comprehensive cohort-based learning experience, including:
✓ Core Curriculum: Three evidence-based modules on professional fluency, strategic networking, and self-advocacy
✓ Assessment & Benchmarking: Pre- and post-program assessments to measure growth in confidence and capability
✓ Career Toolkit: Practical resources (Planners, Guides, Resource Lists) for ongoing professional development
✓ Peer Community Access: A dedicated cohort for shared support, accountability, and collective problem-solving
✓ Professional Network Integration: Introduction to our broader network of mentors and professionals
✓ Skills Development: Training in high-demand professional, leadership, and personal competencies
✓ Mindset & Resilience Workshops: Curriculum focused on overcoming imposter syndrome and building sustainable confidence
✓ Private Online Platform: A dedicated space for collaboration, resource sharing, and community building
Advanced coaching for wage growth and promotion readiness
$[value] Scholarship Funding Available
NextGen Women Leaders/Leadership/Executive/Impact/Trailblazer Fellowship Cohort
This advanced program includes all foundational program benefits, plus intensive, personalized support:
✓ Includes all NextGen Women Cohort curriculum and resources
✓ Personalized Coaching: One-on-one sessions with an executive coach to set and achieve strategic career goals
✓ Advanced Accountability Structures: Customized plans and regular check-ins for goal attainment and promotion and leadership readiness
Collaborate With Us / Join Us in Building a More Equitable Future / Turn this into a CTA for Strategic Partnerships
This is for FGPs with 1-yr minimum work experience / You’re a Driven College Grad Ready to
make your mark in the professional world
But you feel unsure how to get there
First Generation Professionals (FGPs) like you are smart, innovative, resilient, and motivated — the kind of people who make great leaders, collaborators, and team members.
Yet most face institutional barriers and personal challenges when navigating the professional work environment.
You don’t have the luxury of relying on the network of your parents, other family members, or friends to open doors.
Working in a professional white collar environment means you have to learn different rules to build a solid career.
Our integrated curriculum addresses the critical gap
. . . left by traditional education, focusing on:
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- Social Capital Development: Building genuine professional networks and strategic relationships
- Workplace Fluency: Navigating unspoken organizational dynamics and cultures
- Leadership Acumen: Developing the confidence and skills to lead and influence
- Professional Communication: Mastering written and verbal communication for impact
- Strategic Negotiation: Advocating effectively for compensation and advancement
- Conflict Resolution & Emotional Intelligence: Managing workplace challenges constructively
- Sustainable Performance: Integrating practices for long-term well-being and resilience
Feeling doubtful?
That’s normal as you start your career (or make a career change). Every professional has been there.
At Executive Insider, we don’t just teach skills. We cultivate confidence.
With our mentoring, you’ll:
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- Walk into interviews and networking events prepared and self-assured
- Develop a personal brand that gets you noticed
- Be seen as leadership material early in your career
- Communicate persuasively to build relationships
- Inspire respect and bring out the best in colleagues
- Earn the opportunities and compensation you deserve
- Most importantly, embrace your seat at the table
You already have so much to offer
Now it’s time to gain the skills to maximize your potential. Let us guide you on the path to leadership success.
We’ll help you overcome imposter syndrome, stop second-guessing yourself, and realize that your unique voice and experiences deserve to be heard.
First generation professionals have already passed through a gauntlet of new and bewildering experiences in life and in the academic world, long before they step through the door on the first day of their career post-graduation.
Personal victories have proven your grit, tenacity, determination and intelligence.
Our research identifies four primary barrier domains:
-
- Self-Efficacy & Confidence: Overcoming imposter syndrome and building professional identity
- Financial Literacy & Stability: Managing student debt and building economic resilience
- Social Capital Deficit: Lack of access to networks, mentors, and sponsors
- Institutional Navigation: Understanding and overcoming hidden barriers to advancement.
These are some of the areas our research has identified as obstacles and that our membership programs will focus on.
We’re first generation women professionals
and . . .
we know what it’s like
to . . .
navigate the world alone
after graduating from college,
not knowing how to negotiate
a salary or raise . . .
wondering if
we’re the only ones who don’t seem to have it all figured out.
Hindsight is 20/20.
We couldn’t see our futures when we were 20.
Let us be your eyes and see your future for you,
so you don’t miss the opportunities and make the mistakes we did.
Our Leadership & Expertise
Our founding team of first-generation women leverages lived experience and advanced academic credentials to address systemic challenges.
May Teo, Ed.M. (Harvard)
Expertise: Curriculum development, socio-emotional learning, and building human resilience
I had a decade-long career mentoring and coaching adults in the field of talent development in Asia.
Graduating with a Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, I specialized in curriculum and program development to enhance the mindset, affective, and socio-emotional competencies critical for human flourishing and resilience.
My relocation to the US with my young children challenged me to create a new way of life for myself. I found my purpose in strategic life coaching—a career aligned to my passion for facilitating people to be their most expansive and capable self.
Torah Bontrager, M.Ed. (University of the People)
Expertise: Active learning instructional techniques, policy, and creating platforms for underrepresented voices
I'm passionate about gender equality, equal pay, decision- and policy-making leverage, and in general having our voices as women actually heard. I left the corporate world to blaze my own trail in entrepreneurship and social impact, including nearly a decade of running an internship program for college/university students. Every year, I see how ill-prepared new grads are for entering the constantly evolving workforce.
One of my specialties is producing groundbreaking conferences and thoughtfully curated programs and events that bring together experts and underrepresented voices across industries and sectors that often seem to have nothing in common.
I earned a BA in Philosophy from Columbia University in New York City and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) specializing in Advanced Teaching ('26).
Ready to Become a Fellow?
Find your leadership mentor, accountablity & success partner, or women-only network. Join Our Equity Initiative
A Nonprofit Driving Systems Change
We are committed to transparency, measurable outcomes, and serving those who need it most—particularly minority, rural, low-income, and educationally disadvantaged women.
Your philanthropic investment builds a more equitable economy.
We welcome your contribution in any amount. Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Our Insider Blog
Topics include:
Exploring the impact of social capital on advancement and our evidence-based approach to building confidence.
Colleagues from Ivy League Backgrounds Are Being Promoted Over You. Why?
You offer perspectives and problem-solving abilities elite colleagues often lack. A mentor or inner circle can help you leverage your resilience and work ethic honed through overcoming long odds. The playing field might not be even, but you have what it takes to succeed. Your experiences are assets, not obstacles.
Courage vs. Imposter Syndrome: 10 Tips to Find Success as a First-Gen Academic
The nagging self-doubt known as imposter syndrome is incredibly common among high-achievers from underrepresented backgrounds. Practice our 10 tips to transform imposter syndrome into earned confidence. You have every right to be in the spaces you’ve worked so hard to reach.
Your Polished Resume Opened the Door. Now You’re Unsure How to Shine.
Rather than silently muddling through, connect with a mentor whose experiences mirror yours. They faced the same identity shifts, knowledge gaps, and economic pressures. Most importantly, they understand the isolation first-gen women contend with.
Ready to Invest in a More Equitable Future?
Join a coalition of funders who are . . .
. . . breaking down barriers to economic mobility and creating a more diverse leadership pipeline.