Join our mission. . .
Overcoming Barriers for First-Generation Female Professionals
Building equitable pathways to economic mobility and leadership
Executive Insider was founded by women who have navigated these systemic challenges themselves. We translate lived experience into evidence-based programs that create measurable, transformative change.
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.
Join Our Mission
Who We Serve & Our Founders’ Lived Experience
Executive Insider is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 92-3586033) dedicated to first- and second-generation female professionals. We focus particularly on the intersecting needs of minority, rural, low-income, and educationally disadvantaged women.
Our founding team—representing Asian, Amish, and Native American communities—leverages their lived experience as minority, ESL, first-gen professionals to design interventions that are both culturally competent and highly effective.
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
Our Programmatic Pillars: A Multi-Faceted Approach
Our initiatives are designed to create
compound impact through four interconnected pillars:
Research-Backed Skills Development
We deliver curriculum and training in high-demand professional skills, leadership, and socio-emotional competency, directly addressing skill gaps that hinder advancement.
Structured Mentorship & Community
We facilitate long-term, cross-industry mentoring relationships and supportive peer cohorts to combat isolation and build the social capital crucial for career navigation.
Ecosystem & Network Building
We connect our participants to a robust national network of professionals, partners, and employers, creating pipelines to opportunity that transcend traditional socioeconomic barriers.
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 and expand our reach to thousands more women.
Evidence-Based Foundation
Our model is validated by leading research institutions:
“Data shows connecting [with other women] has real power… likelihood of receiving a promotion doubled, and likelihood of a 10%+ pay increase tripled.”
Shawn Achor, Harvard Business Review
We translate this research into actionable programmatic outcomes.
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).
Get Your Free "Fast-Track My Career" Planner
for
1st and 2nd Generation
Female Professionals
