FWSF President's Diversity & Inclusion Statement

Dear FWSF Community:

Along with many of you, I’ve spent countless hours reflecting on the tragic events of recent days and weeks, wondering what I can do to further the causes of racial justice and peace. I believe that all of us are called to find the role that we can play in moving our society toward reconciliation.

As the first African-American president of FWSF, I’m proud to say that I lead an inclusive organization, one that has offered scholarships, mentorship, and programming to women from a variety of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Over the past few years, we’ve made significant strides in promoting diversity and inclusion within our ranks, efforts that are currently led by Janeth Medina, our Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.

However, I cannot deny that we remain a predominantly white organization serving a predominantly white and male-dominated industry sector, in a city that is majority non-white. Consequently, the FWSF executive team has committed to amplifying our diversity and inclusion efforts. We are committed to doing the work in a variety of ways including:

• Amplifying the voices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) women through our events and programs
• Making our member demographic data public and measuring against industry data
• Coordinating workshops around topics like sensitivity training, bias and equitable HR practices
• Providing call to action steps and educational resources for our members on our website
• Leveraging our book club to read and discuss learnings about race and racism

We understand that true allyship requires active commitment and this is only the beginning of ours. We will continue to strategize on our long-term plan, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you have ideas for us or would like to join us in our diversity, inclusion, belonging and anti-racist work, please reach out to us here.

In Solidarity,

Olivia Barbee
President, Financial Women of San Francisco