Today's newsletter is dedicated to calling out the sexist bs in sports. Brought to you by The GIST.

Hey Glow Gang!

Another day, another slay 💅🏽

In this week’s newsletter, we’re chatting with Fidan Javadova, aka a badass clean energy and tech entrepreneur. Her latest crowdfunding campaign will help make EV charging accessible for everyone.

Plus women CEOs finally outnumber CEOs named John at S&P 500 companies 👀 

Let's get glowing

-Shilpa

News Of The Week

Catch Ya Later, John 👋🏽

Business and entrepreneurship

What’s your favourite position 👩🏽‍💼 CEO, duh. Woman CEOs definitively outnumber CEOs with the first name John among S&P 500 companies. Currently, there are 23 S&P 500 CEOs named John or Jon. Weird flex, but we’ll take it for now … as long as the number of women CEOs (and women in leadership positions in general) continues to increase.

The stats as of today show that women hold 41 (8.2%) CEO positions at the S&P 500 companies. This is a new record - and one to keep breaking (please). Out of the 41 women CEOs, 4 are women of colour - so around 10% (9.76% to be exact).

See also: one for all you budding entrepreneurs in the US! Fearless Fund and Tory Burch Foundation are awarding $1 Million in grants to women of colour entrepreneurs. Details are here, and get your applications in asap before tomorrow’s deadline.

More News Nuggets

Extra Nuggets 👀

• PSA: you could model for Vogue 🗣️ The Vogue global open casting is open now - go on and, strike a pose.

• Just a spott of travel ✈️ Woni Spotts is the first Black woman to visit every country in the world.

• Swimsuit rookie 👙 Lauren Chan is the first plus-size, openly queer swimsuit rookie for Sports Illustrated.

• The only ARtist you need 👩🏽‍🎨 We’re tackling racial bias in tech and beauty with the ARtist app. Join the waitlist for launch day access!

Glowreel Recos

What we’re loving this week:

Watch: Polite Society ok so it’s only just arriving at a cinema near you, but Polite Society looks brilliant! The reviews agree! 👊🏽

Make: Kimchi Crunchwrap Supreme by Joanne Molinaro, aka, The Korean Vegan 🤤

Support BIPOC Women Owned Businesses

Shop your favourite BIPOC woman founded brands in Glowreel’s Little Purple Book! This week’s recommended product: Hueguard Invisible Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 from Live Tinted

$28 (USD, ships worldwide)

Trailblazing Woman Interview

Fidan Javadova: making sure everyone is included in a zero-emissions future

Fidan Javadova is the founder of BeWorks Automation. Her mission? To increase awareness and to be a catalyst for electric mobility and renewable energy. Impressive!

Fidan's latest project is game-changing. BeWorks Automation has launched a crowdfunding campaign to develop an accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging unit that delivers a universal benefit to all, including the elderly and people with special needs.

We caught up with Fidan to hear more about her journey behind building BeWorks Automation and how their crowdfunding campaign will help make EV charging accessible for all. Let’s go!

Fidan! Lovely to meet you - can you tell us a bit about why and how you started BeWorks Automation?

After nearly seven years of climbing the ladder in high-tech and innovative companies, I realised that while the clean tech start-up ecosystem in the UK continued to grow, businesses founded by women were still underrepresented, with fewer female-led businesses starting, scaling and securing finance. I also recognised that almost all the best startup ideas served as solutions to social problems. By that time, I had already been actively following the global trends in the industry. And then, I took a leap of faith and launched BeWorks, a cleantech engineering startup providing accessible electric vehicle charging and solar energy solutions.

What do you hope to achieve with BeWorks Automation?

I want BeWorks to play a vital role in advancing sustainable practices, challenge the current practices, make them more accessible and help drive societal and governmental change towards a more sustainable future. As the clean tech industry grows, we want to create jobs and economic opportunities in areas such as engineering, manufacturing, and research.

Can you tell us about your crowdfunding campaign?

We’ve recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to develop an accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging unit that delivers a universal benefit to the public including the elderly and people with special needs.

The innovative feature of this EV charger is in its mechanism – in its retractable automated cable management techniques. The innovation aims to eliminate the problems with the weight of the cables required to plug EVs into the charger, and is a great solution for those who may have difficulties exerting the force required to attach the connector.

Our EV retractable charger will be equipped with a state-of-the-art automatic electronic cable management system. The fully retractable power cable and connector will be stored within the units when not in use and will be locked in place. When the power button is pressed and a valid charge activation is received, the charger cables will come to the customer, eliminating the need for unwrapping them from the charging station or picking them up off the ground.

You’re changing the world for the better, Fidan! We’d love to know your top tips for other women of colour on how they can blaze their own trail?

Here are some pieces of advice that I want to give to all underserved communities to be successful in their careers:

• Believe in yourself: Believe in your skills and abilities, and don't let anyone make you feel inferior. Remember that you have unique perspectives and experiences that can be valuable to your workplace.

• Network: Connect with others in your field, attend events, and build relationships. Seek out mentors and allies who can offer guidance and support.

• Seek out education and training: Invest in yourself by pursuing education and training opportunities that can help you develop your skills and advance in your career. This can include formal education, online courses, and professional development programs.

• Advocate for yourself: Don't be afraid to speak up and advocate for yourself in the workplace. Ask for promotions, raises, and opportunities that you feel you deserve. Be assertive but professional.

• Find allies: Seek out and connect with others who share your experiences and can provide support and understanding. Look for employee resource groups or other communities within your workplace or industry.

• Be resilient: Recognise that the road to success can be challenging and full of setbacks. Be persistent and resilient, and don't let obstacles discourage you. Keep pushing forward and learning from your experiences.

• Embrace your unique perspective: Your unique experiences and background can be an asset in your career. Don't be afraid to bring your whole self to work and use your unique perspective to add value to your team and organisation.

If you support BeWorks Automation’s vision, and have the means to contribute, you can support their crowdfunding campaign here. The campaign closes in 5 days, and is just over £2,000 short of the £25,000 target.

Lioness Thoughts

Nominate A Shoutout

Tell us about someone doing cool shit.

It can be you, your friends or family or someone else you know. Whether you’ve just started a book club, are creating artistic makeup looks for fun, or are doing some research and want to hear from women of colour. We want to share thing cool things you’re doing with a community shoutout!

Please send your nominations to [email protected] or DM us on our socials :)

This week's email was brought to you by Shilpa Bhim, founder of Glowreel. You can see more of her work at www.shilpabhim.com or follow her on Instagram @shilpa.bhim

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