We’ve talked about our team of incredible women before, but after celebrating International Women’s Day yesterday and through this week, we figured that it’s time to highlight them once again.
Here at Red Argyle, we have a growing team of women that we call Sasquatch Socks. To learn about why they are called that, check out this post. This team doesn’t just pop up around International Women’s Day, in fact, we keep Sasquatch Socks a priority all year long. Last year, when the world hit pause, our female team had to rework the way that we look at our initiatives. We had made 2020 plans to get our ladies together, team building in our local communities to share this empowerment with the world – we didn’t know that in order to keep our community safe, we would have to rework what implementing our initiatives looks like.
Each month, the women of Red Argyle get together to talk about the challenges, strides and achievements taking place in the world surrounding Women in STEM, female leadership and more. This is a time for reflection, growth and representation. These sessions have allowed our team to brainstorm and create paths forward for how we can use our voices to advocate on behalf of women everywhere. After all, empowered women empower women.
One of the founders of Sasquatch Socks, Elizabeth Renshaw (Finance + IT Specialist) answered a few questions that explain just how important it is to showcase the women in STEM and why teams like Sasquatch Socks are so important.
What does being a woman in STEM mean to you?
As Catherine Hill discusses in her revolutionary article “Why So Few?,” even taking a math test in a room full of boys can adversely affect a girl’s test scores. This stereotype threat can only be overcome by hiring, supporting, and giving visibility to women in male-dominated fields such as STEM fields.
How does Red Argyle, a technology company, make you feel empowered as a female employee?
There are women in every position at Red Argyle. They are client facing and presenting. They are executive level and team leads. They are right out of college and deep into their career. Women are in every corner of this company and it paints a clear picture that being a woman at Red Argyle does not mean there is a predestined track for you, as there is at so many other companies.
How has Red Argyle empowered you to overcome the biases of age and experience?
Being a recent college graduate, I don’t have much going for me in either the age or experience categories. Despite this, Red Argyle has trusted me with independent and meaningful projects since day one. They also have listened intently and supported whole-heartedly every idea I have had from procedural changes to wacky Sasquatch Socks.
Why do you think it’s important for people from the inside and outside to call out inequality when it’s happening?
The bystander effect. The more people who stay quiet when they see problems, the more likely that will be the culture that is adopted. When people call out the problems they see, it promotes a dynamic culture where feedback is more comfortable and results are seen more quickly and holistically.
How does Sasquatch Socks and our vision align with Red Argyle’s Mojo (Transparent, Articulate, Purposeful)?
The name Sasquatch Socks makes you stop and ask ‘what on earth is that.’ This is exactly the reaction that is needed to slow people down and start the conversations that are needed to break down the social conditions that keep women marginalized in STEM fields. It brings visibility to our cause and our conversations in an intentional way, just as Red Argyle strives to do everything.
To be an honorary member of Sasquatch Socks, you don’t have to work at Red Argyle. You don’t even have to be a woman. You just have to be aware and ready to learn. Want to join? Check out some of these Trailheads from Salesforce to get started:
Keep an eye out for what Sasquatch Socks does next!
