1. What is the best piece of advice you ever received? From whom?

After I moved from Germany to Australia via Asia a helpful male colleague of mine advised me, “You don’t always have to come at an issue head on – sideways can be effective, too!” My cultural context had been to get right to business, so the move to Asia and Australia taught me a lot.

When women ask me if they should take an international assignment I say ‘do it’! Nothing gives you the depth of insight into different ways of thinking relevant to business and government leadership than living in a different cultural environment. When you do this you see your own cultural barriers or biases and you experience a completely different way of looking at the world in a way you would never learn if you had stayed in your own cultural context. It teaches you to flex style which is so important as a leader.

Another piece of advice that always comes to mind, and that I've given other women, is to think about how to take up the whole space of a new role you step into and think beyond the constraints of what you perceive to be allowed. I think women are hesitant to push boundaries because they are worried they will not be received well. You should test the boundaries of any new role gently and carefully, but be willing to take up the most space and influence you can.

2. What is the worst advice you ever got? Did you follow it?

I'm terrible at looking backwards so I don’t think I have an answer to this question! The upside of that is I don't spend as much time as I observe some of my women colleagues do, dwelling on who looked at me the wrong way or oppressed me in some way. Of course it happens and it might irritate me briefly, but then I tell myself, ‘OK onto the next thing’.

I work with quite a large number of women and some of them appear incredibly confident externally, but they tell me that they endlessly churn over things that happened, or things they said and later regretted. Apparent confidence can come with internal anguish. So I would flip this around and say, from a positive perspective, “Don’t over-analyze things you can’t control”.

3. Is there any especially important lesson you have learned that you'd like to share with younger women? What advice would you have given your 20 year old self?

Never go into a meeting and not speak  - and always speak early. If you don't do this, you can't then churn over the injustice of the fact that you had some great thoughts but didn't share them because no one asked you to. I think this is where taking space starts - you have to be an active participant and you have to be vocal in order to be noticed. I think women often think their performance will speak for itself and one day someone will ring up and say ‘we want to promote you’ …but mostly that doesn't happen.

4. Young women today are asking if it is really possible to 'have it all'? What sacrifices are worth making from your perspective? Which aren't?

The idea of sacrifice is very personal because it depends so much on what your living circumstances are. I don’t think it has to be all about sacrifice, but it does have to be the right balance for you as an individual. I’ve had three children while holding all my roles and I never felt I was sacrificing anything. I really only noticed the extent of how I was identifying as a mother when my children left home. I suddenly realized that emotionally while I thought I was the Director General, actually I was a mother first of all, which was kind of nice.

The way people work has changed so much I’d encourage young women to look at the places they can bring their whole self to work. Can you work flexibly so you can manage career, professional development and the rest of your life – family, children, aging parents, special hobbies or passions -  effectively and actually enjoy it?

Setting boundaries early on in your career and setting up a pattern of how you will work is very important to protect your space. The only person who can protect you from burning out is you. No one is going to come to you and say ‘work less’. In my mind, you set up early in your career what your pattern of work is and once you have this it's hard to change. If your pattern is already to not set boundaries then you get to a point where you think you can only work when your adrenaline is flowing like mad and you have to rush, rush, rush. This has long term negative impacts on your overall health so it's much better not to get into this pattern. For me, the moment I feel I get an adrenaline surge that makes me want to work faster I stop and actually go and do something completely different, or I just remove myself from it.

5. How did the glass ceiling - or the 'thick layer of men' as it has been called! - manifest in your career? What techniques did you use to break through?

The fact that I am a woman in senior roles does matter; it continues to be a challenge. The fact is there are a lot more men in senior roles and there often is a greater ease with which men interact with each other. In the context I’m in now, men love talking about sports and that doesn’t interest me, so it excludes me as a colleague.  I can’t participate in what is normal conversation because I haven’t watched the latest football game – I never will. Those things of being included or excluded continue all the way through your career and you can't own them. I had to realize it has nothing to do with me, but is rather the cultural context in which they operate. So the reality is I am in a minority and my life is different.

6. What would you most like to be remembered for? Why?

I am passionate about EY’s aspiration of Building a Better Working World and making that a reality by putting in place what I call “systemic disruptors”. Gender inequality as a whole seems a vast, insurmountable challenge, but when you break it down there are real tangible actions we can take to make our workplace culture more inclusive and flexible.  What more do we need to actively tackle unconscious bias? Do career coaching programs fit the needs of women or are they one-size-fits-all? Do we have succession planning that puts diversity at the center? I require all my senior teams to actively champion women in the pipeline – what I call “relentless backing” – and to act on this as a key performance indicator. Just as technological advances have generated new forms of prosperity, it is proven that diverse workforces contribute significantly to performance. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to create a truly inclusive environment for the almost quarter of a million people who work for EY and about the role we have influencing how people behave in our local communities and society more broadly.

7. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing this generation of young women?

To be honest, I don’t think that culturally it’s so different to the challenges we faced because until you get to a certain age or certain level you don’t think that being a woman actually holds you back. When I was growing up, the concept that something like my gender could restrict my options was completely incomprehensible to me. So I think it takes until your 30s or mid-30s and you reach a particular point that you suddenly realize there’s something else happening around you.

I think the world is changing drastically as a result of technology and young women going into the labor market and starting their careers need to think about gaining a variety of experiences and perspectives. In my generation, people might have five or six jobs in a lifetime, but the younger generation will have this in a year. So exploring other employment avenues is important: maybe it's working for a start-up for a while, maybe it's going into a tech company, maybe it’s starting your own business or being in the gig economy for a period of time. The systemic impact of technological change is in my view completely underestimated at the moment.  If I were at the beginning of my career I would absolutely go and work for a tech start-up because it is so important to understand technology and innovation today.

Growing up on the North Shore of O‘ahu in the rural town of Hau‘ula, everything Linda needed was contained above and below a two-lane, 12.5 mile road that stretched from mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean).  Linda’s ‘ohana (family) was not limited to relationships by blood, and included community members, teachers, kupuna (elders), and a host of aunties and uncles who looked after the neighborhood children like they did their own. 

Although Linda only formally became involved with the Polynesian Voyaging Society in 2007, she has early recollections of its influence on her childhood. Linda recalls building its Hōkūle‘a canoe out of popsicle sticks and brown paper bags in Kindergarten. In the 3rd grade, Linda learned how to play ukulele from her kupuna (elders), and her favorite song was Hōkūle‘a Hula:

Follow the stars at night

High in the southern sky

Ke-Ali‘i-o-Kona-i-ka-Lewa

Into the night while Orion dies…

Hōkūle‘a sails the ocean highways

With family both young and old...

Sail on and on and on till Hawai‘i at last (Andrade 1987).

Linda’s journey with Hōkūle‘a continued on through Intermediate and High school.  After learning about mathematics, physics, astronomy, and marine biology, she was inspired to do her 7th grade science fair project on “Lessons from the Hōkūle‘a: Measurement of Stars, Winds, and Swells”.  When she transferred schools in the 10th grade, one of the early crew members helped Linda navigate the difficult transition by teaching her how to paddle and listen to the ocean, which has guided her life to this day.

Hōkūle‘a (star of gladness) is a double-hulled Pacific Island canoe of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Hōkūle‘a is internationally renowned for the role it has played in rekindling the Pacific Island tradition of non-instrument wayfinding techniques that include celestial navigation, meteorology, and marine science based in mathematics principles.  Since its inaugural launching on March 8, 1975, Hōkūle‘a has sailed over 150,000 nautical miles.  Over the past four decades, her voyages inspired a revival of canoe building and voyaging around the world.

Hōkūle‘a has been circumnavigating the globe since 2013 and will return to Hawaii in mid-June 2017. Linda is humbly grateful to have been on the first leg of the international voyage from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti, and subsequent legs to American Samoa, Samoa, Olohega (Swain’s Island), Aotearoa (New Zealand), South Africa, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and New York City.  The mission of Hōkūle‘a’s Worldwide Voyage is mālama honua, which means to care for all people and places like they are ‘ohana - it is a culture of caring in our community and our island earth.

At a pivotal point in her career, Linda had a conversation with her teacher Nainoa Thompson while watching the Hōkūle‘a (Arcturus) star constellation rise in the heavens.  Nainoa gave her profound wisdom that Linda hopes to always carry with her, “You have to have a vision.  If you don’t, someone will take it away from you, or they will give you theirs.”  At that moment, Linda knew that the direction of her life would change course.  Shortly thereafter, Linda accepted a position as an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Education, where she currently works in teacher education.

Linda believes in “interconnectivity” between past, present, and future generations, and giving back to the communities, people, and land that have made it possible for us to be here. She hopes that we will continue to cross oceans as we work toward cultural harmony, historical reverence, and a voyaging spirit in the increasingly interconnected world we live in.

1. What is the best piece of advice you ever received? From whom?

The best piece of advice I ever received was from my mother. My grandparents did not allow her go to school as my grandfather was worried that if she learned to read and write then she would write letters to boyfriends, which was an absolute taboo. My mother told my sisters and I to never become a slave to a man. This advice was the early seeds for developing my own self-confidence and promoting women’s rights.

2. What is the worst advice you ever got? Did you follow it?

The worst advice I got was from community and family members who told me high school education was enough. They became so irritated and annoyed when I decided to go to university. I didn’t understand why they felt this way because it was clear that they didn't like the life they were living as housewives, dependent on their husbands. Instead of admitting to this, they insulted me and said ‘what's the point of all this education when you're going to get married and have children like the rest of us’.

3.  Is there any especially important lesson you have learned that you'd like to share with younger women? What advice would you have given your 20 year old self?

At the age of 20, I was so self-conscious and sensitive. We used to wear stockings with the seam showing and if the seam was not straight you’d think everybody is looking at you and laughing at you. There was so much anguish around what other people thought of you and so much hurt because someone said something cruel. So I would say to all 20 year olds don't be self-effacing – be proud of who you are.

4. Young women today are asking if it is really possible to 'have it all'? What sacrifices are worth making from your perspective? Which aren't?

You can have it all, you just need to plan your life. It's not the quantity of time you spend with your children that's important but the quality of time. I was lucky to have help in the form of housekeepers and babysitters but it must be difficult in societies where there is no one to help. I want to reassure all women that we are multi-taskers and we can do everything. Doing everything is not easy but the joy at the end of the day when you see your child sleeping peacefully, or the joy when you manage to graduate university whilst still working, makes it all worthwhile.

5. How did the glass ceiling - or the 'thick layer of men' as it has been called! - Manifest in your career? What techniques did you use to break through?

The glass ceiling for me was when I completed law school and not a single law firm would give me a job. First they said: ‘well you're a black woman and we can't have white secretaries take instructions from you’ - that's the race factor. Second they said: ‘well is your father a lawyer or a businessman - what kind of clients would you be able to bring in and what kind of business can you bring to the office?’ - that's the class factor. Finally they said: ‘well you just married, what if you have children?’ - that's the sex factor. At this point I had a choice - give up or do something about it. I decided to set up my own law practice. A few male lawyers said it was very presumptuous of me to think that a woman could manage a law firm so I started small.  My father put up the partitions in the building, a cousin lent me a typewriter, somebody gave me a ream of paper and at the end of the month I was able to pay the rent. This became a practice that lasted almost 29 years.

6. What would you most like to be remembered for? Why?

I would like to be remembered for the integrity I showed in all my work, particularly whilst often being surrounded by a sea of corrupt and dishonest professionals and politicians whose lack of commitment, I think, hurt poor people so much. I would also like to be remembered for my commitment to caring for those who suffer violations of their rights.

7. What do you think the biggest challenge facing this generation of young women is? What would you change immediately to improve the world if you could? What do you most wish for younger women finding their way in the world today?

I think the biggest challenge that faces young women all over the world is that they're now highly educated and qualified but there are very few job opportunities. Jobs must be created for this huge pool of highly qualified women. I feel very anxious for young women as previously you could get a fairly good job once you complete high school and then choose to study part time. Today the goalposts have moved - in my old office for instance you have to be registered for your Masters just to be accepted as an unpaid intern.

Like most thriving entrepreneurs, Meli’s journey to success has been filled with twists and turns. After bouncing between jobs following college and facing what she terms a “quarter-life crisis” in the early 2000s, Meli sought the assistance of a life coach and took time out to do a deep analysis on what she was passionate about. Meli reflects that as part of this analysis, she wrote a list of life objectives on a wall, and it included: “interested in wine”, “technology”, and “be my own boss”. Looking for a way to connect these objectives, Meli went about creating her own wine-rating app.

With smartphones and mobile apps just coming onto the market, the opportunity was ripe for Meli’s idea. Meli did her research and noticed that people were “super uneducated” regarding picking wine, either at a grocery store or a restaurant - “Young people in their 20s and 30s without means for fancy, expensive wines would usually just pick ones with cute labels.” Meli decided to help people select good wines through co-founding a mobile app – Nirvino.

As one of the first 30 wine apps, Meli set the cheapest download price in a hope to attract customers. This failed when she discovered that it wasn’t a low price point that attracted customers  - “wine and wine apps are like jewellery - people place more trust in more expensive products.” Meli went on to double the price which led to the number of downloads quadrupling. Six months from launching, Nirvino became the top wine app and it stayed that way for three years.

Nirvino helped Meli find her niche and she went on to help develop more companies, building entrepreneurial skills as she went. After 11 years in Silicon Valley, Meli started to think about coming home after recognising an increased presence of entrepreneurs and start-ups in Hawaii - “I thought maybe I should do something to help the local startup ecosystem in Hawaii but I didn’t know how to start so I basically created my own job, again.”

After working as a Program Manager for Hawaii-based accelerator Blue Startups, Meli moved to become Head of New Ventures at Sultan Ventures - a Hawaii-based venture capital firm. In this role, Meli provides pivotal resources via a powerful network of experts and investors, and works in close collaboration with innovative startups, providing hands-on expertise and access to capital to accelerate growth - “I didn’t anticipate how much I would love this work, but as an entrepreneur myself, it is exciting to be able to take on an investor perspective and help local businesses grow.” Further, Meli currently serves as the President for the Hawaii Venture Capital Association (networking community for local entrepreneurs) and Program Director of XLR8UH (educates, mentors, and invests in the University of Hawaii’s world-class research and talent).

The venture capital community is growing in Hawaii and Meli is excited to see the amount of women leading and engaging in this area. Typically a male dominated field, Meli wants to focus on women gaining equal access to venture capital in Hawaii. Meli’s recent achievements put her in good stride to shape and influence such change - In 2015, Hawaii Business Magazine named Meli as one of its 20 to Watch for the Next 20, and Entrepreneur Magazine named her one of its 5 Women to Watch in 2016.

Service has been a driving force in Tippi’s life. Recently returned to Hawaii after serving 20 years in the US Military, Tippi is the Founder and Executive Director of local nonprofit Thrive Global. Thrive’s mission is to “provide youth with well-rounded programs that create active global citizens, and create sustained communities that...well, - THRIVE!”.

A near-death experience while on active duty saw Tippi temporarily paralyzed from the neck down. Tippi fought daily to regain her ability to walk (hence the nickname ‘Tippi’). She considered continuing her military career but decided to retire and return home to Hawaii - “Deep in my soul, I knew God has brought about such a cataclysmic event which would shift my direction from military to civilian. I sensed it was time to shift, so out of obedience, I did.”

A self-described “latchkey kid”, Tippi struggled during her upbringing in Hawaii - “I grew up with very little rules or guidance. I took on the responsibility of caring for my younger sister and we found ourselves homeless on two occasions. I was a ‘C’ student  and dealing with all that, I was never really motivated to fully apply myself.”  From her own experience as an at-risk youth, Tippi recognizes the importance of having positive role models during your formative years - “When I reflected on my youth I found that very few adults in my life stood out as suitable role models. I decided to create opportunities for local youth that I missed out on...What I’ve learned is that when someone takes an interest in you it can really help replace those negative thoughts you have about yourself...if role models take an interest in these youth then youth will in turn take an interest in themselves and their community.” Tippi’s service passion is channeled into Thrive Global’s core programs with community service being the vehicle to teach, mentor and inspire Hawaii’s disadvantaged youth.

In 2012, Brianne West founded Ethique – a beauty products company that locally produces solid beauty bars in Christchurch, New Zealand for the international market. As a biochemist in her second year at the University of Canterbury, Brianne became horrified by the water and plastic bottle waste of traditional beauty products – in New Zealand alone, 50 million shampoo and conditioner bottles are destined for the trash every year. Driven by her passion for science and sustainability, Brianne saw beauty products as an area where “small change and doing things differently can have a significant and really positive impact.” 

Ethique’s concentrated and compact solid beauty bars remove the water typically found in traditional beauty products and are packaged and shipped in compostable paper and cardboard. Since its inception four years ago, Ethique has saved the planet from 100,000 bottles or the equivalent of over one tonne of plastic. Brianne’s desire is simple – “to make the most sustainable cosmetics company in the world.”

Despite Brianne’s youth, she is not a newcomer to the business world having founded, run and sold two successful companies in her early twenties. It is clear that Brianne’s learnings from these experiences have shaped Ethique’s success today. Brianne emphasizes the importance of believing in yourself and your judgement – "stand on your own two feet and do what you think.” Mindset is also important to Brianne and in the face of adversity she views things as “challenges not problems.”

Brianne sees Christchurch, Ethique’s head-office and her hometown, as a hub for entrepreneurship in New Zealand. Following the earthquakes of 2010-2011, a number of incubators were established to help entrepreneurs seize the opportunities of a post-earthquake environment. However, as Ethique has grown, Brianne has struggled with there being “no one helping start-ups stay up.”

Brianne’s quest to develop skills at the mid-tier company level brought her to apply to East-West Center’s Changing Faces Women’s Leadership Seminar (Changing Faces). Since its inception in 2002, Changing Faces has provided intensive entrepreneurial and leadership training for over 150 outstanding women leaders from the Asia-Pacific and United States. For Brianne, Changing Faces massively increased her confidence. She took comfort in the revelation that there are some problems that all women entrepreneurs face no matter the industry or location and enjoyed both giving and receiving advice on these issues.

The network that Brianne built at EWC has had a profound impact on her, both personally and professionally. Amanda Ellis, an EWC Special Advisor, facilitated the publication of an article on Brianne in Forbes, which was subsequently picked up by Huffington Post. Following this, Brianne was featured on The Paul Henry Show – a popular New Zealand breakfast television show. The escalating media attention has seen celebrities Britney Spears and Ashton Kutcher endorse Ethique’s products via Twitter @ethiquenz. This resulted in a 500% increase in sales and necessitated the hiring of three new staff. Further, Ethique’s products were featured in the gift bags of the recent East-West Sustainability Summit. The Summit gathered influential international participants to discuss the role of philanthropy in sustainability - a senior leader of a multinational consumer goods company sent the samples onto their product team asking them “why haven’t we invented something this good?.” This recent success puts Brianne in good stride to achieve Ethique’s goal to save one million bottles by 2020.

Despite Brianne’s competency and achievements, she confided her concern moving forward that the company will“outgrow” her. Brianne highly values the support she receives from her mentors, friends and family as she navigates concerns like these. Brianne offers some pragmatic advice to young women interested in entrepreneurship – “you will never have it perfect but don’t do anything to prevent you going back without thought and planning."