Video conferencing is a secret equalizer for women
As a co-founder and CEO of an essential service operating during the pandemic, I’ve been working remotely for more than a month. As an extrovert, I have to admit I’ve felt cooped up and was initially wary of the online-only workspace. As a woman, though, I’ve ultimately come to notice that working remotely provides unexpected benefits that in-person meetings don’t.
Like everyone else, I’m stuck at home. In my case I’m sharing limited space with my husband and young kids. Needless to say, it’s a chaotic scene in our house every day. And to top it off, my company is at an important juncture: we’re headed into fundraising. When I learned we’d be fundraising digitally, my instinct was that raising money remotely could only be more challenging. After all, the process requires personableness, engagement, and an established rapport. Every investor I asked shared that they’d never done a deal entirely remotely before.
But I’ve realized that video conferencing actually comes with some pleasant side effects. For instance, we no longer have to account for the travel time to and from offices, or rack up expenses for gas, rideshares, or lunches. Even more powerful is the effect that video conferencing has on a typically thorny feature of the modern business meeting: gender roles.
Read the rest of this story on qz.com. Become a member to get unlimited access to Quartz’s journalism.