International Women’s Day at Plank

On this 22nd International Women’s Day, we are honouring the contribution women have made to everything we are at Plank. 

In the past year, we have promoted women in tech leadership, skills for women in tech, as well as mentorship and job skills advice. We are working with NPower Canada, a number of local code bootcamps, as well as DestaByn, with a focus on assisting, hiring and promoting women in the web development industry. Plank continues to strive towards equality, representation, education, and partnership to further this cause.

Our Diversity & Inclusion Program was led by Kayla Keizer, a senior project manager at Plank. Her leadership allowed us to develop a program that empowers Black youth in our community. We have currently held two successful mentorship programs to guide mentees in their tech careers.

This year’s global theme is “gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” 

“The theme for this year’s International  Women’s Day is “gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, underscoring the fact that women bear a disproportionate burden of the impacts of the climate crisis, and that they need to be central to the solutions for a sustainable planet.”

In keeping with the theme, this year Plank applied for B-Corp certification. The effort was led by Paisley Nyberg from our team. The process asked us a lot of tough questions, and Paisley led the charge to help us face these issues and come up with proof of our current policies, as well as engage us in creating real solutions where we fell short. We’re proud to say that we now have a roadmap for our future, and women in tech play a role in every part.

The advancement of gender equality is a core Sustainable Development Goal at the heart of our company. 

We are taking this opportunity to share our appreciation for the Women of Plank, so we asked our team for some input on what makes each member special and an important part of our team.

Women of Plank:

• Steph — The driving force behind everything to do with marketing, and has over the past two years set the tone and direction for all communications
• Annika — An empathetic and people focused senior project manager who cares about the team, our work and our partners deeply
• Christina — Is appreciated for her ongoing support to the team, always jumping in to help wherever & whenever a problem needs to be solved
• Kayla — Is a steadfast project manager who is a cultural leader at Plank defining clear team goals and driving forward our diversity & inclusion mentorship program
• Jenn — 16+ years of commitment to Plank & her impeccable leadership of the design team 
• Megan — An Incredible frontend development leader who is always empowering her team through personal & professional development
• Maëlle — The newest addition to our design team has shown a dedication to her work and is constantly challenging us with new tools and fresh approaches to our work
• Paisley — Has had a major impact on our clients and projects, by working hard to define the scope of our projects and communicating clearly why someone should work with us
• Véro — Has grown into a strong and determined voice for design and accessibility, always finding the balance between design innovation and ethical development principles
• Lisa — Keep the financial health of our company on track, on a daily basis by driving the company goals forward and always keeping them in line