Empowering Impact & Influence: Celebrating Women’s History Month

Every March, we take time to honor and celebrate Women’s History Month at Instacart. This year’s celebrations, led by our Women@ Instacart Employee Resource Group (ERG), focused on the theme of Empowering Impact and Influence, serving as a reminder of the power we each hold to create change both within our community and beyond. 

From insightful workshops to powerful conversations and community-building events, Women@ developed a full month of programming focused on bringing ERG members together while igniting impact and amplifying the voices of the community. As shared by Women@ Co-Lead Nicole Altman, “Everyone has the potential to make a positive impact in their own sphere and beyond. We designed this month’s programming to reinforce this in a way that helps propel both individuals and the company forward.” 

As part of the programming, Women@ launched a new learning club through MasterClass at Work, Instacart’s new streaming learning platform led by our People Development team. This book club-style discussion workshop is designed to provide a platform for community members to share insights and learn from each other to help put theory into practice. In line with this year’s Women’s History Month programming theme, the first discussion focused on James Clear’s MasterClass on “Small Habits That Make a Big Impact on Your Life.” Following the MasterClass course, community members discussed takeaways from the session and shared their own stories of the power of small changes.

“A habit I started when I was 19 years old is to edify 3 people every single day – sincerely, wholeheartedly, joyfully. It can take the form of paying a compliment, saying “thank you”, or letting someone know I appreciate their effort, or it can be as simple as holding a door for someone or helping them pick up papers they dropped. What it has done for me, tangibly, is introduce me to new friends, help me develop empathy and compassion, and open possibilities for work or creative endeavors, as examples. Intangibly… I hope it’s sent thousands of sparkly little ripples off into the sea of humanity, to encourage others and to let them know they matter.”

Amy F., Talent Management

“My favorite small habit for my health is to always have water nearby. When I start my work day, I make sure I have my coffee and water with my meals, and when I go to bed. I drink so much water now, and it’s something I don’t even think about. If you’re having trouble getting enough water, I find it helps to have an obscene amount of cute water bottles to inspire me to keep one nearby at all times.”

Mia W., Senior Compensation Program Manager

“Power of Small Changes! I make sure I spend at least 15 minutes to an hour outside walking, especially when it is sunny and bright. It helps me work off stress and clear my mind. Now my kids join me because they think I am having too much fun alone.”

Camilla P., Customer Experience Senior QA Specialist

Women@ also invited renowned negotiation trainer Alex Carter for a powerful keynote on Becoming Your Own Self-Advocate. In this interactive session, Carter shared tactics and strategies on how to communicate powerfully, negotiate masterfully, and advocate for yourself in any context. Later in the month, Women@ hosted a panel discussion with Instacart’s Michelle McRae and Priya Monga on their experience pioneering 0-to-1 projects in their roles. This session highlighted their achievements, unique experiences, and inspired more women at Instacart to embrace uncertainty and spearhead innovative changes. Rounding out our fireside chats, our Chief Human Resources Officer, Christina Hall, sat down with Maria Colacurcio, CEO of Syndio Solutions, for a conversation on pay equity and transparency, digging into the importance of equal pay, strategies for achieving it, and the role of transparency in promoting fairness. 

To close out the month, award-winning author and journalist Mattie Kahn discussed her book, The Young and Restless: The Girls Who Sparked America’s Revolutions. In partnership with Instacart’s Advocates@ ERG, this session explored how girls and young women have been at the forefront of societal changes, empowering attendees to be more impactful in their circles, both big and small. 

“As we wrap Women’s History Month, we hope that community members will walk away with new insights and skill sets to drive impact,” says Lily Zhang, Co-Lead of Women@. “It’s important that the conversations we’re having extend beyond the month of March, and we’re excited for more to come in the year ahead for the Women@ community.” 

If you’d like to learn more about Women@ and our communities at Instacart, head over to our Diversity, Equity, & Belonging page. 

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