#InspiringInclusion with the Women of ImageX - Happy International Women’s Day!

Authored by: Amanda Lee 

Happy International Women’s Day! This year’s IWD’s theme is #InspireInclusion and to do just that, we sat down with some of our team members to discuss their insights. 

We hope that by sharing our experiences personally, we can inspire our communities to reflect on ways to create a more inclusive world for women.  As we grow our team, we continue to find ways to challenge gender stereotypes and call out bias in the traditionally male-dominated industry of tech. 

Keep reading to hear the perspectives of Adrienne, Celeste, Christine, and Monika.

Get to know our team

	Adrienne, Senior Project Manager: Adrienne has extensive experience working with local, national, and international clients, she has a track record launching digital projects in agency and in-house environments. She believes in building strong, collaborative relationships with clients and is passionate about producing successful high-impact products.
	Celeste, VP, Human Resources: Celeste is a Human Resources Management Professional with a proven track record in promoting an engaged workforce. Her background includes high-volume recruitment, infrastructure development & policy implementation, and she is extremely skilled in managing employee relations.
	Christine, PMO Manager & Senior Project Manager: Christine is a seasoned project manager with over 20 years of agency experience. She is committed to strategic insights, creative ideas, human storytelling, data-driven results, optimized digital solutions, operations, mentorship, empathy, and community investment.
	Monika, Service Account Manager:  Monika brings a wealth of cultural experiences and a global perspective to her role as a Service Account Manager. This diverse background has equipped her with a well-rounded skill set and a comprehensive understanding of different business environments.

What inclusion means to the Women of ImageX

At ImageX, we believe that diversity and inclusion are not only essential but fundamental values to our workplace culture. Our team members have shared their own definitions of what inclusion means to them, highlighting the importance of creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all.

Here's what they had to say:

“Inclusion means to me, where you’re in an environment where every person is included, regardless of any difference that they may have. It also means that their ideas and thoughts are being heard; not just heard, but being acted on… at the end of the day making people feel equal.”

- Christine

“I love having those different perspectives and the different opportunities to see things in a way that we’ve never seen before."

- Celeste

“For me, inclusion means that my voice is being heard… not just heard but actioned on. That I feel like I belong and I’m not dismissed.”

- Adrienne

How can we inspire inclusion through leadership?

The ImageX team is always looking for steps that we can take to improve upon the ways that we can create a more inclusive environment for women and empower female leaders to drive change.

Our team is dedicated to ensuring equal opportunities for career advancement and leadership roles within our organization. We asked which qualities our colleagues would like to see in a leader to inspire inclusion:

“Kylie, my manager, is doing a great job so far. She is everything in a leader that I want. She is open, honest, and asks us to do the same and is caring, knowledgeable, informative, and transparent."

- Monika 

“A true leader means that you’re empowering your team, allowing them to shine and be able to put their mark on something. A leader is there with us, they’re in the weeds with us at times. But they’re also there to give us breathing room by empowering us to do our jobs the most effective way that we can.”

- Christine

“I know that they have my best interest at heart. They’re willing to look not just at the numbers, but who I am as a person, what my professional goals are, my own dreams and goals, and help support that.”

- Adrienne

Challenging the status quo

We asked our team members what role male allies can play in promoting gender inclusion and equity as well as their thoughts on challenging traditional gender norms and stereotypes in our workplace culture:

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Chris, especially in the beginning when you’re onboarding, there’s a lot of questions that you have and he’s made it a safe space to voice my questions and concerns.”

- Adrienne

“I think that for men, to incorporate more inclusion in the workplace, I think it’s trying to put yourself in women’s shoes. Being more empathetic with some of the hurdles that we have to undergo daily, as well as taking us seriously. Women have always had to fight to get onto the pedestal with them. For men, I think the number one thing they can do is to honour differences.”

- Christine

Empowering young women entering the workforce

It can be challenging to start a path in a new professional field, especially as a woman. This week we also celebrate Teen Tech Week to support the growth of young minds in the tech industry. Our team reminisces on the journeys throughout their careers and through personal experience, share their advice on empowering women and young people entering the workforce:

“Don’t feel that you aren’t good enough… Try not to feel that you don’t belong, you do belong. It might take some time. Like myself, I had times when I felt like I wasn’t good enough or I thought I could never be good enough. But as time went on, I learned more. I became more experienced and thought  ‘How did I ever think that way?” Don’t doubt yourself, believe in yourself.”

- Monika

“There’s nothing wrong with taking the leap and asking silly questions, taking risks, putting yourself out there, and being vulnerable."

- Celeste 

How will you #InspireInclusion?

“Agency life is not an easy life, I’ll be honest. There’s a lot of work and hours that you put into your job. But when I came here, there was something different about ImageX… You truly feel valued when you’re heard, your ideas are being welcomed and I felt that since day one here."

- Christine

Happy International Women's Day! We hope you were able to resonate with our stories and would love to hear how you plan on celebrating IWD. Connect with us on social media to let us know how you #InspireInclusion in your community or workplace.