Gwen Young - CEO, Women Business Collaborative

In today's episode, we are interviewing Gwen Young, the CEO of Women Business Collaborative (WBC).  Ms. Young is also a Visiting Scholar at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University.  She has had an amazing career, formerly serving as the Director of the Global Women's Leadership Initiative at the Wilson Center.  Prior to that she worked at some amazing international organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Medecins Sans Frontieres, the International Rescue Committee, and the Harvard Institute for International Development.  She is our first CEO guest and we were very excited to learn about her work at WBC and about her career. Please take a few minutes to listen to this episode, her stories and her words of wisdom make this a can't miss episode!

Show Notes & Links Of Interest

  • Introduction [00:11]

  • Interview Begins [01:44]

  • Question: Can she introduce herself to our audience? [03:38]

  • Question: What is the mission of Women Business Collaborative? [04:05]

  • Question: What was her life like growing up and how has that influenced her career and where she is today? [05:43]

  • Question: Did she ever envision other career paths or fields? [07:04]

  • Question: What were some of the hardest things she had to overcome during her career? [08:48]

  • Question: Did she ever contemplate giving up on her career goals? [10:39]

  • Question: How has she dealt with fighting self doubt during her career? [12:45]

  • Question: Has she had to deal with imposters syndrome? [14:40]

  • Question: Over the course of her career is there a particular award or accomplishment she is most proud of? [16:28]

  • Question: Who were her mentors and role models and how did she find them? [19:42]

  • Question: What advice would she give to young girls as they pursue their dreams? [21:40]

  • Question: What are her thoughts on the phrase “Empowered women empower women” and how does she empower women she interacts with? [24:28]

  • Question: What obstacles does she feel are holding women back? [26:14]

  • Question: Does she feel that things are getting better for women in the work world? [28:48]

  • Question: What one quality or trait does she feel young girls should embrace when pursuing their dreams? [31:53]

  • Iron Butterfly Podcast [36:19]

  • Question: When she was named NCAA athlete of the year, what sport did she participate in? [37:26]

  • Wrap up [38:48]

GweN Young’S BIO

Gwen K. Young is the CEO of Women Business Collaborative(WBC). She is also a Visiting Scholar at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University, and former Director of the Global Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Wilson Center.  She is an Advisor to Concordia.

Ms. Young has worked across the globe to promote economic development, good governance, and peace. She has developed strategy, programming, and advocacy in the areas of humanitarian policy, international affairs, and international development. This includes developing public-private partnerships focused on public health, agriculture, gender equality, and access to finance. Further, Ms. Young has advocated for and published international criminal law and designed SGBV guidelines. As an attorney, Ms. Young has worked as a professional advocate for women and human rights in corporate law settings with the ICTY and the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego.

Her career has encompassed a comprehensive array of international organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Medecins Sans Frontieres, the International Rescue Committee, and the Harvard Institute for International Development.   

An alumna of Smith College, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and the University of California Davis School of Law, Ms. Young has pursued a career of international public service focused on humanitarian relief, international development, and human rights, starting with gender equality and equity. 

Hosts