We had the good fortune of connecting with Jane Finette and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jane, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
Last fall I stepped down as Executive Director of The Women’s Impact Alliance. I had held the position since I founded the organization a decade before. It was absolutely the right thing to do both for the next stage of growth and for me personally. I am a founder at my core, and it was time to move on. Letting go of this organization in particular though really tore into my heart. After graduating almost 2,000 young women leaders in social change from 90+ countries through our program, with a huge runway ahead of us, it was hard to acknowledge the team needed a new leader. I’d taken it as far as I could. It’s a new growth challenge for me in handing over the reins to a new leader. I’ve since joined the Board of Directors and this too is a challenging role where I am keeper of the vision, but also have strong opinions to keep in check in order to be useful!
What should our readers know about your business?
My career has been eclectic! I started out in fine art at Sotheby’s the Fine Art Auction House in London, and pivoted during the first dot com boom in 2001 to consumer technology where I brought eBay and Mozilla to Europe, and then moved to Silicon Valley in 2009. I’ve now been a founder five times. My organizations have always been about creating access and increasing participation. Whether that was in developing young artists and helping people buy affordable art or giving young women leaders in social change the opportunity to develop their leadership and increase their impact in the world. Every time my values of supporting groups who were not being seen and developed has driven my desire to create change.
For the last ten years, The Women’s Impact Alliance (WIA) (https://thewia.org/) has been the place for women in social and environmental change to advance their leadership and impact in the world. What most people don’t realize is that 10% of the American workforce is employed in socially impactful work whether in education, healthcare or directly in non-profits. Most of these employees are women, in fact 70% of impact workers are women. When I first started WIA back in 2014 I was keen to support the young women leaders I had been coaching and supporting, without realizing myself how many women are actually creating social change. I still completely believe that the world’s most critical challenges won’t be solved unless we empower all women. I write about this more in my 2021 book, How Empowered Women, Empower Women. It has been the work of my life to create an organization which continues to expand geographically and scale deeply in further advancing women’s leadership and social change.
When I look back, much of my success I can attribute to always saying yes! Yes to a meeting, yes to a new introduction, yes to a new potential opportunity. I have always been curious and saying no never really factored into my vocabulary! What I am trying to say here is that staying open is crucial. The moment you think you know everything or you don’t need any help is the moment you stop learning, and eventually stop succeeding.
Furthermore, there is a mantra I have always held which is, how do we all succeed? How can I do well, and the business do well, and everyone else involved too. When you take into consideration all people involved then you think about the ecosystem. That means you nurture relationships that are built to last, you think long term strategically, and you care deeply about the people who work for you. At eBay back in the day we called this a “triple win” where the buyer, the seller, and eBay could do well. When you consider the success of everyone, then the business of business fundamentally changes. That’s been a core part of how I build companies and have found success.
I am definitely a roll up my sleeves and work in the here and now kind of person. I love the uncertainty of bringing something to life, moulding and shaping it into existence, and making it grow. Of course I hope the impact I have made continues onward, but I’m typically not thinking about personal legacy when I build and create. My new project “Common Ground” (https://janefinette.substack.com) is working to revive civil discourse, one grassroots conversation at a time. We have lost our way to collaboratively discuss and debate, and therefore create a powerful and positive vision of the future, for everyone. It has taken generations to get to this point and it will likely take many more to get us to a new place where our governments and institutions are once again trusted and respected. Today, I am spending my time thinking about long term solutions, and how to solve our really big issues in America. That’s not necessarily legacy, but impact which I know we have to start today which will likely succeed long after I’m gone.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Boulder, Colorado is a special place to live. The breathtaking mountains, big sky, cute downtown. It’s a place where you have to be outdoors winter or summer.
Usually we take visitors on a hike to the famous Flatirons just a short distance from the centre of town, and afterward grab a snack at the historic Chautauqua Dining Hall. Hiking to Royal Arch, or taking the Mount Sanitas trail are also all close by with spectacular views.
Breakfast at Snooze on Pearl Street will set us up for the day, and afterward an exceptional coffee to go from Boxcar. A walk at the farmers market on the weekend makes for a wonderful morning.
Boulder is perfectly situated. Our ski area Eldora is only a 45 minute drive away, and to the north the entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park is less than an hour’s drive.
My husband likes to rock climb in Boulder Canyon, and Eldorado Canyon. It’s such a great day out to watch the climbers making insane moves whilst you picnic by the water! And my horses are my life next to my work. Spending time at the ranch is the best tonic for the body, heart and mind.
Our favorite places to takes friends to dinner range from the farm to table resturants such as The Kitchen downtown, and Farow in the little village of Niwot. And for special occasions we have afternoon tea at The Dushanbe Teahouse.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The work I have been able to accomplish at The Women’s Impact Alliance would simply have not been possible without the support of hundreds of volunteers. It is always extraordinary to me how much people are willing to share and give their time and energy. Some now for almost ten years of service. As my organization grew, I know with all my heart that without their efforts we could never have served hundreds of young women leaders.
There are too many names to mention, but they are the ones who have humbled me time and again what it means to serve.
Website: https://janefinette.substack.com and https://thewia.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janefinette/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janefinette/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janefinette
Image Credits
Jeff Nelson www.jeffnelsonphoto.com