Who run the world? GIRLS!
It’s Women's History Month and SoFi knows that by targeting constructs head on, we can create a better and thriving workplace for all women. We are in a very exciting time in history where the world not only expects diversity, but embraces its presence and recognizes its absence. Together, we can drive change! We had the opportunity to chat with Cameron McKnight, who has recently joined SoFi as the new VP of Product.
SoFi has Employee Resource groups, called Circles internally. One of our Circles, Women@SoFi fosters greater empathy, connection, and engagement across SoFi, while giving allies the opportunity to be involved and understand the things that are uniquely important to women in the workplace. As a new member of Women@SoFi (and SoFiPride) we were excited to catch up with Cameron and discuss the theme of Women’s History Month, embracing equality, as well as our Value of the Month “Do the Right Thing, if you're not sure, do the harder thing”.
What drew you to SoFi?
The opportunity ahead of us, the people, the mission, and the solid business foundation! I was very intentional with this job search and spoke with over 200 companies. SoFi had the right mix of exactly what I was looking for. I'm thrilled to be here.
How do you empower yourself and the women around you?
Mentors and advocates are critically important to people's career success. I've been fortunate enough to have a strong set of mentors who've helped me grow and given me concrete opportunities throughout my career. While I can't mentor everyone 1:1, I always try to help point people in a useful direction or to a great mentor for them. Mentorship doesn't need to be siloed across gender lines. I'd highly encourage people to think about ways they can mentor, especially how they can mentor people in an underrepresented group. *Check out this post about our incredible SoFi Grow program!
Describe the ways you see SoFi championing Gender Equality.
What you measure, you can improve. I've been heartened to see SoFi measuring many critical aspects of DEI (e.g; top of funnel hiring/executive hiring). The tech sector has a long way to go to getting to true gender equality, but continuing to invest and measure our progress here will pay dividends.
At SoFi, we recognize one of our 11 core values each month. March is “Do the right thing” Can you share with us how this value resonates with you?
There is one part of "Do The Right Thing" that I want to call attention to: admitting mistakes. This is often a challenge but I deeply believe that better products get built in cultures where productive failure is celebrated. Tactically, I do this by making sure there are safe spaces where people can say what went wrong and how they learned from it. For example, we just added a section in our EPD weekly product review called "Great failures we learned from." Every week people can shed light on something that didn’t go as planned and how we can collectively work to do better in the future.
Which famous actor would you choose to play you in the movie of your life?
Depending on which stage of my life is being portrayed I would say, Emma Watson or Meryl Streep. I don’t follow actors much, so I’m not up to date on things, but I’ve been previously impressed with their work on Women’s Rights and other social issues. Also, Emma Watson is a book worm, like me!
What 3 words would your best friend use to describe you?
I asked my best friend! Her response: Curious, Solutions-Oriented, & Optimistic.
We have semi-annual DEI conversations with every leader at SoFi where we discuss their progress to improving representation within their organization! Our company leaders at SoFi play an integral role in forging the path toward change, but it’s also up to each and every one of us to get involved— and there is no action too small to get started. Embracing Equity is the right thing to do. Don’t just say it: Think it. Be it. Truly Embrace it!
Thank you, Cameron for sharing your passion and purpose with us! We’re so excited to have you at SoFi.
Here’s to the women raising their voices and embracing equity. 🎉
The individual featured is a SoFi employee. Their personal experiences, obviously, do not take into account your own specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. Results will vary.