Advancing Womxn of Color at Work with Aparna Rae and Sage Quiamno of Future for Us
At Heroana, our vision is that women entrepreneurs gain equality with their male counterparts in the success of their business, no matter what background they come from.
Future For Us takes this vision one step further. Started at the beginning of 2019, founders Aparna Rae and Sage Quaimno decided to form a catalyst for women of color.
They embarked on this journey with a clear vision in mind: a future of work where Womxn of Color lead at the highest levels of corporate, government, and social sector organizations.
These women have dedicated themselves and their team to providing the community, culture, and career support women of color need to catapult to where they should be: leading our society, government, and workforce forward.
The ecosystem needs to start giving WoC and women-owned businesses the same grace it offers male founders with ‘a great idea’.
Aparna Rae, Future For Us
We've had the honor of sitting down with Aparna, one of the co-founders, to learn more about their journey starting such an incredible platform. So, without further ado...
Read their inspiring journey in the full interview below:
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Aparna Rae, Future For Us (Credit)
Ashley Hoffman (AH): Who is Future For Us?
Aparna Rae (AR): Future for Us is a platform dedicated to advancing women of color at work.
We exist to highlight the barriers and challenges women of color face at work, ensure that the needs of women of color are part of the Future of Work conversation, and advance solutions for greater equity and inclusion at work.
AH: What brought you to launching this incredible platform?
A Future For Us event (Credit)
AR: New ventures are often born when the ecosystem is missing something. For us, there were three foundational drivers -
The needs of women of color are different than their white peers, and so the solutions have to match the needs. The work of many organizations uplifting women at work are driving solutions for the status quo, and are not focused specifically on the experiences of WoC.
We believe the work of charting a path to the C-Suite, is a collective responsibility. From Day 1, we knew it was important to include allies and champions in this work - a strategy missing from the work of many women’s organizations.
Need to push beyond salary and pay equity, to equitable access. WoC are 20% of the population and hold 50% of the lowest paid work. That has to change as we become a larger percentage of the overall population.
AH: What has it been like building the funds and connections required for a venture like this?
AR: It’s hard work. Every founder can attest to the challenges of raising funds and building a deep network at the start of the journey.
Sage Quiamno, Future For Us (Credit)
AH: What has been one of your biggest struggles so far?
AR: We are building while flying. My co-founder, Sage Quiamno and I, took a leap of faith in January when we launched Future for Us.
We typically spend our days working on people and programs, and burn the midnight oil responding to emails, managing administrative tasks, and honing in on our future direction.
AH: What needs to be done for female entrepreneurs to reach equality? What about people of color in general?
Neiha Arora, Founder of Creative Ninja (Credit)
AR: One of the statistics in the McKinsey report that stood out to me last year was the one about women of color’s experience and judgments being called into question. A 100 days into launching this platform, I can firmly attest to being a part of this statistic.
While so many businesses are funded based on a one-pager, as two WoC founders, we constantly face a barrage of questions about our business plan, exit strategy, KPIs and more.
The ecosystem needs to start giving WoC and women-owned businesses the same grace it offers male founders with ‘a great idea’. Let’s keep the bar and expectations consistent across race and gender lines.
AH: What's your vision for Future For Us and where do you see it in 5 years? How do you plan on getting there?
AR: We see ourselves leading a national conversation about the needs and experiences of WoC at work, and ensuring that WoC play an important role in the Future of Work.
How do we get there? There are many potential paths forward for Future for Us, and at the core is changes to corporate policy regarding WoC, disaggregating data to understand needs and barriers across the group, and normalizing the appearance and experiences of WoC.
A Future For Us event (Credit)
AH: What is your biggest learning point so far?
AR: Anything that’s worth building needs 110% of your commitment, and can’t be built in a 9-5 workday. Nights and weekends are part of the game, so build a system of support that allows you to focus on the work.
AH: What's your #1 piece of advice for fellow female entrepreneurs?
AR: There is no substitute for sleep and self care, so figure out how to build strong routines early on.
AH: Describe a time when you felt the most like a Heroana.
Sage and Aparna, Future For Us
AR: Every single day!
I feel like a badass depositing checks, closing an ask, speaking at an event, creating the 15th version of our pitch deck. It’s in the big and little things.
Learn more about Future For Us at their website here.
And join them for a full one-day conference on April 27th for a day of power-packed panels, fireside chats, and workshops, that will equip you in your career to ascend to leadership. Learn more & buy your ticket here.