In a city renowned for its dynamic sports and entertainment industry, the Atlanta Hawks have taken a bold step towards fostering gender equity and empowering women in the workplace with the launch of the She LEADS program. This innovative initiative, now in its inaugural year, has been a beacon of support and growth for early-career women across Atlanta.
Inspired by the glaring gender disparities observed in corporate America, the She LEADS program was born out of a collective desire to be part of the solution. “When you think about the business world, women are not at levels where men tend to be,” said Camye Mackey, EVP and Chief People And Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at the Atlanta Hawks. “We wanted to focus on early-career women who are still excited about their careers, open to learning, developing, changing, and just really needed that wrap-around support system.”
Partnering with community leaders and experienced mid to senior level career women, the She LEADS program embarked on a mission to provide tailored support and development opportunities to over 50 early-career women in Atlanta. Each participant was paired with a mentor who aligned with their desired career pathway, ensuring personalized guidance and support throughout their journey.
Although this was the program’s first year, the impact has already been profound. “The direct impact is these women are ready,” said Mackey. “They have found the brilliance within themselves and are ready to go out and speak up, let their voices be heard.”
The She LEADS graduation event, which took place prior to the Hawks game at State Farm Arena, was a culmination of empowerment and celebration. The graduation featured individual headshots, a “What Now” workshop, a thought-provoking panel discussion titled “Navigating the Path to Leadership: Wisdom and Tactics from Trailblazing Women” and a keynote address from Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities President and CEO, Tracey Atwater.
“Keep pursuing opportunities like this and keep finding things to help you grow,” Atwater said. “Tomorrow is never promised so take care of yourselves – if you’re not taking care of yourself you can’t take care of others.”
Reflecting on the journey of the inaugural class, Mackey expresses pride in the organic growth witnessed among the participants. “With all of the programming and everything we’ve done, seeing them network, fellowship, laugh, cry with each other, and just build that camaraderie – it’s been truly inspiring.”
The powerhouse partnership between BMW and She Leads further underscores the commitment to empowering women in the workplace. “The Atlanta Area BMW Centers is super honored to sponsor the She Leads program for the first year,” said Stephanie Frink, General Manager at BMW Gwinnett Place. “To see all of these women have mentors that they can lean on and create friendships with – it’s incredibly impactful for anybody to have a mentor in their career.”
As the inaugural class of She LEADS graduates, Mackey has a few words of encouragement for early-career women interested in participating in future iterations of the program . “With our program, it is a program where you have to be nominated. There’s so many women out there, it could be you,” said Mackey. “Keep doing what you’re doing each and every day. Show up. Work with excellence. And they will see and observe what you’re doing, and they’re going to put your name forward to be a part of our program.”