Empowering, Inspiring And Supporting Women At Rocket Companies®

It all started with one team member speaking up and asking, “How about a day dedicated to the women across Rocket Companies^®?”

Our Diversity and Inclusion team listened – in March of 2018, the first-ever, company-wide Women’s Conference was held. The day was packed with insightful speakers, leaders and panelists from all walks of life and with one goal in mind: empowering our team members.

Thousands of team members attended in person at the TCF Center (formally Cobo) in Detroit, and thousands more tuned into the livestream. In the words of Chief Diversity Officer Trina Scott, “This event is changing the game. We need to be engaged as women and feel a sense of trust in order to contribute fully … we are here to learn, inspire and empower each other.” 

The event was a roaring success and led to the conference expansion from 1 day in Detroit with streaming to multiple conferences and discussion sessions throughout 2019. The Women’s Conference hit the road with full-day events in our communities of Charlotte, Phoenix and Cleveland. Between July and November of 2019, there were eight sessions in total held in Detroit that focused on a myriad of topics and brought in a number of inspiring keynote speakers. The Diversity and Inclusion team refocused the scope for 2019 and launched “Women’s Conference for All – The Series.” Check out some of the topics that were offered last year:

What is EQ (emotional intelligence) and how can understanding it guide your relationships, career path and your life? EQ leads to understanding communication styles and building trust and effective relationships in the workplace. Team members were able to analyze their individual EQ compass and gain perspective on working with other EQ styles.

This session provided tactics for taking the necessary steps to move forward and get out of your own way. It also focused on some differences in male and female approaches to career advancement, including leaning in, taking a seat at the table and the imposter syndrome.

Juggling, balancing and getting it all done. This session offered strategies to more successfully integrate work and personal life. Team members were invited to take a thoughtful look at what balance really means and were provided real-world tactics to help combat the struggle. 

That same energy that was felt in the room in TCF Center that first day in 2018 soon echoed through all of our sites and connected women across our organization. The Diversity and Inclusion team was the driving force behind each of these events and its overwhelming success. Their goal was to instill in all of the attendees that the efforts of the Diversity and Inclusion team wouldn’t work without every single one of our team members coming together and contributing. 

This year, the 2020 Women’s Conference will be returning to its roots with an all-day event at TCF Center. The event will take place on Wednesday, August 6 with keynote sessions throughout the day. Streaming will also be available for off-site team members.

These amazing initiatives are proof of the support our company has for each and every team member. When we’re shown support in this way, we in turn are more eager to invest in ourselves.