Let’s get your female heroes in formation.
We all know a woman who has inspired us (or multiple women!), through their words, their wisdom, their creativity—basically, through their all-around awesomeness. To celebrate International Women’s Day today, we asked a few people at DoorDash HQ to share their stories and photos of a woman who’s had a positive impact on their lives. Here’s what they told us.
Holly Hatlo, Learning and Development Program Manager
“I’d like to share my inspiration, my oldest sister, Heather Hatlo Porter. She’s overcome many obstacles and demonstrated the power of leaning in. Her strong work ethic, talent, and courage have led to her current position as the Chief Communication Officer at a very successful Silicon Valley company (I’m so proud of her!). She’s shown me that it’s possible to have a deeply meaningful career, a vibrant family life, and an exhilarating social calendar, all at the same time. My sister has taught me the value of remaining true to your passion, both inside and outside the office. I consider her a superwoman, and I’m grateful for the barriers she’s boldly broken down as she’s opened up the path for me, my sisters, and other young women to achieve success without limitation.”
Conway Kong, SEO Director
“My fiancée, Ellen, is my inspiration. She organically makes me want to become the best version of me that I can possibly be. She is selfless, hard-working and relentless. She is the biggest supporter of me and anyone who has gotten to know her. On this International Women’s Day, I celebrate Ellen and look forward to spending the rest of my life with her.”
Kelly Eisenberg, Finance Manager
“Today I’d like to celebrate my mom, Bobbi Eisenberg, who has been my fiercest supporter and number one fan. She has empowered me to pursue a career in technology, where women hold only one in four tech jobs*. Her tenacity and humility have taught me to overcome barriers and I’m so proud of the woman she is!”
Albert Poon, Head of Design
“I’m inspired by these two amazing women — my wife, Theresa, and my daughter, Alyssa. Little did I know 24 years ago that I would find a partner who complements me and makes me think, change and grow. I am humbled and grateful to my wife because she’s made me a better person.
“My daughter, Alyssa, gives me hope. She took the best of Theresa and myself and became her own fearless, whip-smart and relentless young woman. A woman who cannot settle for OK, but imagines and strives for more. If the world has her, and others like her, I know that humanity will be better than we leave it.
Jennifer Luong, Jr. Design Researcher
“My mom inspires me. She’s one of the most hardworking people I know. After immigrating from Vietnam, she had a lot of early obstacles: learning English, becoming a mother at 19, and supporting other family members. Despite those challenges, she worked hard for her success. I remember the years she both worked and went to school full time, yet somehow made dinner for my dad, siblings and myself every night.”
Alosha Shkolnik, Art Director
“I’d like to celebrate the ULTIMATE international woman: Josephine Baker. She broke the rules by becoming the first black American woman to become an international entertainment icon, and later was an important and outspoken figure in the Civil Rights movement. But my favorite part of her story? Her mold-breaking family of 12 adopted children she called her ‘Rainbow Tribe,’ all living under one roof at her bohemian chateau in France.”
Marissa Kaplan, Strategy & Operations Manager
“My Bubbie (which means grandmother in Yiddish) taught me to ‘never hold a fork like a shovel,’ that the phrase ‘those ones’ is redundant and incorrect, and that ‘snitching’ is a sin. But most importantly, she taught me how to build a tight-knit community of family and friends that love, support and nurture one another, and that it’s really what life is all about.”
Jake Lu, Recruiter
“I’d like to celebrate my mom, a single parent who went on an adventure coming to the U.S. — having only learned English by watching Hawaii Five-0, and successfully put my brother and I through college. Thank you for being the bravest lady in my life!”
International Women’s Day 2018 was originally published in DoorDash on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.