On September 19 our Pioneers in Skirts Kickstarter campaign will be over. We’ve raised a lot of money so far but need to keep going if we’re going to be able to keep it all! DID YOU KNOW that Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing deal? If we do not reach our goal amount, we do not receive ANY of the donations. Nobody does! Sad face, right?
SO WE CHALLENGE YOU — Ashley Maria (our director) is willing to do something really embarrassing to get YOU to help us get to the $40K level by Sunday September 13 — 4pm PST!!!
Step 1: Visit our Kickstarter page by clicking here (and watch the video we put together just for you!)
Step 2: Please pledge ANY amount
Step 3: TELL EVERYONE!!!
Please email…post in social media…tell friends at your next dinner event…tell your friends who write blogs!! — we need as many eyes as we can get on our Kickstarter page!
Step 4: Vote for the song you’d like to hear
How to vote? Tweet something like this:
Up for a challenge? https://vimeo.com/138561456 My vote is: #____________ @WomenPioneers#BEaPioneer [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][bitly.com/PioneersKickstarter]
Rashida Hodge is the Director, Worldwide Client Delivery at IBM Watson. Watson is an artificially intelligent computer system capable of answering questions posed in natural language.
Have you seen Watson on Jeopardy? Well those were the old days of Watson. These days, IBM has added a wide variety of other types of uses to Watson’s repertoire. Today Watson can “see” images–including photos, medical images and videos. From hospitals to kitchens, Watson has clocked in to work and taking impressive strides across industries.
Responsible for implementation of global Watson Solutions, Rashida has the gift of strong leadership. Her skill-sets span from manufacturing engineering processes to strategic and financial planning, with diverse global experiences leading supply chains in Asia and Europe.
The team behind the feature documentary film, Pioneers in Skirts, is excited to feature this monthly honor program to highlight women who have taken enormous steps to take charge of their future.
Called Future Friday Honorees, these women are true role models for our next generation of working women. Be sure to follow along to meet these women at the beginning of each month, and then again in social media every Friday to learn more!!
Rashida is certainly brilliant and ambitious; earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering. But what jumps out most about her is her strong sense of purpose. In an article featuring Rashida she said, “Growing up, my mom always told me that to be successful, you have to have skills and capabilities, but you also need to know that you’re standing on the shoulders of giants. I want to help someone be successful. I want to be a giant for them.”
Rashida views her career as two fold – first as a general manager, and secondly, providing an avenue of mentoring to others. She would like to build a non-profit organization to help give someone else a dream, a story, a start on becoming a successful thread to the fabric of world. It is Rashida’s belief that all good leaders have a responsibility to coach and let others in on their best practices.
YOU can Nominate a #FutureFriday Candidate
Are you impressed with what a colleague or friend is doing in her career? Is she an inspirational example of success? Do you know a woman who has shown “what’s possible” to the women around them? Have they overcome gender barriers or figured out how to change the game of career advancement? Well then — nominate her by contacting our producers!
Erin Robinson is a host and producer for one of the biggest digital entertainment news outlets online, Clevver Media. From interviewing celebrities on the red carpet at The Oscars to breaking celebrity news (and even making it on the Today Show), Erin is seen daily by over 5 million subscribers digitally across Clevver’s 5 channels.
The team behind the feature documentary film, Pioneers in Skirts, is excited to feature this monthly honor program to highlight women who have taken enormous steps to take charge of their future.
Called Future Friday Honorees, these women are true role models for our next generation of working women. Be sure to follow along to meet these women at the beginning of each month, and then again in social media every Friday to learn more!!
Erin has been pretty busy over the last three years not only growing Clevver to its 150 million views a month, but also growing her own personal brand as an entertainment and pop culture expert.
Even though Erin’s a pioneer of the digital media Wild West, her real passion is working face to face with people.
Erin also loves to speak to kids about how they can achieve their dreams. She had the privilege to do that in a unique way as Miss Malibu in 2011. She is a wife, a lady boss, and a big sister to one of the coolest 13 year olds on the planet, and few things make her happier than when she makes her little sister proud.
There are some AMAZING, top secret projects in the works for Erin over the coming months, and to stay updated you gotta check her out in Twitter & Instagram @heyerinrobinson!
YOU can Nominate a #FutureFriday Candidate
Are you impressed with what a colleague or friend is doing in her career? Is she an inspirational example of success? Do you know a woman who has shown “what’s possible” to the women around them? Have they overcome gender barriers or figured out how to change the game of career advancement? Well then — nominate her by contacting our producers!
Award Winning Filmmaker Launches Kickstarter On Next Project, Social Impact Film
Pioneers in Skirts shines an interrogation lamp on gender bias.
RALEIGH, NC (August 19, 2015) – Award winning director Ashley Maria and producers of the film Pioneers in Skirts announced the launch of a new Kickstarter.
Pioneers in Skirts is a film about a female director trying to navigate her career — and sharing how all women can benefit from what she has learned.
Soon after Ashley entered the film industry, she discovered that she wasn’t seen as a filmmaker, she would be forever a hyphenate: a woman-filmmaker.
Ashley graduated from a prominent grad-school, and when she first started out she had already started down the path to achieve her dream career. She was confident and determined. After winning several prestigious awards she felt she could accomplish anything.
But confidence soon turned into doubt and insecurity. Ashley’s drive to dream big in her career chipped away a little each time she realized she wasn’t seen for her professional skillset, but for being a woman who was trying to swim with the big boys.
“Pioneers in Skirts is a film that tells women, ‘You can do this, everything is possible’,” said Major General Heidi V. Brown, Director of Global Operations, U.S. Strategic Command. “When I got the call from the producers I thought this would be a great opportunity to help tell others ‘You can do these things too!’”
With a camera in hand, Ashley decided to find out why this was happening to her? She soon learned she wasn’t the only twenty-something that felt that way…and it wasn’t just happening in the film industry.
Research backs her up A recent Bain & Company survey revealed after just two years of working at their first job out of college, women begin to lose their aspiration and confidence. Both women and men start out equally confident about their ability to reach their career objectives, but after two years in the workforce 34% of men are still aiming for the top, while only 16% of women are. What happens to women during those first two years? And why? The study shows that, over time, women’s aspiration levels drop more than 60% while men’s stay the same. These declines came independent of marriage and motherhood status.
Factoid Bain Company Survey: 43% of women aspire to top management when they are in the first two years of their position, compared with 34% of men at that stage. But for women who had more than two years on the job, aspiration and confidence plummeted 60% and nearly 50%, respectively.
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]Interviews with the female leadership team at SAS.
Pioneers in Skirts takes an honest look at the strategies for women now, and for future generations. The film uses interviews, statistics and story-telling to discuss career obstacles women deal with, such as biases, stereotypes and wage discrepancy, in the American workforce.
“When it comes to gaining not only financial support but raise awareness of a film’s story,” noted Ashley Maria, “Kickstarter is an independent film maker’s best friend.”
When complete, the team behind Pioneers in Skirts wants the film to be a catalyst; providing a legacy for people, communities, and companies they will continue to build-on.
“A lot of my life is focused on helping women elevate themselves, and helping companies and communities learn how to elevate women,” shared Kat Cole, Group President Focus Brands. “Pioneers in Skirts’ mission and purpose is very much aligned with what I believe in. The film will be able to share a legacy for people that hopefully other young filmmakers and other young people out there just continue to build on. It’s very, very cool what they’re doing.”
“We have had amazing support thus far and were encouraged by our supporters to launch a Kickstarter campaign,” said producer Lea-Ann Berst. “And since our goal with the film is to spark hard conversations necessary to change the current workforce climate, we needed a reputable way to connect and engage others interested in this complex issue.”
A successful Kickstarter will help the film finish production and transition into post-production. Backers will receive rewards ranging from items such as personal phone calls with industry leaders or the director herself, to behind-the-scenes experiences on set or during the post-production phase.
Details:
Anyone can follow the campaign and project on social media with #BEaPioneer.
The public can back the project on the Kickstarter website by searching “Pioneers in Skirts.”
Pioneers in Skirts will run its Kickstarter from August 19, 2015 to September 19, 2015.
For all Pioneers in Skirts media inquiries, to request specific information, or to schedule an interview with Director Ashley Maria, please contact: Lea-Ann Berst – Producer
Visit us on Facebook and Instagram under “PioneersinSkirts”, and on Twitter @PioneersnSkirts. Help us succeed by clicking like and sharing Pioneers in Skirts with others!
About Pioneers in Skirts Pioneers in Skirts follows our director, award-winning filmmaker Ashley Maria, after she discovers she is no longer the ambitious, confident woman who entered the film industry. In only a few years time, Ashley lost her pioneering attitude in her career. With a camera in hand, Ashley learns she isn’t the only twenty-something that feels that way, and seeks to find out Why? Find out more by visiting: ashley-maria.com.
About Ashley Maria Ashley Maria is the director, producer and co-writer for the feature documentary Pioneers in Skirts. With over 10 years of experience in film and television production, Ashley Maria is a writer and director, as well as a freelance production sound mixer based in Los Angeles, California.
She is an award winning director; winning awards at highly acclaimed film festivals around the world. Ashley Maria was awarded the prestigious Directors Guild of America award for her film, Friday Night Fright™ in 2010.
In 2014, Ashley Maria was featured by the DGA as a director who represents “the future of women in film.” Find out more by visiting: www.ashley-maria.com.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Here you’ll find highlights from our adventures as we follow main characters and interview topic experts! What have we been up to since our last update?
We closed out on two main character storylines!
Maddy and Sophia, two teenage girls on a robotics team, who first learned engineering, as well as leadership and confidence, while on an all-girls team. Now on their co-ed team, they are the first to jump in, the first to grab the drill, and the first to share their ideas.
Lily, a new mom with a full time job, was fearful of announcing her pregnancy until she received her raise. Is the “mommy penalty” going to impact her success?
We jumped head first into outreach! Ashley and Lea-Ann spoke to a global group at SAP and shared some tidbits of what we’ve learned so far. IEEE Women in Engineering partnered with us to promote the film on their social media channels, as well as feature the film at their international conference held in April. And articles…press…videos — as you can see, we’ve been working on that too!
Our team grew! We’ve organized a structured approach to the University segment. Since one of the film’s targeted segments is “educated women who are starting out in their careers,” we plan to screen the film at universities across the U.S.
Meet UNC Chapel Hill’s Lauren McDonald and Louisiana State University’s Parrish Frisbee — university student volunteers helping us to find out how we can get more college women and men interested in the film.
What’s Next?
Be sure to follow us on social media as we travel to Colorado to film on the topics of:
developing male advocates
relationship dynamics women have with men in the workplace
women in the start-up scene.
We will also host a special roundtable discussion with college women to hear what they see in their future!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Guest Blog Post] Melina Steensen, who is majoring in Biology at UNC Wilmington, joined our crew for a robotics team shoot in North Carolina. We asked her to write about why she wanted to be involved in the making of Pioneers in Skirts. We had expected to hear about her secret passion for filmmaking, but no – we heard about a young woman ready to take on the world!
Ever since I was a young child, I’ve always wanted to work with animals. Whether I was learning about crocodiles, spiders, snakes, elephants, wolves, or whatever, it all fascinated me! Now that I’m in college, these dreams of mine are becoming a reality. I know that it is important to be proactive and adventurous in exploring every opportunity that is thrown in my direction, but there are always potential setbacks to consider when competing against so many other determined students.
Women are greatly underrepresented in science careers. Usually, we can find that women make up about half of the graduating classes of life sciences. However, these numbers seem to drop dramatically for women in regards to employment. Pioneers In Skirts is here to say “NO! It’s not because women are incapable of the job, it’s not because we are fragile, and it’s definitely not because we are inferior… it’s because people are intimidated by what we have to offer!”
Pioneers in Skirts encourages all women to become the pioneers to their own endeavors and stories, with the confidence to pursue anything and everything that life throws at them.
I’ve always been interested in cinematography, and how it can impact a person’s awareness in regards to the necessity of saving endangered species and encouraging conservation. Ashley and Lea-Ann kindly took me under their wing, introducing me to the captivating world of filmmaking. The first thing I realized while working with them was the extreme dedication and devotion they put into their work. These two women are so determined, and they are always busy to ensure every shot is golden.
Not only did I learn more about making a documentary, but I also learned more about the inspiring stories and success that make women so amazing! Ashley and Lea-Ann opened my eyes to things that I never really considered before (things that would surely affect me as I became an independent woman in the working world).
After speaking with Ashley about her obstacles as a woman in film, and directing, I only began scratching the surface to see the trend that Pioneers In Skirts was aiming to overcome. This film represents so much more than feminism: this movie is going to encourage young ladies to be the great leaders of the future. It’s time to expose the obstacles that women have had to overcome.
Through Pioneers In Skirts, Ashley and Lea-Ann are exploring and representing the thousands of women across the United States who are ready to raise the bar. Pioneers In Skirts raises important questions, and through the interviews of very intelligent and inspiring female figures, we can find the answers.
Not only was this experience extremely inspiring for me as a young woman pursuing a secure future for myself, but it also encouraged me to begin reaching far past the limitations of prejudice and expectation!
