Jen Henderson, CEO of TiLT is a friend and fellow female entrepreneur who is working to solve the $37B annual loss of mismanaged paid family leave. Naturally, Prowess and TiLT have lots in common and we were thrilled to have Jen featured on our blog. More to come on how TiLT and Prowess will work together in the future, but in the meantime, read below.
1. Background – what have you done (this is not limited to work), where are you from, what do you want us to know about you?
Jen spent 15 years in Corporate America in Operations, Talent Development and Leadership. She became a highly sought out leader in employee retention and engagement across functions. As a professional mom with 2 small children, she experienced career stagnation and pregnancy discrimination when she disclosed both of her pregnancies so she set off on her own and founded TiLT to revolutionize parental leave in the workplace.
2. Tell us about your business.
TiLT is reimagining Leave Management to help companies improve retention, streamline processes, reinforce culture, support teams and stay compliant. Our leave experts (real people!) and beautifully-designed software guide you to success at every stage of the leave journey.
3. How does the Prowess Project mission -empowering women in the workplace – speak to you?
While we support all leave occurrence at TiLT (disability leave, caregiver leave, etc.) parental leave is at the heart of our solution. We will break down the maternal wall and abolish the penalty of motherhood & stigma of paternity leave to allow emerging generations to truly level the playing field in parental bias, pay inequity and equal representation in key leadership positions.
4. What do you wish that your colleagues/coworkers knew about your work style?
My team all know me very well so this would come as no surprise but the top of my work relationship/ environment ‘wish list’ is that I have very little patience for people who aren’t driven, competent and operate in a growth mindset- always striving to be better than yesterday.
5. What’s your all-time favorite productivity hack (this can be in personal & professional life)?
I’m a podcast junkie- I listen in my car, while running and sometimes while cleaning my house. It’s how I continue to learn and bend my brain with everything else I’m balancing. Here are my favorites Masters of Scale and Future of Work.
6. If you could bring attention to one thing that women deal with or excel at, that goes unnoticed or unthanked, what would it be?
Childcare. Now, more than ever, the broken system of childcare (school days not aligning with work day hours; the gap in childcare availability- both in spots as well as the exorbitant costs) are incredibly damages to women’s’ careers and need a macro level overhaul to truly level the playing field so women don’t continue to have to ‘opt-out’ of the workforce.
7. What does a “me” day look like to you? (how do you recharge?)
Exercise of some kind, massage, happy hour with girlfriends, great dinner.
8. Define empowerment.
Having the confidence, clarity and courage to use your talents and gifts in a supportive environment to achieve your dreams.
9. What career advice would you go back and tell your 15-year-old self?
Listen more, talk less.
