How To Close The Network Gap | Selena Gomez And A $100 Million Pledge | Inside Madison Reed | And More

Plus: five ways to be a better remote manager

I’ve spent a lot of this week thinking about history: Sunday July 19 and Monday July 20 marked the 172nd anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, which effectively launched the start of the female fight for suffrage. And this coming Sunday, the 26th, is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) getting signed into law.

As this ForbesWomen piece on the anniversary explains, it can be easy for the able-bodied to take the ADA's existence for granted. But for Americans like Joy Johnson, the ADA was life changing. Johnson is autistic and didn't speak for the first 12 years of her life. Because she was non-verbal, people often assumed she wasn't intelligent or capable. Instead of receiving a high school diploma, Johnson stayed in high school until she 'aged out' at 21 and only received a certificate of completion. "I had been conditioned to think I didn't have potential," Johnson says. 

After the ADA went into effect, Johnson was able to get her GED, graduate from college, and receive two masters degrees. Now a mother of three, she is currently working on her Ph.D. She is also a behavioral specialist, helping people like her—people with autism and disabilities—learn and achieve their fullest potential.

Cheers to that! 

Maggie

P.S.: There is something called the “network gap” that is both a symptom and an amplifier of inequality. And just as Covid-19 has disproportionately affected communities of color, it’s also exacerbated the gap in who has access to professional networking. My favorite advice on the site this week looks at what we can do to help close this gap.

ICYMI: Stories From The Week

Three of the world’s most powerful women—German chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde—just played a big role in the creation of a 750 billion euro relief fund for the European bloc.

A majority woman-founded group led by Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman was awarded the franchise for a Los Angeles expansion team, the National Women’s Soccer League announced Tuesday. The franchise, which is nicknamed Angel City, will be the 11th team to join the eight-year-old league and begin play in 2022.

Edith Cooper, a longtime executive at Goldman Sachs, has a new startup called Medley. She launched it with her daughter Jordan Taylor—a former chief of staff at Mic and Harvard Business School Baker Scholar—to provide a community in which young professionals can gain the skills they need to bring their most authentic selves to work without fear.

Amiti Uttarwar is the first confirmed woman developer of Bitcoin Core, the protocol underlying a $170 billion market cap asset changing the face of privacy, security, and value. She’s also the embodiment of the American Dream.

When Covid-19 hit, Madison Reed CEO Amy Errett threw out her playbook and pivoted her staff and supply chain to take advantage of unprecedented demand and record sales. Here is the story of how she cornered the gray market during lockdown and pushed up the debut of hair care products for men.

Lisa Cannistraci, owner of New York City’s oldest lesbian bar, Henrietta Hudson, has no idea when she will reopen. But one thing is for sure, she recently emphasized: Henrietta Hudson, which has been a staple of the city’s LGBTQ community for thirty years, isn’t going anywhere. “We’ll be back,” she said. “You can mark my words. I’m reopening.”

Check List

#1: Take a social network sweep. You’ve heard the advice “surround yourself with happy people,” but how do you actually do that? Start by taking stock of your social circles and identify the ones you want to spend more time with because they bring you joy.

#2: Be a resource for someone else. As we all know, 2020 has been a whopper of a year. Whether you or your company provides free advice, mentorship, or some other kind of service, lifting someone else up can also boost your own spirits.

#3: Act like you have nothing to lose. If you’re in the middle of a negotiation, dwelling on your high expectations can increase your nerves. But if you act like you can walk away from the deal at any time, your bargaining partner will be more incentivized to meet your terms, and you’ll appear more confident.