Center for Women and Business

Our Mission

The Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business (CWB) advances intersectional gender equity from the classroom to the boardroom. We center the voices of leaders from historically excluded communities to empower women and gender-diverse leaders through innovative research and professional development opportunities.

Defining Intersectional Gender Equity

Achieving intersectional gender equity is the intended outcome of all the CWB’s work and is core to its mission. When intersectional gender equity exists, all individuals experience a world in which access to rights, responsibilities, and opportunities are no longer impaired by historical acts of exclusion based on intersecting and inseparable identities such as gender, race, orientation, class, disability, and more.

Stay Ahead of the Curve: Download Our DEI Glossary for the Latest Definitions

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Diverse corporate team discussing a new idea

Corporate Programs for Inclusive Organizations and Employees

We design and deliver transformative programs, custom workshops, and tools to help organizations create inclusive cultures. Our interactive programs inform and empower people and organizations to make meaningful, positive changes in their organizations.

Programs for Students

The CWB offers programs that promote intersectional gender equity on Bentley’s campus. We collaborate with various departments within the Bentley community to deliver campus-wide workshops supporting our mission to advance intersectional gender equity from the classroom to the boardroom.

Gearing Up Conference

The Gearing Up Conference is the CWB's flagship event held annually at Bentley University for young business professionals in their early to mid-careers. Women, gender-diverse individuals as well as allies are Geared Up through various workshops, panels, and hand-picked guest speakers.

The CWB is now conducting class visits. Reach out to learn more!

CWB News and Updates

Changing the Face of the C-Suite: Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace

Last fall, the CWB partnered with Cambridge Savings Bank to host a panel discussion, “Changing the Face of the C-Suite: Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace, " highlighting the systemic issues impacting working caregivers and the caregiving industry. This event underscored why it is a business imperative to invest in this growing demographic and how doing so will propel more diverse leadership in organizations.

To further the dialogue around this critical topic, we are proud to release this updated research report, which delves deeper into caregiving intricacies. The report explores evolving landscapes, historical contexts, and pandemic-induced challenges for working caregivers. From the "Childcare Cliff" to economic tolls on women, the report offers actionable recommendations, emphasizing flexibility and mental health support for caregivers at all levels.

https://www.bentley.edu/centers/center-women-and-business/supporting-caregivers-workplace Click here to read the report

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate Program Sign-Up

Bentley University's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate Programs equip business executives with the tools to create an inclusive organizational culture. Our program is designed to apply an intersectional lens to change management theories, transforming learners into agents of change.

Using our Race/And approach, participants will engage in self-reflection, expand their understanding of DEIJ fundamentals, delve into team-level diagnosis and interventions, and gain insights into organizational and system-level change planning. Graduates leave with a personalized change initiative, becoming advocates for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

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Diversity and Inclusion Insights and Interventions

Download CWB Research Reports

Diversity and Inclusion News

The Imperative Shift: Empowering Women CEOs For A Thriving Future

The Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business

Advancing Intersectional Gender Equity