International Women’s Day: Recognizing the Women of Sprout

For International Women’s Day 2022, there was a challenge issued to #BreaktheBias, working toward a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A prevalent topic as society learns to do better for each other as whole, it was this time last year that we were inspired at Sprout to begin our Women in Industrial Design research project and interview series. As a husband and father of two young daughters, designer and business owner, the topic of gender equality struck a chord with me.

Over the last 12 months the Sprout team has been engaging with female leaders in the industry to gather their perspectives and spark conversations that activate change. Along the way, we have used these conversations to ask some hard questions of ourselves as we reflect and improve on the overall ethos of our organization. Organizational transparency and open-door management styles remain a key part of the work culture I strive to create, as I want everyone on the team to feel seen, heard, and respected.

Challenges magnified by the pandemic have affected us all, as we have been forced to confront the realities of work-life balance head on. Women left the workforce in unprecedented numbers in the last two years, largely citing unequal distribution of home-life duties, parenting, and work-life stress and anxiety. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, adult women’s employment rate during the pandemic was at its lowest level since 1988.  At Sprout, we have adopted a permanent hybrid work model and increased our benefits and compensation package to better support our employees. We have also been able to create more opportunities for full-time remote positions to allow additional flexibility to meet the unique demands of today’s family.

Today, on International Women’s Day, I want to recognize the women of Sprout and the significant impact each of their roles have on our studio: Kelsey McNally, marketing manager; Hannah Rowlett, visual designer; Phoebe Lasater, visual designer; Shelby Matlock, studio administrator; Kim Amaral, financial officer; and Callan McGill, 3D visualization designer.

I am grateful to have you all a part of the team!

We pledge to do our part to #BreaktheBias by continuing to have tough conversations, asking hard questions of ourselves even when we’re afraid of the answer, and making changes to policies and procedures that no longer reflect the needs of our team, as we work to foster a safe space that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, where differences are welcome and valued.

Interested in working for Sprout? Visit our Careers page — we are currently hiring for a number of positions.