Reskilling For An AI Future – Kristen Lunman

Kristen Lunman, who previously democratised access to global investments with Hatch, has now channelled her energy into PowrSuit—a global network for women and male allies and she shared some of this journey in her fireside chat. “We wake up every morning to give women the connections and the tools to define what leadership and career success is on their terms,” she shared.

Leaving Hatch, Kristen and her co-founder Natalie Ferguson realised a significant gender divide in investment habits. Men were not only investing more but also dominated their platform. This gender gap sparked a profound journey into understanding the emotional baggage associated with money, risk, and societal narratives. “We spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get more women to invest,” Kristen explained.

Initially, the idea was to create a fund exclusively for companies led by women with diverse boards. However, the stark reality was that there were only 156 such companies worldwide. This revelation highlighted a larger problem. “Not every woman wants that top job for a huge array of reasons. What we do want is to take the biggest asset of our lives—our careers—and succeed on our terms,” Kristen emphasised.

PowrSuit emerged from this understanding. It aims to provide women with the necessary tools and networks to achieve career success as they define it. Kristen and Natalie spent a year in research, uncovering that connections and practical behaviour change were critical to women’s success.

One of the key findings from their research was the importance of networking. Historically, networking opportunities were built around male-centric activities like golf courses or drinks after work, which didn’t always suit women. “Women have shallower networks because networking was never built on our terms,” Kristen noted. PowerSuit aims to change this by creating inclusive networking opportunities tailored to women’s needs.

The second critical tool identified was the concept of learning by doing. Practical behaviour change and skill development are at the core of PowerSuit’s mission. “Laurent spoke about it, of actually taking an action every single week. How can I learn a skill? How can I break it down to the smallest thing and effectively practice it week in and week out?” Kristen shared. This approach helps women develop critical leadership skills like communication and negotiation.

In discussing the evolving concept of leadership, Kristen highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on empathetic leadership. “Productivity went up, engagement with work went up, care for one another and trust in one another went up,” she observed. This shift towards empathy and adaptability is redefining leadership in today’s world.

Kristen also touched on the role of AI in the workplace. While AI can handle repetitive tasks, it lacks the human qualities of care and adaptability. “AI has no ability to care. Ultimately, relationships are built on care. I care about you. I care that you’re around. I know that you’ve got my back,” Kristen said. This humanness and the ability to deal with ambiguity are qualities that will keep human leadership relevant.

Despite the challenges, Kristen remains optimistic. She believes in the power of diverse teams and perspectives to drive success. “Diverse teams and perspectives outperform on every single measure, be it brand reputation, customer success, engagement, employee retention,” she asserted.

Kristen’s vision for the future is one where her children will not have to deal with the same barriers she faced. “I’m optimistic that the world that I had a career in the first 20 years of my life is going to look very differently for my two children,” she said. She sees a future where individuality is embraced, and AI helps us eliminate the drudgery of repetitive tasks, allowing us to focus on more meaningful work.

Kristen’s parting advice to the audience was a powerful reminder of our shared experiences. “We are not alone. We’re all probably feeling and thinking and doing our best to get up every day and navigate this space. Just don’t do it alone. Be really open. Grab a friend, go out for coffee, talk about work,” she encouraged.