Podcast appearances and mentions of manon defelice

Manon DeFelice is the founder and CEO of Inkwell where she bridges the gap for employers who need highly skilled but affordable talent. She is a second generation immigrant born in Boston whose mother is from the Czech Republic and father is from France. You will hear why her parents came to the US originally, her grandparents’ fascinating journey and what she has learned from their immigrant journey and the effect it has had on her career and life today. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3cekCie

Today we meet Manon DeFelice, CEO and founder of Inkwell. Manon started Inkwell from her kitchen and has grown a business that places executives into flexible working arrangements; both part time and full time. This episode of the podcast queries how the employer/employee relationship is evolving. Our news article dives further into this subject: https://www.uktech.news/news/industry-analysis/microchipping-employees-what-are-the-legal-implications-20181123 Whilst we have you, why not check out the 4th issue of Startups Magazine: Human? https://thestartupsmag.com/the-fourth-issue/

Manon DeFelice is the Founder and CEO of Inkwell, a company dedicated to connect senior level women with flexible job opportunities. Her career path has been non-traditional to say the least.  She started off right after college designing compensation packages for the top executives in large businesses. She went to law school, worked with the Manhattan DA office with the sex crime unit, and  after graduating while pregnant, she had an offer from a large law firm rescinded and decided to go to work for the NYC Mayor's office to work on human trafficking and the commercial exploitation of children. In this episode, Manon shares her career journey, how it shaped her both in her family life as a mother and as an executive, how she negotiated her first job offer, some of the issues working moms face,  the impact that flexibility can have on employees, and more.

Manon DeFelice is the Founder and CEO of Inkwell, a company dedicated to connect senior level women with flexible job opportunities. Her career path has been non-traditional to say the least.  She started off right after college designing compensation packages for the top executives in large businesses. She went to law school, worked with the Manhattan DA office with the sex crime unit, and  after graduating while pregnant, she had an offer from a large law firm rescinded and decided to go to work for the NYC Mayor’s office to work on human trafficking and the commercial exploitation of children. In this episode, Manon shares her career journey, how it shaped her both in her family life as a mother and as an executive, how she negotiated her first job offer, some of the issues working moms face,  the impact that flexibility can have on employees, and more.

  Two years ago Manon DeFelice launched Inkwell, a recruiting agency specializing in placing high-level professional moms in positions with flexible or part-time schedules. In the past six months the agency grossed $500,000 in commissions, and is projected to hit 7-figures in 2016. Impressive numbers for DeFelice, a 35-year-old mom of three kids ages 8 and younger, who was inspired by personal experience. The Barnard and Brooklyn Law grad spent her early career in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Office of Criminal Justice, and as executive director of the AHA Foundation, which focuses on female human rights issues. In her career, DeFelice faced discrimination for being pregnant, taking maternity leave and breastfeeding in the office, she says. She also struggled to find balance between her New York City office and three children and husband in Greenwich, Conn. She saw highly educated and accomplished women all around her dropping out, staying home full time and being increasingly frustrated and bored.  Today, she helps high-achieving women facing the same pickle: “I’m trying to stop the brain drain,” DeFelice says. “Women are educated at the best schools, and trained at the best companies, but then they quit because they want to go to music class Tuesdays with their baby. That is bad for lifetime earnings, bad for marriages, and the world misses out on women’s contributions. Aside from staying home fulltime, or working fulltime crazy hours, there are very few third options. I’m helping moms find a third option.”      

It’s 7:30 a.m., and your four-year-old waddles up to you in his pj’s, as you’re frantically trying to finish your at-home blowout. You need to get out of the house. You’re already late for your job, only he’s sick and wants you to stay home. So, his wee hands reach out and he asks you for a hug, and that’s it. You don’t want to leave. Moreover, you don’t want to go through this part of your morning routine ever again. And Inkwell’s Manon DeFelice would be right there with you. “It’s fine if you want to lean in to your career,” she says, “But what if you also want to lean in to being a mom?” Frustrated with a lack of flexibility in traditional corporate jobs, Manon founded Inkwell as a recruiting service to help match capable professionals with startups and forward-thinking companies in need of top-tier talent on a flexible basis. It’s a win-win. The women recruited by Inkwell find flexible jobs that grow their resumes, and the startups that hire them get exceptional seasoned talent. Prior to starting Inkwell, Manon led nonprofit AHA Foundation and served as its general counsel. At AHA Foundation, the first organization focused on ending honor violence, forced marriage, child marriage and female genital mutilation in the United States, she helped spearhead federal and state legislation. Previous to that role she served as assistant counsel in New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Office of Criminal Justice. In episode 12 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Podcast Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Manon about starting a company, how to get more women in the boardroom, and the importance of being an advocate for yourself and other women. TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW: On Getting Started: Manon is a big believer in outsourcing and hiring people better than her in a given area. How’d she find the team? It was right under her nose. The team Manon worked with to build her business ended up being her first talent pool for recruiters. Movin’ On Up: Inkwell’s talent pool has since grown into more than 3,000 – all individuals seeking flexible jobs. Her Nonprofit to For-Profit Switch: Starting her career as a women’s right’s attorney, Manon didn’t think she’d end up leading her own staffing company. “I come to this from the idea that, really, there has to be a staffing alternative to the work full-time or not work model … I still feel that I’m helping women and in turn helping their daughters by creating role models.” Having Cake, Eating It Too: “It’s fine to stay home if you want. It’s fine to work full time if you want. But if you want both, you have Inkwell.” The Secret Sauce: Manon believes offering flex time is a really great way to retain your female talent and attract new talent. On Her Resume: “It’s a long life. You can have several different versions of different careers during that time.” On Starting Inkwell: “ … I wanted to change the way companies hire women. I want not only the startups and the small business to use us, but to really get some big companies and organizations to realize that offering flex time is really a great way to retain your female talent and to attract new talent.” A Seat at the Table: “Historically, we have less women in power. I think the fact that we are the ones who carry the babies, and who deliver them, and breastfeed them, is part of that problem. So, if we can make work environments more flexible, we’ll have fewer people dropping out.” Convey + Convince: Everyone out there can be a mini inkwell, Manon says. She suggests women help one another find flexible roles for one another – a type of flexible job matchmaking. Learn More: Check out inkwellteam.com and Facebook