 | | July 11, 2012
The May Report: 711/2012: An important letter from Desiree Vargas Wrigley of www.giveforward.com that deserves to be sent as a stand alone report
Editor and publisher: Ron May, ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com,www.themayreport.com, 773-525-3944.
If you missed an article, go here:
www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
__________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
-- Desiree Vargas Wrigley: Your attitude towards women
________________________________
Desiree Vargas Wrigley: Your attitude towards women
Your attitude towards women
Inbox
x
Desiree Vargas Wrigley desiree@giveforward.com
10:13 AM (11 hours ago)
to me
Images are not displayed. Display images below - Always display images from desiree@giveforward.com
Dear Ron,
This morning, my head of Biz Dev and sister, Ariana, told me about your conversation last night at 1871. She told me that the way you got her attention was by screaming across the room "Hey, you! Do I know you? You're a hottie." I'll ignore the fact that you told her I should not have taken my husband's name because he's not a real Wrigley and only distantly related.
But what I can no longer ignore is the way you disrespect women in the start-up space. How we wear our outfits or high-heels has nothing to do with our ability to perform. Your attention to the unimportant details of our appearance perpetuates the battle that we women face every day.
You have no idea how hard it is to walk into a room full of men when you're first starting your business and gain the respect or camaraderie that is required to join this club. Being called out for our appearance further alienates us, making us feel more like visual entertainment than equally valued guests.
I hope that the next event you attend you will consider the impact of your sartorial comments and will instead focus on getting to know the reason these women deserve to be in the room.
Sincerely,
Desiree
Desiree Vargas Wrigley
CEO & Co-Founder
www.GiveForward.com
(773) 377-5704
about.me
Check out these Amazing Stories
GiveForward is changing the way people answer the question "What can I do to help?" If you have a loved one going through a medical crisis, please share GiveForward with them. We've helped thousands of people raise millions of dollars for things like chemotherapy, organ transplants, and travel and living expenses while undergoing treatment.
Check out the latest news from GiveForward Business Development Associate Needed!
______________________________
Ron May here. Desiree, point well taken. I have had that coming for some time.
.
No excuse, but it is a hot summer and my mind is often on the opposite sex.
I have to admit that I have not given much -- or even any -- thought to the difficulties women face in a largely men's world.
I think there may be a misunderstanding about the last name Wrigley.
After we talked at the Moxie Awards, which you deservedly won, I checked the TMR archives, and found a card from a few years ago which had your name as Vargas.
Your sister simply explained that you got married and took your husband's name. Ariana also pointed out to me that while in Chicago the name Wrigley carries a great deal of cachet, the same is not the case in other places.
I will make a conscious effort not to comment on women's looks or refer to them as hotties or babes, either face-to-face or in the report, and even if some women like that type of attention, they are really doing a disservice to their female colleagues.
I know the statistics on how hard it is for women to raise venture or even angel funding, and it is still an uphill battle.
The women of Chicago high tech don't need the "help" that Ron May and others like me provide.
______________________________
END OF REPORT |