The ‘’broken rung’’ describes the phenomenon where women in entry-level positions are promoted to managerial positions at much lower rates than men.
This was identified in research by McKinsey and LeanIn.Org (2022), where ‘’For every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager, only 87 women are promoted, and only 82 women of color are promoted.’’
We discuss with Ashley McCray - Ford what is the Broken Rung and what organizations need to do to fix it.
As well as what individuals (Women and Women of Color) can do about it.
Ashley McCray is obsessed with breaking down barriers, building possibilities, and
changing the world by activating others. A problem solver from birth and an engineer by
degree, she is determined to help individuals design their path to success.
Ashley McCray Ford is a MBA candidate at Harvard Business School where she is the
VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Women Student Association. She is the
founder of Chooz, a career accelerator bringing the power of choice to corporate
women of color.
She is a chemical engineer, speaker, and DEI Consultant dedicated to increasing the
opportunities for underrepresented minorities. Ashley’s commitment to improving
corporate diversity didn’t stop when she got to HBS. In fact, her 1st year she put
together two HBS teams which became finalists in a national racial and social justice
case competition. Ashley’s team won the crowd favorite award for their comprehensive
BIPOC financial inclusion plan for Truist bank. Their plan was implemented one year
later when Truist bank launched their first fee-free financial product!
Contact Ashley at:
