08.03
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we were extremely fortunate to have the inspiring Phyllis Newhouse speak to our team at cleverbridge. The event was sponsored by our cleverwomen group, whose goal is to lift up and empower the current and future women of cleverbridge.
Phyllis is a serial entrepreneur and investor, retired military senior officer and mentor. She is CEO and Founder of ShoulderUp Technology Acquisition Corp, Founder and CEO of Xtreme Solutions, Inc., and Founder of ShoulderUp, a 501c3.
Phyllis exemplifies the mission of International Women’s Day. What she does to elevate and advance gender parity and support women forging innovation and leadership has already made a difference in so many lives.
In a casual conversation led by our CEO Wendi Sturgis, Phyllis shared an hour of life lessons and encouraging stories about her time as a leader in the Army, as the first Black woman to ring the bell on the NYSE, as the youngest girl of 11 siblings whose father called her his “little warrior.”
And what a warrior that little girl grew up to be… A pioneer in business, Phyllis is the first woman to win an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the technology category. She is the only Black female CEO of an NYSE-listed SPAC. When she launched Xtreme Solutions in 2002, she became the only Black woman CEO of a cybersecurity company.
She knows a bit about being “the only” person like her in a situation – and she does not let being “the only” intimidate her. From rising through the ranks in the Army to commanding a board room, Phyllis embraces the opportunity as “an only” to share a perspective that others don't have. And to ultimately change the perception, so that she is not the only one in the future.
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action to accelerate women's equality.
Not just today, but every day, we should all aim to:
✅ Celebrate women's achievements.
✅ Raise awareness against bias.
✅ Take action for equality.
Join us to proactively build a gender-equal world - one free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. Let’s create a positive difference for all women everywhere.
Connect with Phyllis on Instagram and LinkedIn to be inspired and learn more about how she can help you change the world.