International Women’s Day is a celebration of how far women have come, but also a challenge to continue reaching higher. I am a proud graduate of the first women’s college in the US, and I have been lucky to be surrounded by strong women my entire life. I know that others have not been so lucky, but IWD is a reminder that there are role models from all over the world and every walk of life who are more similar to us than they are different. It is a reminder that we are strong, we are powerful, we are fearless, and we can and will accomplish anything that we put our minds to. IWD is important to me because it is a promise that we will continue fighting for equality and striving to become the best versions of ourselves and change the world.

International Women’s Day stands to me as a symbol for the strength of womanhood — a day to reflect on all that women have endured, changed, and most importantly will continue to change moving forward. It's a day to stoke out on all of the alphas and power move makers; those in your life now and the ones that came long before you and will come long after you. But the day itself is really indicative of a larger movement — one that sees women empowering and uplifting other women in pursuit of dreams and changing the world.

International Women's Day is an opportunity to stop and reflect on the progress we've made as women, but it's also an important time to recognize what we have yet to accomplish and how we can work together to create a more balanced future. At HubSpot, we turn IWD into a week-long global celebration that recognizes individuality and the unique contributions women make daily in creating a successful and inclusive company we can all be proud of.

While International Women's Day is technically only 24 hours, supporting women and championing for a more balanced future is something that should be celebrated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I'm proud to be a part of an company that empowers women, not just on one single day in March, but at every stage of her career, 365 days a year, and to learn from Women@HubSpot on how I can be a better ally for women supporting them each and every day.

International Women's Day is a lot of things. It's a celebration of the complexity of being a woman in this day and age, and a call to action to be better for each other and make room for more women in every room. I always take to IWD as a chance to celebrate the women around me for all the successes they've had in the past year, a reminder for how much better we can do to support all folks who identify as women, and a rally to make more room at the top so we can all reach for parity together.