Jill Hazelwood Castillo, CSM, CPO

Getting to Yes is foundational for San Diego Angel Conference, yet for 98% of founders in the competition, the answer was no, at least for funding, at the moment. There are other many other Yesses to take away: *Say Yes to all you learned *Say Yes to the feedback received *Say Yes to nurturing the relationships started with founders and investors (it often leads to follow on investment) *Say Yes to receiving feedback and making changes *Say Yes to what’s next What an impressive cohort it was. Founders filled with purpose and commitment to make a positive impact, and the grit to see it through. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gG5Hf6Z3 #startups #angelinvesting #entrepreneurship #resilience #leadership

29

9 Comments

I am deeply honored and humbled to be recognized by Women We Admire as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of California. This acknowledgment means a lot, and I am truly grateful to be in the company of such accomplished and inspiring women. As I pause to reflect on this recognition, I am reminded of the critical importance of our ongoing efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership roles. A recent report by S&P Global Market Intelligence highlights concerning trends in gender parity, indicating a potential slowdown in the growth of women's representation in senior corporate positions. In 2023, women held just 11.8% of C-suite roles assessed, down from 12.2% the previous year—the first decline since 2005. This data underscores the urgency of our collective mission to break barriers and create pathways for women in leadership. It reaffirms my commitment to advocating for inclusivity and empowerment at every opportunity and my determination to contribute to meaningful change and to inspire future generations of leaders. #WomenLeaders #DiversityandInclusion #Gratitude #WomeninTech

256

47 Comments

🌍✨ Passionate about the intersection of non-profits, sustainability, and conservation? Me too! It's inspiring to see so many organizations making a tangible impact on our planet and communities. 🌱 As I continue my journey in the world of product innovation and humanistic leadership, I’m constantly driven by the incredible work being done in these sectors. From creating sustainable business practices to conserving our natural resources, the dedication and innovation in these fields never cease to amaze me. 💡🌿 I'm always eager to connect with like-minded professionals and organizations who are committed to making a difference. Let's continue to share ideas, collaborate on projects, and support each other in our efforts to build a better future. 🤝💚 #Sustainability #Conservation #NonProfit #Innovation #Leadership #EnvironmentalImpact

5

3 Comments

Thank you Fast Company Executive Board for including me in, "16 Strategies to launch a creative work lab that fosters innovation." https://lnkd.in/gbr6hJ-E ///// DESIGN INNOVATION PROGRAMS INSTEAD OF PROJECTS ///// Foster a culture of kindness, curiosity, creativity, and collaboration—where “what if” meets “why not.” Encourage cross-disciplinary teams to mix and match their expertise. Design innovation “programs, not projects” to create an ongoing pipeline of purposeful experiments that solve real consumer problems and create new revenue streams to test, learn, and grow the business. – Val Vacante, dentsu Excellent perspective included from industry leaders including Cheryl Contee, Stephen Nalley, Philip Rathle, 💥Jo Ann Herold, MBA, Mack McKelvey, Alexander Kwapis, Tom Freiling, Joseph Santana (He, him), Kevin Weiss, Kristin M., Jeff Morrison, Krishnan Venkata, Terry Mirza, Steve Dion, Cathy Graham #Innovation #Products #ProductInnovation #Innovation #CX #UX #Design #Creativity #Growth #DentsuInnovationAccelerator Fast Company dentsu Merkle Dentsu Creative dentsu X Carat USA Tag

50

12 Comments

Leaders can build trust by allowing people to feel heard through informal conversations and structured formats such as listening strategies, internal communication forums and other opportunities to share their experiences. If there’s action to take in response, leaders build trust by following through and responding to feedback #change #leadership #feedback #communication #strategy #leaders

1

Vote, vote, vote

1

I was honored to be the opening keynote for Leadership San Francisco’s AI Symposium, where I spoke on “Being Human @ the AI Crossroads”, contextualizing the challenging, exciting (at times harrowing), and all together new moment we are in. The team brought together an incredible roster of speakers for a day that dove into so many of the important angles we must explore as we face the growing influence of AI . . .  the opportunities and limitations of large language models, the importance of human expertise in a world of AI, metaphors to help us understand what role AI could play in our world (and to think about what role we want it to play!), creative exercises to understand how to leverage these new tools, and how innovation requires smart guardrails to ensure AI enables human flourishing. We need so many more conversations like this: these kinds of discussions should be a priority for every organization in this moment. And, what a pleasure to be back at the Exploratorium, which hosted the event—it's been one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon since I was a kid . . . did you know they have an exhibit on machine learning? It's worth checking out! #ai #leadership #responsibleAI

92

15 Comments

I love to help people and teams thrive, here’s a quick reminder of the ways I do that: - Workshop Design & Facilitation: Navigating transitions like cultural shifts, strategic planning, new capital investments, or team alignment can be tricky. I work with groups and their leaders to design and facilitate engaging workshops tailored to your unique needs, making these transitions smooth and effective. - 1:1 Mentoring & Advising: Whether you need guidance on hiring, organizational design, change management, or just a gut check on your engineering leadership, I'm here to offer fresh perspectives and support. - Fractional VP of Engineering: Get the experience and expertise you need without the budget and scope you have. I offer flexible VP of Engineering services that fit your scope and scale. If any of these resonate with you, shoot me a message! I'd love to chat. #Leadership #TeamTransformation #Mentoring #EngineeringExcellence #StrategicPlanning

10

1 Comment

I have been prompted by LinkedIn to answer questions about leadership, creativity, strategy and the like. It asked me how to use curiosity when developing creative strategies. I gave it a shot. See rule 10 and feel free to let me know the answer. I will use simple axioms. 0. Know thyself. 1. Meditate daily. 2. Don’t read or watch the work of others for an extended period of time. 3. Embrace paradox and contradiction. 4. 5. Keep a notebook. 6. Write it all down. 7. Review and consider. 8. Take a walk. 9. Recognize patterns in nature. 10. Come back and tell me what number 4 is.

1

Why does investing in women in tech fuel innovation? In this article, discover how diversity in tech not only enhances creativity but also boosts economic performance. Learn more about the significant benefits of supporting female talent in the technology sector. #womenintech #innovation #diversityintech #techindustry #focusgts

9

1 Comment

I'm proud to build products that supercharge the work of nonprofits around the world. From healthcare, to education, to humanitarian aid, Twilio.org is now partnered with over 20,000 social impact organizations supporting 546M people annually with our products. What's even more exciting is it feels like just the beginning. Our R&D team is currently working on new product capabilities that make every component of Twilio's Engagement Platform — comms + data + AI — work even better for the social sector. We're asking critical questions like: "What does it mean to personalize engagement for a *patient* rather than a customer? How might our technology need to be augmented to support these different audiences?" This line of thinking is leading us down some really promising product innovation paths. I'm looking forward to sharing more in the coming months! In the meantime, check out the Twilio.org 2023 Impact Report!

9

2 Comments

Discover the lessons motherhood has taught leaders of tech teams in celebration of Mother's Day in my latest for The CTO Club:

12

Building relationships, especially cross-functionally, is one of the soft skills a product leader needs to have to be successful. As a leader, understanding, creating and cultivating those relationships, actually, at any level is so important as you make some of these bold moves. 

8

1 Comment

$$ Billions are spent each year on diversity, equity and inclusion programs with mixed/questionable results. There were questions about their success before the Supreme Court's decision to overturn affirmative action programs in schools. To have a more inclusive corporate culture, you must establish a culture of civility. Based upon numerous studies over the last twenty years, there is no doubt that people with high emotional intelligence are more likely to be more inclusive, and successful in their personal and professional lives. Corporations need to integrate emotional intelligence training with DEI training to make the huge investment being made payoff - a more harmonious, productive, and innovative organizational environment. Now more than we must embrace the fact that Civility Matters! For more info and links to informative articles - https://lnkd.in/ejXnwjg8

1

DEI needs to get back on track. After a rapid build-up following the summer of 2020, initiatives have stalled and been slashed or abandoned. Leaders on an SXSW panel titled “The Fight for DEI” suggest the following to bring meaningful movement to DEI programs once again. ⚡Start from a genuine place. Embed the motivation for DEI in the company's values. Investment in the programs needs to be intrinsic, and not forced. ⚡Recognize that DEI is not charity, it’s good business.  ⚡Support your DEI leaders. The work itself is emotionally exhausting, and lack of support from stakeholders multiplies that. https://lnkd.in/gftWYNMu

7

Pioneering Pathways: Women Entrepreneurs Shaping Colorado’s Business Landscape Colorado stands as a beacon of opportunity and innovation for female business leaders. Women entrepreneurs are leaving an indelible mark on Colorado’s vibrant business landscape, accounting for nearly 45% of the state’s small businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2021 profile. So, quite significantly, Colorado’s commitment to fostering female entrepreneurship has propelled it to the forefront of women-led startups, holding the prestigious No. 1 spot for three consecutive years. Boulder and Denver serve as powerful hubs for women entrepreneurs, attracting substantial investments and support for startups. Over the past five years, Colorado’s women-led startups have received a staggering $3.3 billion in funding, highlighting the confidence and enthusiasm surrounding female-led ventures in the state. Additionally, Colorado ranks seventh overall as one of the best states to start a business in 2024, boasting a pro-business environment and a spirit of collaboration that fosters industry growth and success. In every industry and sector, women in Colorado are breaking barriers and redefining traditional roles. From CEOs and startup founders to strategists and employees, women are driving innovation and setting new standards of excellence. The state’s wealth of resources, coupled with a culture of risk-taking and community support, provides female entrepreneurs with the tools and opportunities needed to thrive in their endeavours. Access to mentors and a robust network of industry partners further enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem, making Colorado an ideal destination for women to launch and grow their businesses. As women continue to chart new paths and blaze trails in Colorado’s business landscape, their impact reverberates far beyond individual enterprises, inspiring the next generation of female leaders and innovators to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. #WomenEntrepreneurs #ColoradoBusiness #InnovationInAction Read my story SheatWork - https://shorturl.at/cevz1

3

More on "Compressed Time Frames" Here's the simple key to Compressed Time Frames: if you have limited resources to expend (time, manpower, money, etc.), expending them in a compressed time frame will normally get an increased result. Page 31, Principled Leadership.

1