Page 35 - Entrepreneur-November 2018

Jon Schlossberg Fatima Goss Graves
Cofounder and CEO/ Even Cofounder/Time’s Up Legal
Bold move/ Solving our Defense Fund
workforce’s greatest challenge Bold move/ Heading into battle
for women everywhere
bout 78 percent of Americans
A live paycheck to paycheck, n October 2017, allegations of
which makes them vulnerable to I Harvey Weinstein’s repeated
payday lenders and overdraft fees. sexual abuse and harassment led to
“Those businesses are hurting a chorus of #MeToo stories from
people,” says Jon Schlossberg. He women across the country.

envisioned a platform that would Household- name actresses, direc-
help people budget, save, and get tors, and writers—including Eva
an advance on their paychecks Longoria, Shonda Rhimes, and
without punishing interest rates. America Ferrera—then came
That would require working with together to form the Time’s Up
employers and banks—and in movement to fight continued abuse.
December 2017, he got his test And because they wanted to help
case: Walmart made his app, Even, women far beyond the Hollywood
available to its employees. More Hills, they enlisted someone they
than 250,000 people signed up, and trusted to never stop fighting: Fatima
75 percent use it every week. Now Goss Graves, the CEO of the
other companies want it—and Even National Women’s Law Center. Goss
is hustling to meet the demand. Graves helped form the Time’s Up
Legal Defense Fund, which provides
legal assistance to women in need.
“Since launching [in January 2018],
P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F T I M E S U P N O W ( G R AV E S ) ; P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F U B E R ( K H O S R O W S H A H I )
we’ve heard from more than 3,500
individuals seeking our assistance,”
P H O T O G R A P H B Y K E I T H J O H N S O N ( O R R S O N ) ; P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F E V E N . C O M ( S C H L O S S B E R G ) ;
she says. “To give perspective, in
October 2017 we received about
20 calls a week about harassment—
and we thought that was a lot.” It
goes to show, she says, that this is
not an isolated problem but an ongo- Dara Khosrowshahi
ing one that needs a significant CEO/ Uber
Emily Orrson amount of support. The fund has Bold move/ Taking on tech’s biggest PR challenge
raised $22 million and assembled a
Senior product marketing
network of 700 attorneys, but there’s n 2017, when Dara Khosrowshahi first heard about the CEO oppor-
manager/ Minecraft
still work to do. “As large a number as tunity at Uber, he wasn’t interested. His predecessor, cofounder
Bold move/ Asking gamers to
$22 million is, it’s not enough to meet Travis Kalanick, had resigned amid a host of scandals including a
step out of the game
the need," she says. So Goss Graves toxic work culture, systemic sexual harassment, and a customer
an video games save the and her team are working to activate boycott in response to Kalanick’s seat on President Trump’s
C ocean? Emily Orrson thinks it’s their supporters. “We obviously have economic advisory council. Khosrowshahi knew it would be a lot
worth a shot. When Minecraft—the not reached a place where institu- to take on, and a lot to clean up. And anyway, he was happy in his
online video game in which users tions have made the sorts of reform current position at Expedia. But talking things over with a friend
create 3-D worlds—introduced an systematically so that we aren’t going changed his mind. Khosrowshahi realized that pivoting to lead
ocean-themed update this year, the to deal with this kind of abuse and I Uber wasn’t about being “happy”—it was about doing something
product marketing manager saw an these kinds of stories again and great. “My career advice to people has always been: Look for opportu-
opportunity to do even more. She again,” she says. “So we continue to nities where you can make a difference at companies that are making
launched the Coral Crafters project engage with donors, including small a difference in the world,” Khosrowshahi says. “Uber clearly checked
and partnered with gamers, You- donors. I’ve been most impressed both boxes.” Now, just more than a year later, Khosrowshahi has
Tubers, and an elementary class in with people who have gotten used employee input to create a new list of cultural values and hired
Monterrey, Mexico, to design real-life together in small groups and held the company’s first ethics officer. He has also directed efforts toward
structures that were placed off the their own fund-raisers to support bettering Uber’s damaged relationship with the public through ads
Cozumel coast. They’re made from us.” Donations have been in quanti- emphasizing the company’s new direction and the implementation of
Biorock, a material that can regen- ties as small as $5 or $10, she an in-app emergency button for customers. Khosrowshahi is attempt-
erate coral. “Minecraft players are says, but every penny counts—and ing to orchestrate one of the highest-profile company turnarounds in
already using the game to code and makes a strong statement. “What tech history, and he now has his eye on taking Uber public—possibly
design public spaces,” says Orrson. they’re doing with that small dona- as soon as 2019. “You need to make big, bold bets, even if it some-
“This is an opportunity to engage tion is saying, ‘I want to be a part times means failing,” he says. “[That’s] how companies avoid being
that initiative.” of change,’ ” she says. disrupted—you have to be willing to disrupt yourself.”

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