Ellen Connelly Taaffe
Clinical associate professor and the director of Women's Leadership Programming at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management
Deepa Purushothaman
Former senior executive at Deloitte and author, speaker, and founder of multiple businesses
The Mirrored Door: What Blocks Women’s Careers
BONUS AFTER-HOURS EVENT: Attendees who purchase a copy of The Mirrored Door from FAN’s partner bookseller The Book Stall are invited to attend an AFTER-HOURS event hosted by Taaffe that will start immediately after the webinar. Details on the webinar registration page.
At some point in their careers, many women encounter the “mirrored door” ― the place where, when presented with opportunities, they reflect inward and hesitate, deem they’re not ready or worthy enough to move forward, whether that is to raise their hands or go for the next role. But there is a way to overcome the gendered expectations that girls and women internalize over our lifetimes that create a hidden barrier that keeps them from reaching their full potential.
In her new book The Mirrored Door: Break Through the Hidden Barrier that Locks Successful Women in Place, Ellen Connelly Taaffe, clinical associate professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, draws on research, stories from her own career, and those of her students and the mid-late career women she has coached. She explains why the five perils of success ― preparing to perfection, being eager to please, trying to fit the mold, pushing too hard, and patiently performing and expecting rewards to follow ― get women to a certain level, and then may prevent them taking the next step in their careers as expectations rise. She offers a new, empowering framework for navigating the challenges of the workplace with more awareness and expertise.
Taaffe is the director of Women’s Leadership Programming at Kellogg and serves as a director on several boards. She will be in conversation with Deepa Purushothaman, a former senior executive at Deloitte and author, speaker, and founder of multiple businesses. Her debut book, The First, The Few, The Only, was published to international acclaim in 2022. She recently founded the re.write, an unconventional think tank advancing a new story of work. She is also an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School.
This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded and available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.
Event Sponsors
- The Avery Coonley School
- Baker Demonstration School
- Beacon Academy
- Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School
- British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park
- British International School of Chicago, South Loop
- Chicago Jewish Day School
- Compass Health Center
- Countryside Day School
- The Cove School
- Evanston Scholars
- Evanston Township High School D202
- Family Service Center
- The Frances Xavier Warde School
- Francis W. Parker School
- Glencoe D35
- Gorton Center
- Grayslake Community High School D127
- Haven Youth and Family Services
- Hyde Park Day School
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Kenilworth D38
- Lake Forest Academy
- Lake Forest Country Day School
- Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools
- Latin School of Chicago
- Leo Catholic High School
- Loyola Academy
- Lycée Français de Chicago
- Magnetar Capital
- Mindful Psychology Associates PC
- Morgan Park Academy
- New Trier High School D203
- New Trier Parents’ Association
- North Shore Country Day
- Northwestern University Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations
- Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
- Rebel Human
- Regina Dominican College Preparatory High School
- Resurrection College Prep High School
- Rogers Park Montessori School
- Roycemore School
- Sacred Heart Schools
- Santa Clara University School of Law
- Science & Arts Academy
- The Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School
- Stevenson High School D125
- University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
- Wilmette Public Library
- Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District
- Wintrust Bank
- Wolcott College Prep
- Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
- Youth & Opportunity United (Y.O.U.)
Upcoming Events
The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions
Michael Norton, Ph.D.
Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Sam Sommers, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Racial Equity and Diversity Lab at Tufts University
ON ZOOM
