Krissy Gately is a rising senior on the Wesleyan softball team, having played in 79 games (78 starts) throughout her career recording 47 hits, nine doubles, and 22 RBI. Hear from Krissy, in her own words, the work she is doing this summer as an intern with The Fourth Floor:
I am a rising senior and had the fantastic opportunity of being a captain of the Wesleyan softball team as a junior this past season. This privilege allowed me to grow not only as a leader on the team but also as an individual in the real world. I found myself branching out past my comfort zone and truly pushing myself when it came to sports, academics, and my future goals.
During the spring, while balancing softball, captainship, and classes, I wanted to plan a summer for myself that would equally benefit me as it would interest me. As a government major, I am used to using my voice and advocating for things that I believe in, but I wanted to push myself in a different direction this summer. I have always been extremely interested in the business world, and, specifically, how women are represented in corporate America. Over the course of my time at Wesleyan, I have studied the ways in which women are represented in the political and economic spheres, and I have seen how gender equity does not exist as it should when discussing women and the workplace.
With this in mind, I wanted to find an opportunity this summer where I could advocate for, argue, and support a cause that I truly believed in. Fortunately, I found this reality with my current internship. After long hours of research, I came across a company called The Fourth Floor (soon to be the Fourth Effect). The Fourth Floor is a marketplace for women-owned businesses to match with board-ready women and investors. As a company, the Fourth Floor aims to close the gender power, wealth, and funding gaps in our modern society, while also creating a place that is efficient and cost-effective for those who want to disrupt the traditional board search process.
In its very structure, The Fourth Floor overcomes the systemic barriers that have disallowed women from being a part of the board candidate pipeline. This online marketplace fostered by The Fourth Floor contains an online community that includes a Board Seat Exchange, Job Board, Membership Community, and Private Investment Club. Being a part of this amazing company allows me to engage with approximately 800 ecosystem companies, 1,500 plus board-ready women, and over 100 women-led funds.
During this internship, I can manage social media accounts, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, while also having the opportunity to aid the company in the process of rebranding, launching crowdfunding campaigns, and hosting general counsel roundtables. Additionally, I have the privilege to attend networking events, fireside chats, and board boot camps all hosted by The Fourth Floor.
The beauty of this internship is that I get to advocate for a cause that I care so deeply for, and I simultaneously gain hands-on experience in all aspects of the business realm. Being a government major at Wesleyan has taught me how to be passionate about things that I feel strongly about, and this internship is showing me how to transform these passions into actions.
I am extremely thankful for this amazing opportunity and for The Fourth Floor's embrace of me as one of its own. The lessons that I am learning this summer will not only fuel my future interests but will also drive how I want to take strives in making positive changes in the world.
