Two years ago, in 2023, the Women at commercetools ERG started as an idea, a spark of a community built to champion the careers and lives of women here. In our first year, we set the foundation: rolling out extended parental leave, creating rhythms for our events and brainstorming possibilities. But, in 2024? Oh, we outdid ourselves. Honestly, we didn’t just meet the goals we set, we smashed them.
Here, we walk through the highlights, goals, and wins that made this year so extraordinary.
First, the Numbers
This year, our membership grew by an impressive 60%, bringing us to 153 active members. That’s 153 people actively showing up for one another. Our quarterly community calls saw an average of 50 attendees, often with C-level executives in the mix—not just showing up, but actively participating. This kind of growth and engagement reminds us why this work matters: creating a space where mentorship, collaboration and connection thrive.
Career Development: Lifting Each Other Up
At the heart of everything we do is one mission: helping women at commercetools own their careers, rise together and crush their goals. This year, we brought it to life in ways we couldn’t have imagined.
Workshops that mattered
From strategic negotiation skills (thank you, Cynthia Barnes!) to demystifying investment strategies with Female Invest, and tackling imposter syndrome head-on, our workshops were about real tools for real growth. And the attendance numbers? Record-breaking. Investing 101 saw 60 participants with standout ally engagement.
HERizon leadership program
This program was a defining moment. It supports a cohort of emerging female leaders, giving them the platform and skills to step into leadership roles. Shoutout to our DEIB team for spearheading this game-changer.
Expanding hiring pools
With collaborations like Code First Girls and partnerships with platforms like Pink Jobs, we worked with the People team to make sure our hiring practices reflect the diversity we want to see at commercetools.
Engagement & visibility: A year of connection
A standout moment? The Women at commercetools Awards. With 25+ nominations, 134 votes and over 100 comments, we celebrated women making waves in mentorship, innovation and leadership.
The winners were nothing short of inspiring:
Mentorship Excellence: Nina Jonker-Völker, VP Sales APAC
Rising Star: Jenny Hentrich, Team Lead Composable Commerce Support
Innovation Leadership: Marina Ilina, Principal Engineer - Cloud Architecture
It wasn’t just about the winners; it was about spotlighting the everyday brilliance of women across commercetools.
Signing the Women in MACH manifesto
This year, we proudly joined the global Women in MACH initiative by signing the Women in MACH manifesto. This commitment symbolizes our dedication to fostering equality, representation and opportunity for women in the MACH ecosystem. The event itself was electric — full of energy, purpose and a clear message that the future of MACH includes everyone.
Building an ally community
This year, we got real about allyship. We opened up our Slack channel to allies, made workshops accessible to the entire company and teamed up with other ERGs like Bl@ck Leaders to amplify voices and create more inclusive spaces. The message was unmistakable: empowering women uplifts everyone.
Looking Ahead
We’re proud, yes. But, we’re not done. There’s still work to do, and 2024 showed us just how much we’re capable of when we work together.
To every woman at commercetools: your contributions, resilience and vision inspire us daily. To our allies: thank you for standing alongside us. Here’s to breaking more barriers, rewriting more rules and building a future where everyone belongs.
Bring on 2025; this is just the beginning.
Alba, Jacky and Marlies
Alba Muñoz is an accomplished Partner Marketing Manager at commercetools, driving impactful co-marketing initiatives with key partners to generate pipeline and foster collaboration. A champion of inclusivity and leadership development, Alba is also one of the lead coordinators of the "Women at commercetools" employee resource group, dedicated to promoting inclusivity and empowerment across the organization.