The Rise And Fall Of Ellen Pao [Storydeck]

Never heard of Ellen “Chairman Pao”?

Then you must be quite unaware of the heated debates surrounding her experiences which have rocked the business world since early 2015.

And the issues at hand address two of the most insidious socio-cultural characteristics of 21^st century life – workplace gender discrimination and the internet’s mob mentality.

As a graduate from Harvard and Princeton, Ellen Pao joined KPCB in 2005. After roughly ten years of varied business experience, she entered this prestigious group as Technical Chief of Staff to notable partner John Doerr.

Yet, after ending an affair into which she had been pressured, her once-promising career trajectory instead ended with her suing KPCB over allegations of gender discrimination by 2012.

After her eventual dismissal from KPCB, Pao joined the infamous Reddit as a Business Partnership Strategist. And, by 2014, she had replaced the previous CEO on the throne of the “Face of the Internet”.

Her first major call to action? Clean up Reddit – pursuant to which five subreddits dedicated to fat shaming, racism, and other unsavory activities were closed. What a horrid human being, trying to censor freedom on the internet, right?

Well, if you agree with that sentiment, you would find kin in scores of Redditors who took up arms against “Chairman Pao” for daring to step between the users and their unbridled freedom of expression.

This hatred eventually exploded in a wave of death threats after Reddit’s Talent and Communication Director was fired from her job without official cause.

Following the mass revolt subsequently orchestrated by Redditors, Pao eventually stepped down from her post – amidst board members labelling the behavior of segments among the Redditor community as “shameful”.

Called an “Anita Hill” moment by some women in tech, the trials and tribulations of Ellen Pao show the uglier side of women’s treatment in business and the online world.

Thus, in order to succinctly portray the nuances and aftermath of both these incidents, we have prepared a comprehensive storydeck on Ellen Pao’s ups and downs.

CakeHR presents for your analysis: “The Rise and Fall of Ellen Pao – Perpetrator or Victim?”

Recently chosen as the “Editors’ Pick”, “Hot on Facebook” & “Top Presentation of the Day” on SlideShare, this acclaimed storydeck has resonated with scores of visitors to the famous presentation website.

But, what do you think about the effect of these trends in professional life around you?

For full story click here.

Aniket.