TheBoardlist
| Company type | Benefit Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology, Recruitment |
| Founded | July 2015 |
| Founder | Sukhinder Singh Cassidy |
| Headquarters | Atherton , United States |
Area served | United States, Europe |
| Products | Digital talent platform for board director recruitment |
| Website | theboardlist |
theBoardlist is a digital talent platform designed to connect CEOs with peer-recommended women candidates qualified for board director roles in both private and public companies. Established in July 2015 by technology leader and entrepreneur Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, theBoardlist functions as a Benefit Corporation based in Atherton, California, catering to clients across the United States and Europe.
The organization’s primary goal is to boost female participation on corporate boards, focusing especially on the technology industry, where studies indicate that 75-78% of private tech firms do not have any women serving on their boards. theBoardlist addresses the needs of three key groups: CEOs, founders, and investors seeking board members; executives who endorse female candidates; and women leaders who have received endorsements. By April 2016, the platform was facilitating over 80 active board searches, supported by more than 500 endorsing executives recommending upwards of 1,100 women leaders.
Support for the platform comes from sponsors such as Silicon Valley Bank, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and Reed Smith LLP, alongside corporate partners including eBay and Marketo.
History
In May 2015, Singh Cassidy authored “Tech Women Choose Possibility,” an open appeal encouraging the tech sector to expedite advancement for women by utilizing the existing pool of female talent. This letter, co-signed by 59 women entrepreneurs and investors in technology, was grounded in research involving 230 female tech founders and CEOs.
Identifying a chance to enhance female representation on tech company boards by streamlining CEO access to qualified women candidates, Singh Cassidy introduced theBoardlist (beta) on July 15, 2015. The initial roster featured over 600 women endorsed by 50 investors and CEOs from notable firms such as Accel Partners, Greylock Partners, Twitter, Lyft, and Box.
On October 20, 2015, theBoardlist celebrated its first successful placement of a woman onto a private tech company board. The platform left beta phase with a public launch on February 2, 2016, unveiling a redesigned website at www.theboardlist.com and simultaneously initiating its beta rollout in Europe.