Ashley Bernhard, Profiled by We Rule (September 2018)

ASHLEY BERNHARD: FOUNDER @ HAVEN HILL

I stay motivated by… the responsibility to make the world a better place.
Three adjectives that describe me are… organized, loyal, positive
If I could have dinner with one person it would be… Ruth Bader Ginsbergbecause she looks at women’s equality with a broad perspective and  knows and promotes that in order to move the needle, men have to be part of the solution.  
The most exciting innovation to me is… FaceTime!  I love connecting with people, and this has  been a game-changer for me.
I am a  social impact consultant focused on women's leadership, equality and empowerment initiatives. I consider myself to be an “equalist” specializing in working with both men and women to promote  gender equality inspiring the next generation of leaders.
How did you come up with your business idea? What inspired you?
I served as the Deputy Chairman of the Professional Squash Association, and while I was in that position, I devoted a lot of time and energy to advocate for and support the women’s division.  In 4 short years we were able to roll out equal prize money at our top level tournaments.  One thing led to another, and I moved on to start consulting in the equality/leadership/empowerment space.  
What were you doing before this?  How did it prepare you for the entrepreneurial life? 
Before launching Haven Hill, I was on a long break from the working world to raise our three children.  If you ever need a course in being an entrepreneur, raising kids is the way to go ~ every day is different and no one is sitting you down for a review or giving you a regular paycheck!
Who is the one super successful person you look up to? Why them? Can you share their quote/ideology that inspires you the most?
Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsi.  She leads with strength and grace and did not sacrifice her femininity when in the #1 seat.  
"At the end of the day, don't forget that you're a person, don't forget you're a mother, don't forget you're a wife, don't forget you're a daughter.”
"To be a CEO is a calling," she said in 2007. "You should not do it because it is a job. It is a calling and you have got to be involved in it with your head, heart and hands. Your heart has got to be in the job, you have got to love what you do, it consumes you.” In this quote you could easily interchange CEO with Entrepreneur!
What is your biggest dream? Why?
Describe your biggest vision for your business. My biggest dream is to help move the needle on equality.  The World Economic Forum’s research predicts that the world will not see equality for women (education, healthcare, pay etc) for 100 years.  That shocks me and is the first thing I think of when I wake up each morning.  I want to help the corporate world see that investing in women is not just the right thing to do but the SMART thing to do.  The data all points in the same direction - when businesses invest in women, everything goes up: revenue, customer satisfaction, employee retention creativity etc.  On a very basic data-driven level, it is a no-brainer to invest in, support and retain women in your group/division/company.