Digital Shelf Insider · 2026-06-16 · 23 min
Women make up a massive share of consumer purchasing decisions. So why are they still underrepresented in the boardrooms of the brands they buy from? In this episode of Digital Shelf Insider, host Shreshta Joy sits down with Kierstin Rielly , CEO of Women on Boards Project , to unpack why gender diversity in consumer brand boardrooms is not a supply problem but a demand problem. With 8,000 qualified women in their database and only 77 placements, Kierstin explains how the real bottleneck sits with investors, founders, and CEOs who control the open seats. This is a different kind of Digital Shelf Insider episode. It is for the women in the brand world. And for the decision makers who should be listening. Kierstin shares how Women on Boards Project works exclusively within the consumer vertical, placing women on for-profit private company boards across CPG, apparel, consumer tech, healthcare tech, and four-wall businesses. She breaks down the myths holding first-time board members back, why the term "board ready" needs to go, and what Malcolm Gladwell's "magic third" concept means for stronger boardroom decision-making.
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