Episode 23: Promoting Safety and Inclusivity with Jane Henry
In episode 23 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Jane Henry, founder of SeeHerWork, a safety consultancy and product manufacturing company that designs workwear, safety equipment, and other job-specific products sized to the unique body needs of both women and men.
By introducing properly fitting clothing and equipment, Henry says employers can promote safety in the industry, create more inclusive work environments for women, and address the workforce shortages that exist today.
Henry’s background begins as a Division 1 Collegiate Athlete where she learned clothing and equipment matter to performing at a high level. Yet, as she says, “I spent 20 years in the oil and gas industry dealing with ill-fitting personal protective work clothing and equipment (also known as PPE).” It was not until Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, when she was forced to use the gear on a day-to-day basis, that she was inspired to start her company.
Henry’s career began as a consultant with Accenture. She founded her first company in 2002, Xcution, a consultancy specializing in cultural transformations within the workforce. Post-Hurricane Harvey recovery, Henry researched the breadth and depth of the ill-fitting work clothing and equipment issue, unearthing information going back 50 years where women talked about how PEE did not fit; thus, leaving women feeling as if they were not a part of the team, and eventually leaving their roles.
Today, Henry works with employers to establish programs supporting safe and inclusive work environments. She speaks to groups about challenges many entrepreneurs face in implementing their ideas, and how to overcome what she calls “The Natural Human Instinct to Resist Change.”
Support the SeeHerWork IndieGoGo Campaign here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/seeherwork/coming_soon