I came of age in the wake of women who had fought their way into rooms we were once told we didn’t belong in—women who championed equal rights, equity in pay, Title IX, and access to reproductive health care. They cracked open doors so women like me could walk through them. And I did: from investment banking to museum curator, to tech innovator. My career was a series of pivots fueled by determination and an unshakeable belief that I could learn anything and figure it out along the way.

But after 30-plus years I found myself stepping away from a company I had co-founded—one that blended my lifelong passions for art, education, and technology. Starting a tech company in this space was both energizing and daunting for myriad reasons. But I loved the entrepreneurial challenge and creativity, and for the first time, I was building something from the ground up that had meaning and resonance for me. Walking away marked a major milestone—one of those moments that forces you to take stock of who you are and who you want to become next.

I suddenly found myself in unfamiliar terrain—a gray zone where the next step wasn’t obvious and the confidence that had propelled me for decades felt less steady. For the first time in a long time, there was no map. I spent long stretches cycling between determination and doubt, willing the next opportunity to appear yet feeling frustrated when merit and persistence didn’t open doors. It was disorienting to realize that the rules had changed—that organizations didn’t always know what to do with women whose experience didn’t fit a single, tidy narrative.

I know many of you reading this have your own versions of this moment—that jolt when the world looks at everything you’ve built and says it doesn’t quite fit.

My family has always been my grounding force. But equally important to my identity—critical, really—has been my work. It was where I expressed my creativity, intellectual curiosity, and drive. Looking for a role that engaged the whole of me at this stage of life felt very different from the world I entered decades earlier, when the professional landscape for women was far narrower.

The opportunity to build something meaningful—something that could change the experience of midlife for millions of women—was galvanizing. Today, as a co-founder of The Meraki Dignity Project, I’m proud to help build an empowering, secure, trustworthy platform designed with women at the center. A personalized dashboard. Evidence-based resources. Tools to help you find clarity. A space created not to tell you who to be, but to help you navigate who you’re becoming.

If you’re standing at your own crossroads, wondering what comes next, you’re not alone. Let’s figure this out together.

Learn more about The Meraki Dignity Project. Join us here.

‍

by Elizabeth L. Reede
Co-Founder
The Meraki Dignity Project