We remove barriers, build communities, and empower women | | |
As we close out the academic year, our center is grateful to our partner organizations and community for your continued support. We are proud to share recent research on mid-career pivots, the workplace mental load, and what mothers need most—spoiler alert: a momcation!
In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for applications for our impactful G.R.O.W. mid-career mentoring program, as well as our fall programming calendar.
We hope you are finding time to pause, reflect, and recharge this summer.
Thank you for being part of this community—we look forward to staying connected in the months ahead.
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Why are so many women leaving mid-career roles to start their own businesses?
Research by Krystal Duarte and Lisa Kaplowitz, featured in Fast Company, shows that many women don’t plan to become entrepreneurs. Instead, they pivot after years in traditional careers due to misalignment, especially when rigid work structures clash with caregiving responsibilities.
While entrepreneurship often brings greater risk and fewer safety nets, it also offers something many corporate roles don’t: control and flexibility. As a result, high-performing women aren’t opting out of work. They’re opting out of systems that weren’t built for their reality.
At CWIB, we champion entrepreneurship while also advocating for workplaces that better support and retain women.
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For many women, work does not begin when the meeting starts.
It begins with anticipating reactions, managing perceptions, softening language, remembering birthdays, navigating office dynamics, and carrying the invisible emotional and cognitive labor that keeps workplaces functioning.
This “mental load” is often discussed in the context of caregiving and home life, but it also exists at work shaping burnout, advancement, leadership visibility, and employee well-being.
CWIB’s article published in Psychology Today explores how the mental load influences women’s workplace experiences.
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Our Mother’s Day research, published in Fast Company, found that the gift mothers crave most is time.
The data reveals the load moms still carry:
- The "Me Time" Gap: Mothers of school-aged kids (5–12) are 2.4x more likely than fathers to want time for themselves.
- The Mental Load: Nearly 40% of mothers end up making their own Mother’s Day reservations.
- The Reality Check: For moms with kids under 4, only 1 in 10 expect to get "me time," even though nearly 3x as many want it.
At the Rutgers Center for Women in Business, we found that mothers aren't just looking for a break; they need relief from the invisible, constant mental load of managing a household.
Next time families are looking for a gift for mom, consider skipping the trinkets and give her a "momcation": true relief from the clock and the constant decision-making.
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Fear rarely shows up at work as panic. More often, it appears as overthinking, hesitation, people-pleasing, or the pressure to get everything exactly right. Over time, these patterns create internal “noise” that can cloud judgment, influence decisions, and quietly affect our mental health.
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, business psychologist Dr. Jena Booher explored the core fears that shape behavior at work and influence how we interpret risk, feedback, and opportunity. Missed it live? Watch the recap, where Dr. Booher drew on her research on psychological courage to share practical ways to separate signal from noise and make clearer decisions under pressure.
Thank you to Dr. Jenna Booher, Laura DuPoux, MBA, and sponsor Sanofi.
| | G.R.O.W. Mentoring Program | | |
Ready to G.R.O.W.?
Our virtual G.R.O.W. mentoring program is back and applications open mid-July!
This program focuses on supporting mid-career women as they advance through their careers. Cohorts of 8-10 mentees meet for (5) hour-long sessions and are carefully structured to include mentees from diverse backgrounds, functions and industries. Curated readings and videos, guided 1:1 conversations within the cohort and individual coaching sessions with mentors supplement the synchronous sessions.
If you're ready to elevate your career and expand your network, this is your moment to get further involved with our center.
Stay tuned as applications open soon!
| | Celebrating the CWIB Interns, Class of 2026! | |
Congratulations to Rutgers Business School’s graduating seniors and our dedicated interns: Chloe Tirino, Japleen Kaur, Habiba Sultan, Danielle Panton, and Vanshika Agrawal (not pictured).
We are grateful for the meaningful contributions they’ve made to support mid-career professionals and strengthen the CWIB community.
They have already demonstrated thoughtful, driven leadership, and we are confident they will continue to lead with purpose, confidence, and integrity beyond Rutgers. We are incredibly proud of all they’ve accomplished and excited to see what’s ahead!
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Looking for ways to engage with the CWIB community and help us advance our mission? There are so many ways — whether it is being a mentor, mentee or partnering with CWIB’s programming and research team for impact within your company.
Email us at women@business.rutgers.edu to connect with us and explore ways we can work together!
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