The First, the Few, the Only

Axiom Award Bronze Medalist for Women / BIPOC in Business Vice President Kamala Harris’s historic campaign highlights the distinct challenges women of color face when they step into leadership roles. This book is a call to action for women of color to find power from within and to join together in community to demand acceptance on their own terms. Women of color comprise one of the fastest-growing segments in the corporate workforce, yet often we are underrepresented—among the first, few, or only ones in a department or company. For too long, corporate structures, social zeitgeist, and cultural conditioning have left us feeling exhausted and downtrodden, believing that in order to “fit in” and be successful, we must hide or change who we are. As a former senior partner at a large global services firm, Deepa Purushothaman experienced these feelings of isolation and burnout. She met with hundreds of other women of color across industries and cultural backgrounds, eager to hear about