Feature 2021

23. The Gender Pay Gap Around Equity Compensation with Brooke Harley



According to a study by Rutgers Institute, 24% of male employees hold employer stock options while only 17% of female employees do. 

Looking at it from a dollars and cents perspective, in 2018, the average value of a stock option for a male employee was $104,902 compared to $26,361 for a woman. 

These staggering numbers made it imperative to jump back into our series on stock compensation much sooner than planned. In this episode, Malcolm Ethridge is joined by Brooke Harley, founder and CEO of Class Rebel, as they talk about the gender disparity in owning equity, and how to negotiate for more. 

Brooke discusses: 

  • The advantage individuals who attended elite colleges have when raising money for their startups
  • Why she’s always focused negotiations on how much equity she’d receive over salary compensation
  • The idea that it might be easier to negotiate with your employer for more stock rather than cash when going up for a promotion
  • Courses that Class Rebel is introducing to help women understand how to negotiate their equity package
  • Reasons that women might be overlooked or offered less when it comes to stock options
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Brooke Harley:

Connect With Malcolm Ethridge:

About Our Guest:

Before launching ClassRebel, Brooke Harley founded a venture fund in 2014, raising $32 million from 50 consumer industry founders, CEOs and executives for investment in early stage brands. She has evaluated hundreds of private investments.