Meet a Robinhoodie: Sheilesha Willis
Welcome to our series “Meet a Robinhoodie”! Each post, we ask a Robinhood employee about their path to Sherwood Forest and why they joined.
Sheilesha Willis is a Business Partner for the Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging team based in Los Angeles, California. Now, let’s get to know her!
Why did you join Robinhood?
There are many reasons why I joined Robinhood so it might be easier to provide reasons why I wouldn’t join Robinhood (spoiler alert: there were none 😉). In all seriousness, Robinhood’s mission is directly aligned with my personal purpose and values. I received my PhD in Organizational Behavior with a focus on inclusive leadership and then spent a significant portion of my career focused on employee well-being, including how to enhance financial well-being across cultures and communities. I was thrilled to find a company that I could work for that would enable me to focus on not only improving inclusion and equity in the workplace but across communities outside of Robinhood. The people at Robinhood are second to none and that was very apparent during my interview process and has proved to be the case now that I’m part of the organization. Robinhood had me at hello — the mission, the people, the culture, and the passion.
Tell us about your career growth so far at Robinhood.
I am a lifelong learner so Robinhood has afforded me the unique opportunity to learn and grow everyday. No two days are the same and there’s always a new project I get to work on or a new team I get to work with. I learn so much from each of the projects and teams I work on. Plus, I get to work with our amazing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) who constantly inspire and amaze me. They are the true MVPs.
What’s one project you’re proud of?
I genuinely love my role and take pride in the work we do as a company so it’s hard to pick one. If I had to pick the project I’m most proud of, it would be working with our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to drive connection and awareness across communities by amplifying the needs and voices of underserved communities both internally and externally. Each month, I partner with our ERGs, Talent Brand team, and Communications team to amplify important historical and cultural moments, what it means to the impacted communities, and how each of us can become better allies to our fellow Robinhoodies and customers. It’s really meaningful work and our ERGs drive immense impact across the business year round — so I’m always thrilled to see how the company embraces our ERG communities and coalesces to disrupt the barriers they face.
Our mission is to democratize finance for all. What does our mission mean to you?
Our mission means opening doors for all communities to thrive — not just economically, but in all aspects of their lives. Finances are a significant source of stress for so many families and communities and I aspire to live in a world where there isn’t such disparity in who has access to financial well-being. Unfortunately, that isn’t reality, so I am motivated by the opportunity I’ve been given to work at Robinhood and help create paths to increase and diversify access to finance and tech careers.
What is your favorite Robinhood value?
Participation is Power — when I think about the systemic barriers to financial freedom and employment that many groups have historically faced and how those opportunities could have impacted various areas of not only wealth, but health and well-being, it empowers me to do the work that I’m doing. We should all be given the same opportunities regardless of our identities.
How do you celebrate Women’s History Month?
Women are amazing and I try to celebrate women everyday. This year, I’ve committed to taking moments throughout the month to just be in the moment, reflect on women’s achievements, and show gratitude for the women who have had such a significant impact on me personally and professionally. Additionally, I am celebrating Women’s History Month in a more non-traditional way in focusing on my own self-care. Women are often so busy doing and caring for others that we forget to fill up our own tank (or at least I do).
Quick Facts!
What did you want to be when you grew up? Doctor (although not an MD, I did get a PhD)
Favorite snack? Fruit with Tajin and Chamoy
Any pets? A dog named Baxter 🐶
Unique Hobby? Singing, writing, cooking
Favorite Robinhood group? All of them 🙂
Dream superpower? Ability to help ALL people value their and other people’s differences and see them as strengths
How has our Future of Work plans to be remote-first empowered and enabled you personally and professionally?
Working from home is a game changer for me as a mother. It allows me to be present for all of my daughter’s important moments and events. It also allows me to spend quality time with her and grab cuddles throughout the day — which is my absolute favorite thing to do. Beyond these moments, I hope I am able to provide her with an example of what she’s able to achieve professionally when she gets older. Women are powerful — the ultimate superheroes — and I hope she knows that I’m working away to build a better future for her and her peers.
Robinhood being a remote-first company empowers me to be fully present — at work and at home. This gives me permission and the autonomy to manage my personal and professional responsibilities in a way that works for me and my daughter and I’m so very grateful for that. I really value the flexibility and the fact that Robinhood trusts employees to deliver impact no matter their location or circumstances and that’s the type of company I take pride in working for.
If you’re interested in working with Sheilesha and the rest of the team to support our mission of democratizing finance for all, join us!
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