Shelly Zalis: Movement Maker and Champion of Equality

Shelley Zalis is the CEO of The Female Quotient, an internationally renowned thought leader, movement maker, and champion of equality. She is also a pioneer for online research, becoming the first female chief executive ranked in the research industry’s top 25.



Today, Shelley works with Fortune 500 companies and impact organizations to advance equality in the workplace. Through its signature pop-up experience, the Equality Lounge®, along with the Global Exchange and advisory services, The Female Quotient has created an international community of women rising up to catalyze change. A firm believer in giving back with generosity, Zalis is a proud mentor to women around the world.


This Episode’s Heavy-hitter’s:

Shelley grew up in a home with three sisters, being the second oldest of four. She says although some sisters can be competitive, hers always had a great relationship where they were different from one another, but supported each other.

Like many of us, Shelley’s first job didn’t bring in a lot of income. What Shelley did get out of her first job was an awesome education in client relationships, marketing, and boots on the ground market research.

Shelley had a performance review at her next job at a larger company that changed the course of her life and career forever. She was chastised for being too assertive and essentially doing her job by spending tons of time with clients. This was the impetus for her to leave and pursue the founding of her own business, under her own rules.

When starting her company, Shelley could have taken a million-dollar investment split equally between her father and husband. She instead took money from the statistics company Nielsen, where she gave up a majority of the equity in her business.

Back in 2013, Shelley had the opportunity to go to CES, but had no one to go with. So she reached out to a few of her girlfriends to come instead, told them to invite their girlfriends, and when they got there, they were in a group of about 50 women. This turned a lot of heads at a male-dominated conference, and thus the idea for The Female Quotient was born.

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