Carolyn Everson Scaled People-First Leadership at Facebook With FUEL

Who are three women that inspire you?

Princess Diana

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Maya Angelou

What is one defining moment in your career or life that empowered you to create change, and how has it shaped the path you’re on today?

A defining moment in my career came while leading teams at Facebook, where I realized that culture is not a ‘nice to have’ — it is the engine of sustainable success. I often said ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast,’ and I believed it so deeply that I launched FUEL, a leadership development program aimed at building a values-driven, high-performance culture across the company. That experience — of intentionally scaling culture alongside business growth — shaped my belief that leaders must invest just as much in people and purpose as they do in strategy and product. It changed how I lead and how I define success today.

As we look to the future, what is one key change or innovation you believe is essential for advancing equality and empowerment in your field?

The essential innovation for advancing equality is making leadership development a cultural imperative, not a luxury. We need to intentionally design systems that grow diverse, values-driven leaders from the earliest stages of their careers. Programs like FUEL showed me that when you invest deeply in people — teaching them to lead with authenticity, empathy, and excellence — you don’t just advance equality, you build organizations that outperform and outlast.

Who is a woman who has inspired or mentored you, and what lessons from her influence have stayed with you?

I have been inspired by Maya Angelou, whose life and words taught me that leadership is about resilience, truth, and the courage to lift others with your voice. She showed that strength and grace are not mutually exclusive — they are necessary partners in change. Her influence shaped my belief that the most powerful leadership is rooted in humanity and authenticity.

What is the legacy you hope to leave behind as a changemaker and leader in your industry?

I hope my legacy is one of building cultures where people could do the best work of their lives — and where leadership was measured not just by results, but by how well we lifted others. I want to be remembered as someone who believed deeply in the power of people-first leadership, who scaled cultures that outlast strategies, and who left pathways wider and more accessible for the next generation.

In honor of Gloria Steinem’s 90 years of advocacy, what do you believe is her most enduring contribution to women’s empowerment, and how has it inspired your own journey?

Gloria Steinem’s most enduring contribution is her insistence that visibility is power — that the stories we tell, the voices we elevate, and the barriers we challenge shape what’s possible. Her work has inspired me to recognize that change doesn’t happen from the sidelines; it happens when you make space, hold it open, and invite others in.

What does progress for women look like in your field, and what steps do you believe are necessary to keep that momentum going?

Progress for women in my field looks like building cultures where diverse leadership is the norm, not the exception — and where authenticity is seen as a strength, not a risk. To keep that momentum going, we need to invest intentionally in leadership development, create sponsorship networks that pull others forward and never lose sight of the truth that the culture we build today will define the opportunities available tomorrow.