A Conversation with the Co-Founder of iRelaunch on the Future of Returnships

Carol Fishman Cohen is the CEO and Co-founder of career reentry firm iRelaunch, which runs the iRelaunch Return to Work Conferences, works with over 100 employers on building and expanding their in-house return to work programs, and leads a community of over 86,000 "relaunchers." iRelaunch co-leads the STEM Reentry Task Force with the Society of Women Engineers, involving 32 corporate giants across a range of industry sectors. More than 600 relaunchers have participated in Task Force company return to work programs and over 80% have been hired. Cohen’s TED talk "How to get back to work after a career break" has over 3.5 million views and has been translated into 30 languages. She hosts the 3,2,1 iRelaunch podcast, is the author of the Harvard Business Review Magazine article "The 40-Year-Old Intern,” and writes regularly for Harvard Business Review on career reentry topics. Cohen has presented globally on career reentry over 600 times and is regularly featured in the major media outlets as a trusted source on the topic. iRelaunch also runs a Job Board for relaunchers and for employers recruiting them. Cohen is a relauncher herself, having returned to work as a financial analyst at an investment firm after an 11 year career break. A graduate of Pomona College and Harvard Business School, she splits her time between greater Boston and metro Miami.

Lauren Hagerty is the Director of Marketing and Community for PowerToFly - the largest gender diversity recruiting platform and community connecting women with fortune 500 corporations and fast-growing startups. Previously, Lauren led the social media and community efforts for the industry-leading smart home platform Wink, where she recreated and revitalized the company’s voice and persona. In her free time, you can find Lauren skiing (with her very own handmade knit goods, of course) or taking pictures of her Pomeranian, Sprinkles.