To mark the end of the year, Medium asked top politicians, tech leaders, entertainers, scientists, and writers to answer the question: What was the single word that mattered most this year in your field, and why?
Ellen Pao, investment partner at Kapor Capital, chose “Crossroads” to highlight this defining moment, when brave women are sharing their stories of sexual harassment, and to demand that we push leaders to take “responsibility for creating a culture to prevent inappropriate actions and punish violators in the future.” That has yet to occur, says Pao, calling the punishment of perpetrators a first baby step, reminding us that neither CEOs, corporate boards nor venture capital investors nor money managers have publicly declared their intention to hold themselves and others accountable. She warns: “History will repeat itself, I promise you, until all those responsible are held accountable.”
Here are just some of the other choices:
Hillary Clinton: Empathy
John McCain: Chaos
Mitch & Freada Kapor: Collusion
Justin Hall: Sovereignty
Sam Altman: Merge
Reid Hoffman: 危机
MG Siegler: Dichotomy
Jen Pahlka: Reckoning
Nathan Hubbard: Metempsychosis
Lawrence Lessig: Neutrality
Tim O’Reilly: Phishing
Maria Bustillos: Blockchain
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
