Working in Trust & Safety can be a lonely experience — doubly so for women in the space. That’s why we were proud to sponsor the second annual Women’s Trust Network (WTN) event!

Talented, experienced women across the industry got together to network, share best practices, commiserate, and get excited about the future of Trust & Safety. We’re grateful to Turo for opening their space to us and to everyone who participated.

Here are three things we learned at the event.

1) Having mentors is crucial to success.

A good mentor — often a manager, but not necessarily — can help take your career to the next level. At the WTN event, attendees shared the importance of connecting with mentors and getting advice from other women in the space. Because there’s a dearth of women in Trust & Safety leadership, attendees mentioned that mentorship can come from anywhere. They suggested that people remain open to unconventional or surprising sources of mentorship and guidance.

2) Small teams can mean big challenges.

Many attendees said that they work on small teams, or even teams of one. That means it’s sometimes difficult to get work done… and that they have to fight harder to get much-needed resources. Attendees agreed that they often don’t get the resources they need until some catastrophic event like a fraud attack. Many suggested asking your peers for advice on working effectively on a small team.

3) Connecting with other women is paramount.

There’s no denying it: this field is dominated by men. This presents some unique challenges for women in the Trust & Safety space. It’s important for women to connect and share best practices to navigate this obstacle course. Most attendees cited the importance of events like the Women’s Trust Network to build bridges and share knowledge.

So, stay tuned — there are more great events to come!