Lean In
Lean In is an initiative of the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation was founded in 2013 after then-Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg published her book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. 1 2 3 The organization has published feminist commentary on its website, including an article by Sandberg titled “The Secret to a Strong Economy is Women” and a study conducted by Lean In that claimed that “abortion rights are a critical workplace issue.” 4
Contents
Lean In was criticized in 2013 after its editorial director, Jessica Bennett, posted an advertisement for an unpaid intern on Facebook. Two days after the Facebook post, and criticism from social media users, Lean In released a statement announcing plans to launch a paid internship program. 5 6
Background
Lean In, also known as LeanIn.Org, is an initiative of the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation, a left-of-center foundation based in San Francisco, California, that funds and operates programs focused on women’s workplace advancement, resilience, and college access for low-income students. The organization was formed in 2013 after then-Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg published her book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. 1 2 3
The organization created what it called “Lean In Circles,” small peer groups of eight to twelve people that discuss topics, learn skills, and offer each other support. As of 2026, the organization claimed to have Lean In Circles across 183 countries and more than 10,000 community members. 7
Feminist Commentary
The organization has published feminist commentary on its website, including an article by Sheryl Sandberg titled “The Secret to a Strong Economy is Women” and a study conducted by Lean In, which polled 3,196 U.S. workers aged 18 and older between July 5 and 7, 2022, that claimed that “abortion rights are a critical workplace issue.” 4
Lean In chief executive officer Rachel Thomas also wrote an opinion piece that claimed the existing workplace culture in the United States was “not fair,” and that the “merits of diversity and inclusion still stand,” as when more women are part of the leadership at a company, the company benefits from “higher employee engagement and retention.” 8
The organization also reinforced the feminist talking point of the “gender pay gap,” and claims “across the entire economy, women end up with less money in their pockets, for reasons that are systemic, not personal.” Lean In claimed that “women working full-time, year-round in the U.S. earn just 81 cents for every dollar earned by men.” 9
The McKinsey Global Institute, an organization affiliated with McKinsey and Company, partners with Lean In to create its “Women in the Workplace” annual reports. In an article published in Fortune, the Institute noted that around 80 percent of the total pay gap between men and women “was attributable to the differences in the way men and women pursue their career paths,” adding that “women consistently make trade-offs, choosing roles with more flexibility and less competition but also lower pay.” 10 11
Unpaid Internship Controversy
Lean In was criticized in 2013 after its editorial director, Jessica Bennett, posted an advertisement for an unpaid intern on Facebook. 5
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bennett’s post called for an “editorial intern” to work part-time, and “unpaid.” Two days after the Facebook post, and criticism from social media users, Lean In released a statement announcing plans to launch a paid internship program. 5 6