California outlawed the all-white-male boardroom. That move is reshaping corporate America


A 2018 law requires all publicly traded companies headquartered in California have at least one woman on their board, and as many as three women by the end of 2021 depending on the company’s size. The law, inspired by those in Europe, caused a ripple effect nationwide where women now occupy 50% more corporate board seats than before California’s law. The Nasdaq exchange became an influential force recently by requiring that nearly all of its listed companies’ boards have one woman and one person of color or a person who identifies as LGBTQ. Despite challenges, federal regulators approved the requirement.

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