Introduction to Returnships

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported in 1989 that 86% of mothers cited home and family care as the leading reason for exiting the workforce. In 2021, 79% reported the same reason. No working mother decides to step away from the workforce lightly. Unfortunately, women overwhelmingly represent spouses who do not participate in the labor force to provide care. Yet whether driven by childcare needs, elder caregiving responsibilities, or mental health, time away from a career can often lead to one of the most daunting questions, “If I want to go back, how do I return?” The answer: a returnship. A growing trend reshaping how companies welcome back professionals who’ve taken a career pause, returnships give working mothers a chance to brush up on skills and ease back into a full-time job without having to start from scratch. A background gap is viewed as part of the returnee’s unique story.

What Are Returnships?

Returnships should not be mistaken for charitable initiatives; they are strategic investments in experienced talent. They are often recognized as a DEI initiative and talent pipeline driver, particularly for mothers seeking to reenter the workplace with dignity, support, and a clear path forward. Unlike internships targeting early-career candidates, returnships are tailored for individuals with prior professional experience. They have higher expectations and more tailored support, but competition for these roles can be fierce. Returnships are a structured, short-term paid program (usually lasting between 12 and 24 weeks) with specific eligibility criteria and application timelines. Participants are assigned real projects, receive mentorship from senior leaders, and are offered training to refresh technical and soft skills. They are more common in specific fields, such as tech, finance, and consulting. Goldman Sachs pioneered the concept with its Returnship program, which launched in 2008.

Eligibility for Returnships

Working mothers who feel disconnected from their previous industries, lack current references, or feel overwhelmed by technological change are prime candidates. Eligibility requirements vary by company, but returnships typically target individuals with a career break of two or more years. Some programs focus exclusively on mothers, while others are open to any caregiver or mid-career professional who stepped away for personal reasons. Companies often look for candidates with prior industry experience, transferable skills, and the willingness to learn and adapt.

Development of Returnship Programs

Over 100 companies work with Path Forward, a nonprofit that partners with employers to create mid-career return-to-work opportunities. These partnerships include major employers such as Walmart, Netflix, Audible, Amazon, Meta, Apple, PayPal, and SAP. They provide a Returnship Builder tool to assist companies in planning and implementing these programs effectively. Path Forward also helps the working mother returning to work restart their career after taking time off for family responsibilities. They provide resources like career advice, success stories, and the Returnship Matcher tool to help individuals find opportunities that fit their backgrounds and goals. Career coaches advise applicants to tailor their résumés to highlight skills over chronology, emphasize volunteer or caregiving experience, and demonstrate a growth mindset.

Companies Offering Returnships

Several Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders have established returnship programs in recent years, reflecting a broader shift toward inclusive hiring practices. Some of the most well-known include:

• Goldman Sachs’ Returnship program is a paid, 12-week initiative designed for professionals who have been out of the workforce for two or more years and are seeking to restart their careers. The program offers participants on-the-job learning, mentorship, and access to the financial firm’s resources across various divisions.
• IBM runs the "Tech Re-Entry" program, providing access to the latest tools and technologies, helping participants sharpen their skills and contribute to meaningful work. The program is currently offered in several countries, including the United States, Canada, India, China, the UK, Germany, and Australia, with plans for further expansion.
• Deloitte‘s Encore Program is a paid returnship designed for professionals who have taken a career break of at least six months. The program allows participants to refresh their skills through structured learning, and a network of Deloitte professionals supports participants.

Benefits of Joining a Returnship

For mothers reentering the workforce, returnships offer substantial benefits. While foundational skills may have been acquired through college or previous roles, even a short absence from the workforce can necessitate a skill refresh. Industries such as finance and healthcare are dynamic, with frequent updates to automation tools, data dashboards, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) programs. Additionally, regulations and compliance expectations in these sectors evolve regularly due to technological advancements, political shifts, and changes in consumer protection laws. Returnships provide structured opportunities to update these skills and stay current with industry standards. Self-doubt is a common challenge among working mothers returning to the workforce, influenced by external and internal perceptions. Societal biases, often called the motherhood penalty, suggest that mothers are less committed or current in their professional roles, leading to fewer opportunities and stalled promotions.

A New Era of Career Comebacks

Returnships directly address the broken rung in the corporate ladder, where men significantly outnumber women at the manager, director, and C-Suite levels, enabling women to re-enter the workforce at a level that aligns with their experience and potential. They offer a critical on-ramp back into leadership pipelines. Returnships acknowledge a fundamental truth: careers aren’t always linear, and taking a break, especially for caregiving, shouldn’t disqualify someone from meaningful work. For companies, returnships rebuild the pipeline of qualified female leaders, thus diversifying thought at the leadership level and creating more growth opportunities. By investing in returnships, companies send a clear message to women: careers can pause for personal needs, and still progress.

Conclusion

Returnships are revolutionizing the way companies approach hiring and supporting working mothers who have taken a career break. These programs provide a structured and supportive environment for individuals to refresh their skills, rebuild their professional networks, and regain confidence in their abilities. By investing in returnships, companies can tap into a talented pool of experienced professionals, improve diversity and inclusion, and create a more sustainable and equitable workforce.

FAQs

• What is a returnship? A returnship is a paid, short-term program designed for professionals who have taken a career break and are seeking to restart their careers.
• Who is eligible for a returnship? Working mothers who have taken a career break of two or more years, as well as caregivers and mid-career professionals who have stepped away from the workforce for personal reasons, are eligible for returnships.
• What are the benefits of joining a returnship? Returnships provide structured opportunities to update skills, rebuild professional networks, and regain confidence in abilities.
• Which companies offer returnships? Several Fortune 500 companies, including Goldman Sachs, IBM, and Deloitte, offer returnship programs.
• How can I find returnship opportunities? Individuals can search for returnship opportunities on company websites, job search sites, and through organizations such as Path Forward.

Introduction to the Controversy

Simone Biles, the renowned Olympic gymnast, has been at the center of a heated debate regarding transgender athletes in women’s sports. The controversy began when Biles addressed comments made by Riley Gaines, a former competitive swimmer known for her anti-trans views. Gaines had mocked a Minnesota youth softball team for including a transgender female athlete, prompting Biles to defend the transgender community and advocate for inclusivity in sports.

Last Week’s Online Clash

The online clash between Biles and Gaines started when Gaines commented on a tweet about the Minnesota youth softball team, saying "Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy." Biles responded by calling out Gaines for her harassment of youth sports teams and their inclusion of transgender athletes. "Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive or creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports,” Biles said. She also reprimanded Gaines for attacking children, saying "Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male."

The Aftermath

Biles’ comments struck a nerve with Gaines, anti-transgender activists, and the conservative media. Gaines alone has continued to engage since the incident, having posted about the topic on X more than 28 times in four days. She even paired up with known anti-transgender activist and former gymnast Jennifer Sey, who both advocated for Athleta to end its partnership with Biles. On the other hand, Biles was largely silent following the interaction and subsequent online uproar, until she recently addressed her previous comments in a post on X.

Simone Biles’ Apology and Clarification

In her recent post, Biles apologized for getting personal with Riley Gaines and clarified her stance on the issue. "I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for,” Biles said. She emphasized the importance of empathy and respect in addressing sensitive and complicated issues, and advocated for sports organizations to come up with rules that support inclusion while maintaining fair competition.

Background on Riley Gaines

Riley Gaines gained notoriety for her fervent anti-trans views after tying for 5th with a transgender swimmer at the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. She has been an outspoken critic of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports and has worked with conservative politicians to advance her views. In February 2025, she watched as U.S. President Donald Trump delivered remarks before signing the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order, which prohibits transgender women from competing in women’s sports.

Conclusion

The controversy surrounding Simone Biles and Riley Gaines highlights the ongoing debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports. While Biles has apologized for her personal comments and emphasized the importance of empathy and respect, the issue remains a contentious one. As the sports world continues to grapple with questions of inclusivity and competitive equity, it is clear that there are no easy answers. However, by engaging in respectful and empathetic dialogue, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and fair environment for all athletes.

FAQs

• Q: What sparked the controversy between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines?
  A: The controversy began when Riley Gaines mocked a Minnesota youth softball team for including a transgender female athlete, prompting Simone Biles to defend the transgender community and advocate for inclusivity in sports.
• Q: What is Riley Gaines’ background and stance on transgender athletes?
  A: Riley Gaines is a former competitive swimmer who gained notoriety for her anti-trans views after tying for 5th with a transgender swimmer at the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. She has been an outspoken critic of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
• Q: What is Simone Biles’ stance on the issue?
  A: Simone Biles believes that competitive equity and inclusivity are both essential in sports. She has apologized for getting personal with Riley Gaines and emphasized the importance of empathy and respect in addressing sensitive and complicated issues.

Introduction to The Clear Cut

Olivia Landau started The Clear Cut as a blog to educate her friends and family. “My mom always told me I would be a terrible entrepreneur," laughs The Clear Cut founder Olivia Landau. In our conversation on The Failure Factor podcast, she explained how she was told she’d be “an amazing employee” and deterred from following in her parents’ footsteps in the diamond industry.

Today, with the support of neither of her parents—nor a single investor in Silicon Valley—the fourth-generation diamond expert has built The Clear Cut’s lifetime revenue to nearly $100 million.

However, as is the case with most entrepreneurial triumphs, success didn’t come without its share of doubt and struggles.

The Accidental Rebellion

Landau wasn’t trying to become an entrepreneur. Her parents, seasoned veterans in the diamond industry, advised her against it entirely. "My parents had always told me to never get into the diamond and jewelry industry because it was dying and antiquated." She recalled during our conversation.

Still, Landau was compelled to learn more about the precious stones. She enrolled at the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) to become a certified gemologist until she "figured out what she’d do afterwards.”

Then, in 2016, Landau started The Clear Cut—initially an educational blog meant solely to help friends with their engagement ring purchase decisions. "This was just something fun that I did on the side to entertain myself."

Something unexpected followed: strangers began contacting her, asking for custom designs. "It turned into this accidental side hustle where I looked up, and—after a year—I’d sold a million dollars of engagement rings through Instagram DMs."

That’s when Kyle Simon, Landau’s then boyfriend, now husband and cofounder, entered the picture: Fresh out of Columbia Business School, he saw her million-dollar Instagram business and convinced her to think bigger.

The Experts Said It Would Never Work—and She Almost Believed Them

Despite real traction and a clear demand, Landau and Simon were told their startup was not fundable. It was too niche, too personal, and too dependent on Landau herself.

“They said I couldn’t be the face of the business,” she explained. “We had to do more generic content and marketing," she said.

Her personal brand wasn’t the only element investors and mentors believed she had wrong. They all had the same prescription: personality quizzes, viral gimmicks, tech features. None of them had asked what her customers actually wanted.

The most devastating feedback came from a founder Landau idolized. Over coffee, this successful entrepreneur likened The Clear Cut to her sister’s travel agency. “I don’t think anyone will invest in this business,” they said.

Landau left that meeting feeling crushed. She had actually talked to her customers. She knew they didn’t want gimmicks—they wanted guidance.

Landau and Simon were trying to make sense of a very real demand: smart, informed, modern couples wanted custom engagement rings without the absurd markup, gatekeeping, or outdated diamond industry antics. It was a real problem they could solve, but no one wanted to fund them. "We met with every single venture capital firm in New York and California. Every single person said that this is not scalable."

Landau and Simon gave themselves a deadline to try to raise money, build something, and “see what happens.” Well, what happened was months of gut-wrenching rejection. “It was like a full-time job,” Landau recounts. "Most of the time, no one would get back to us."

The breaking point came in an Italian town square. While on vacation with Simon’s family, Landau finally exploded. "We had a blowout fight right there in public," she tells me. "I was like, when are you gonna realize this is a stupid idea? Let’s just move on!"

But Simon refused. "Give me a few more months," he pleaded. “I promise it’s gonna work out.”

Doing Things the Hard Way—On Purpose

Instead of continuing with their strategy to raise capital from VCs, they entered Techstars, a tech accelerator that gave them $120,000. Together with $700,000 from angel investors and customers—many of whom had bought rings from them—they scraped together enough to move forward.

“It wasn’t ideal, but I was like, Great, I’ll get to own more equity in the business, and I’ll have more control. And, I won’t have a board of people that don’t know what they’re talking about telling me what to do. So it worked," she declared, smiling.

Despite being underfunded, they were able to maintain the freedom to do things their way. “We were intentionally doing everything extremely unscalably in the beginning,” she explained. This meant personally handling every customer interaction, manually sourcing each diamond, and managing orders one by one.

Why do things the hard way? “I don’t believe in building technology to solve a problem [before fully understanding the problem],” said Landau. “You have to ‘do’ the problem to build the proper solution.” By experiencing every pain point firsthand, they knew exactly what technology to build later—unlike competitors who built expensive features customers ultimately never wanted.

The Ultimate Validation

Their instincts were right. The Clear Cut thrived because of its personalized service; it doubled revenue annually for four straight years, and when COVID-19 hit, traditional jewelry stores shuttered, while Landau’s online positioning and high-touch model exploded. “Now it’s really funny, because we’re seeing a lot of businesses try to put a face to their brand,” she shared with a grin.

Today, The Clear Cut continues to grow profitably, staying true to the educational mission that sparked it all while expanding beyond engagement rings into fine jewelry. Their latest leap is Eunice, a proprietary AI engine launched in May. Unlike the personality quizzes and viral features investors once pushed them to build, Eunice solves real problems they discovered through years of manual work—predicting trends, tracking regional preferences, responding to cultural moments, and bringing pricing transparency to an opaque industry. The result? The Clear Cut achieved its strongest Q1 since 2022, despite industry-wide declines.

When I asked if she had any regrets about her unconventional path, Landau didn’t hesitate: "I don’t think I regret anything."

The takeaway? If you’re building something that people don’t “get,” it could just mean you’re early. Let them call it a hobby and go build it anyway. As Landau said in our interview, "What’s the worst that can happen? It doesn’t work out, and then you just do something else."

Megan Bruneau, M.A. Psych is a therapist, executive coach, and the founder of Off The Field Executive & Personal Coaching. She hosts The Failure Factor podcast featuring conversations with entrepreneurs about the setbacks that led to their success. Listen to her episode with The Clear Cut cofounder Olivia Landau on Apple and Spotify.

Conclusion

The Clear Cut’s success story is a testament to the power of perseverance and staying true to one’s vision. Despite facing numerous rejections and setbacks, Olivia Landau and Kyle Simon remained committed to their mission of providing personalized and educational services to their customers. By doing things the hard way and focusing on understanding the problems they were trying to solve, they were able to build a successful and scalable business.

FAQs

Q: What inspired Olivia Landau to start The Clear Cut?
A: Olivia Landau started The Clear Cut as a blog to educate her friends and family about diamonds and engagement rings.
Q: What were some of the challenges that The Clear Cut faced in its early days?
A: The Clear Cut faced numerous challenges, including rejection from investors and mentors, and being told that their business model was not scalable.
Q: How did The Clear Cut overcome these challenges?
A: The Clear Cut overcame these challenges by staying true to their vision and mission, and by doing things the hard way. They focused on providing personalized and educational services to their customers, and they were able to build a successful and scalable business.
Q: What is The Clear Cut’s latest initiative?
A: The Clear Cut’s latest initiative is Eunice, a proprietary AI engine that solves real problems they discovered through years of manual work—predicting trends, tracking regional preferences, responding to cultural moments, and bringing pricing transparency to an opaque industry.