In 2016, feminism is a business issue, and everyone is paying attention, Stewart said. The term “feminism,” despite is wealth of connotations both positive and negative, really just means “not treating women worse than men.” Whether it's because of the Millennial generation challenging the status quo or technology/social media reigning in business—or perhaps a combination of the two—companies are realizing that “if we all think, dress and act alike, this is a recipe for dangerous decisions. We will all be feminists in business, and business needs to embrace feminism.”

She also said that society's definition of masculine and feminine is too general. For example, the biggest myth about women and money is that women don't have a high risk-tolerance level. “Women want aspirational investments—something that means something to them—that are broader than stock-market investing. More diversity leads to a better ecosystem.”

Throughout her address, Stewart gave examples of companies abroad that are recognizing gender imbalance in the workplace and correcting it by hiring women not just for typically “feminine” workplace roles but throughout the organization at every level and in every capacity. One Swedish company is pushing women to get into techie areas and creating gender balance on all teams.

Real estate itself is moving from a masculine ideology to a more gender-balanced one. Since women prefer to learn about money from storytelling rather than formal instruction, companies are beginning to use case studies and anecdotes more to get their message across.

Stewart also shattered the myth about women investors being risk averse. “Women aren't risk averse—they're risk aware. Smart women like to do their homework and take calculated risks. Make it meaningful to them, and they will be loyal to our products. Have a deeper dialogue with women and they will begin to trust you.” This is one reason why women and philanthropy seem to go hand in hand—women will place their money in causes that mean something to them. And, she said, “A lot of women's wealth is in real estate.”

Stewart spoke of the “financially confident woman” that has become an icon of the new workforce—the “She EOs” that are financially literate and not shy. “She has to feel independent and wants to make her own decisions.” Brands are targeting this woman, particularly luxury brands.

Stewart maintained that social media has played a large role in bringing feminine traits into our culture and the business world. Social media is about sharing stories, and this is a female communication type that is needed in business. “Industries need to help men learn how to share in communication and help women tell their stories.”

One event where this change has manifested itself is in the media coverage of the Olympic games this past summer. The realization that women like stories led to television footage about the athletes themselves, their lives and their hopes and dreams.

Going back to technology, Stewart mused, with an increasing need for advice in the financial realm, will robots replace or augment a human advisor? “Technology is a great tool, but people skills still matter. People want to be social.” She pointed out that social media has led to crowdsourcing, which has led to crowdfunding, which has led to the democratization of capital, a positive thing. “Crowdfunding has led to a massive paradigm shift” from middle-class families avoiding discussing money to “women talking about money and making lots of it.”

Meta data is becoming the most powerful data there is, said Stewart, but we “still need to inspire our customers—that hasn't changed. Women are big users of social media; it's all about relationships and connections.”

She also pointed out that women are disrupting the status quo of business by questioning it. “Inspiring women to invest and buy is a powerful cause. Having financial knowledge will help you in every field you choose.” Stewart advised, “Shift to more female values now if you want to be more Millennial friendly.”

Stewart's keynote was followed by a fireside chat with Cambon, in which the two women discussed what they have noticed about women in business and real estate and audience members asked questions about the same. Ultimately, they acknowledged that change is a process, but women have definitely made strides and will continue to do so.