Chelsea Cooper | SVP @ Oscar Health

TL;DR

Chelsea Cooper, SVP at Oscar Health, introduces the rugby-derived concept “back yourself” – meaning self-confidence, self-advocacy, and fearlessness. She recounts being bullied as a child, then later having a male boss who believed in her more than she believed in herself.

Key insights

• “Back yourself” originates from rugby: when you cannot make a pass, you run the ball yourself to score.
• The speaker found advocating for others (especially women) easier than advocating for herself, which she identifies as a common pattern among women.
• Her male boss gave her additional responsibilities because he believed in her more than she believed in herself, modeling advocacy that she later replicated.