After a terrific summer free from make-up, pressed shirts and shoes of any sort, it’s time to get back into the daily grind. With the kids going back to school and a list of items to buy for the winter ahead, there is an app that my friend Amy Willard-Cross has created to allow people to use their purchasing power to create positive change in our communities. It’s called Buy-Up Index and shows which companies and brands support women.

The app allows shoppers to use their buying power to create positive change within our society.  The app grades companies in each industry based on 8 different criteria: The number of women on their board; employee diversity reporting; executive officers, leadership programs, maternity leave, paternity leave, philanthropy, special employee programs and supplier diversity reporting. Buy-up index uses openly available data on companies providing products to consumers. Buy –up Index allows the user to tell companies why they lost their business, and currently covers these four industries: beauty products, beverages, cell phones, household products.

There is no telling what an app like this might do to create better conditions for employees and equality for women around the globe. I encourage you to download the app and use it to send a message to corporations. Change requires that each one of us make an effort to see it through. Buy-up index is an easy way to contribute to positive change on a global level.