Once upon a time, in a faraway Zoom conference, a group of women gathered to learn the secrets of landing a board position. The room buzzed with anticipation. Professionals strive for an elusive position; with recent news, it now seemed attainable.

In early December, Nasdaq Inc. announced its commitment to diversity in the boardroom. It is seeking approval from the Securities and Exchange Commissions to require each listed company to have at least one director who identifies as female and one who identifies as an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ. Seventy-five percent of its listed companies fail to meet the standard. Opportunities are opening; the audience stood ready to learn what to do next.