Gender equality—defined as equal treatment and access to opportunities and resources—in the workforce continues to be out of reach in the United States and is especially apparent at the executive leadership levels. The challenges to women’s equal participation in the workforce are mirrored in what happens in the microcosm of public company boardrooms. In a push towards equality, the government and private/public sector have passed and enforced mandates requiring a minimum number of women on public company boards. These mandates continue to perpetuate the belief that numbers yield equality. This study examines the experiences of women serving as independent directors on Fortune 1000 public company boards. Key findings from the semi-structured qualitative interviews indicated that women believed they could participate in the boardroom and experienced inclusion. Although women experienced inclusion in the boardroom, it was not based on their gender identity. The women implicitly understood that their gender was a factor in their recruitment, yet this was rarely openly acknowledged. This understanding set a complex foundation for their subsequent experiences in the boardroom. Once on the board, women’s participation was influenced by the presence of a critical mass of women and people of color, their operational expertise, and their fiduciary responsibilities as directors. This research contributes substantively to the limited literature on women’s experiences in the boardroom and offers insights for boards on how to create a more inclusive board culture. Future research should aim to explore whether creating a boardroom that allows women to incorporate their gender identity will be a step towards gender equity–recognizing and changing the systems and structures that have been historically designed by and for White men.