EmpowerU Meeting

Women hold just 10.9% of leadership positions in the world’s 500 largest companies. In companies across the U.S. they hold only 21% of leadership positions across all companies. When women make up half the population and nearly half the workforce, why do we still see stagnation in equality of opportunity and professional growth for women?

At the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University, we are interested in growing the next generation of woman innovators.  EmpowerU is a new LaunchPad community, a space for women and allies to encourage each other in fearless professional growth. Overcoming biases in the workplace, dealing with imposter syndrome, advocating for oneself and one’s work, holding confidence in one’s skills, being unafraid to propose new ideas and projects, not backing down in the face of criticism, and going after one’s visions are just a few examples of what we hope to cultivate in each other in this community.

We would like to warmly invite you to our first EmpowerU gathering on November 10 at 4pm, at the Blackstone LaunchPad located in the glass cube on the first floor of Bird Library. Over coffee and pastries from local women-owned bakeries, we are excited to get to know you and hear your ideas for how this community can best serve you; whether that’s through social gatherings and the sharing of experiences, hard and soft skills-based workshops from coding to self-advocacy, or networking and professional speaker events.

At our first meeting we are pleased to welcome Kelly Davis ’23, LaunchPad Rubin Innovation Mentor and Community Manager and founder of Wo-manly, an online platform empowering women in professional male-dominated spaces.  Also speaking will be Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, executive director of the LaunchPad and adjunct faculty in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Davis will open the event with a talk on her work creating and running Wo-manly as well as the importance of women occupying entrepreneurial spaces, reflected by her own experience as an entrepreneur. Following her, Dickerson-Hartsock will share her experience building a career by becoming fearless.  We’re excited to learn from these women whose experiences have taught them professional and personal courage, and even more thrilled to open the conversation to you and your experiences.

EmpowerU is open to anyone who identifies as a woman, as well as non-binary individuals, gender fluid individuals, and those of all sexual orientations and gender identities who want to grow personally and professionally in an inclusive and safe environment.

Please join us on November 10 to connect with others seeking to fearlessly pursue their goals and join a community focused on empowering you to achieve your dreams. We warmly invite the Syracuse community to join a space to uplift each other towards professional and personal success.