March is Women’s History Month. Join us for a free virtual event featuring Syracuse women who are making history in their own lives and in the world. This 90-minute event on Monday, March 8, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. will inspire you, as women who #ChoseToChalleng share their stories and wisdom. Meet other trailblazing women and chat about how they meet challenges head on, and how they are creating personal success, equality and inclusiveness. The program is being jointly sponsored by the WISE Women’s Business Center (a program of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the U.S. SBA), the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at Syracuse University, Gwen, Inc. and Community Bank System, Inc. We would love to see you, so register here for this motivational Zoom event.
Enjoy welcome remarks and a dynamic keynote speaker, then choose from one of two panels.
Panel 1
#ChoosetoChallenge: How Embracing Challenge Can Drive Change
Panel Members: Catherine Richardson, retired partner, Bond, Schoeneck & King, (moderator); Kelsey Davis, founder & CEO of CLLCTVE; Caeresa Richardson, owner of Gypsy Freedom; and Kimberly Townsend, president and CEO of Loretto. From challenge comes change. Think for a moment about the pioneers and the leaders you look up to as role models. They likely have something in common—the ability to embrace change. Join a discussion with four powerful change agents who are embracing challenge and entrepreneurial thinking as a mode of operation. Talk about where they find inspiration, advice they would offer you from their own experiences and how women build skill sets to survive and thrive.
Panel 2
The Art of Sistering: The Importance of Diverse Women Supporting Each Other in the Workplace
Panel Members: Gwen Webber-McLeod, president & CEO of Gwen, Inc., (moderator): Bryony Grealish, owner of Fingerless Kitchen: Diana Jaramillo, principal architect at Kin Studio: Indaria Jones, founder & CEO of The Creators Lounge; and Michelle Horton, CEO of The Archemy Group. It is all too common to hear this statement from women in the workforce, “I prefer working with men. Working with women is too difficult.” Trend data indicate, within the next 10 years, 85% of new entrants into the workforce will be female, millennials and people of color. Given this demographic reality, it is imperative for women to be intentional about building high-trust relationships with the diverse groups of women they work with daily. In fact, many of the most successful women in our region would say this is a core leadership competency for emerging and established women leaders.
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, as well as advocating for gender parity. It is held annually on March 8 and marked by programs and educational events around the world.
This year’s theme is #ChooseToChallenge. The topic addresses the opportunities that can come from challenge when individuals and groups mobilize to drive change. This year that theme particularly resonates around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Speakers for this Syracuse-CNY event include women who are forging lives and careers that are helping create inclusion and drive innovation. They represent different colors, disabilities, ages, sexual orientations and gender identities, and are leading lives that are creating diverse and inclusive businesses and communities that encourage collaboration, respect and equity.
Learn more at:
- WISE Women’s Business Center: https://wisecenter.org/
- Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars Syracuse University: https://launchpad.syr.edu/
- Gwen, Inc.: https://gweninc.com/
- Community Bank System, Inc: https://ir.communitybanksystem.com/corporate-overview/corporate-profile/ and https://cbna.com/