Vancouver Women Business Networks

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As we sometimes find it quite confusing at times to know where as a young women, do I fit into the picture of women business networks, we thought we would compile a list and share it. We hope that it would be as valuable a resource to you as it is to us. Please note that the list below are women business networks and is still a work in progress. Please also feel free to share additional women business networks that we might have missed out! 1) Association of Women in Finance: dedicated to promoting women in finance‐related industries by encouraging their advancement, development and involvement in the business community.

2) Association of Women Business Owners: to support and encourage women in business through regular dinner meetings held at The Terminal City Club with topical presentations from leading speakers and business people that can offer practical and applicable business ideas to help your business grow and prosper.

3) Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100: these awards honour women who are proven achievers in the private, public and not‐for‐profit sectors.

4) The Connected Woman: a professional resource network for women executives and entrepreneurs who desire to participate in an organization that is all about the reciprocal process of exchanging knowledge, experience and expertise.

5) eWomen Network: the fastest growing international membership‐based professional women’s promotional and networking organization in North America. We offer women of all occupations and professions new opportunities to transact business with one another and to leverage collective purchasing power.

6) Forum for Women Entrepreneurs: to mentor and educate women entrepreneurs through leading‐edge professional programs and to facilitate connections within the business community.

7) Influential Women in Business Awards: B.C.'s outstanding business women in private or public sector companies based on the criteria of professional accomplishments, influence, and business community involvement

8 ) Ladies Who Launch: offers women a supportive environment in which to explore making their dreams – whether writing a book, launching a new business, switching careers, or starting a social cause – a reality.

9) Momcafe: to provide a forum to connect and inspire women. Through meetings, seminars and internet‐based communication tools, we bring positive and inspiring role models to speak to momcafé.

10) Professional Women's Network

11) The Minerva Foundation for BC Women: inspire and empower women and girls to reach their full potential by creating opportunities and offering programs through trusted partnerships in the areas of education, leadership development, economic security, and safety.

12) Valley Women’s Network: dedicated to bringing together women from all walks of life so that they may share and support each other’s goals and interests, exchange ideas, and encourage both learning from their peers and set a good example for others.

13) Westcoast Moms: two distinct online communities with a moms perspective on the world and celebrating motherhood with a West Coast flair.

14) Women of Whistler: to provide an opportunity for Whistler businesswomen to network, gain knowledge and share ideas in a friendly, relaxed environment.

15) Women’s Enterprise Centre: BC’s leading resource for women entrepreneurs, offering skills development, business loans, free business guidance, business resources, mentoring, networking and events!

16) Wired Women: to create an environment that encourages women to explore opportunities in technology, science and new media and to build successful careers that will allow them to become a driving force in these expanding sectors.

17) Women’s Executive Network: creates and delivers innovative networking, mentoring, professional and personal development to support and recognize executive‐minded women and their organizations in the pursuit of excellence.

18) Women’s Leadership Circle: designed to deliver programs, speakers, topics and other events that will enable The Board of Trade be more engaged with women in the community and to help women feel more engaged with The Board.

19) Women President’s Organization

20) Young Executives for Success: women make new and powerful connections with other women at our events and they also have a positive impact on the lives of disadvantaged women in our community through support of Dress for Success.

21) YWiB: to connect young women with the resources and support to achieve success on their own terms and to become engaged members in their communities.

What is your Place of Possibility (POP)?

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I'm really excited to announce our March event in collaboration with another great organization, imagine1day. This event combines two beliefs that we hold dearly at YWiB: the ability to dream and to surround yourself with amazing people. So when the opportunity came around for us to have an event like this, it wasn't even a question of why we should have it, it was a question WHEN?!? ( yes, said outloud  in exclamation marks because POP is that awesome!)

POP (Place of Possibility) is a a series of events that has been happening since August 2010 that will empowered hundreds to people in Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler to create their ideal 10-year vision and design powerful support for that vision through solid long and short term goal setting. The sessions are run by Adam Millard, Director of Development at imagine1day and he is a true POPstar.

Pen it down in your calender. March 24th. 6pm-8pm. Get ready to dream big. Get ready to know other incredible young women in this city. Get ready to create your Place of Possibility.

What are you waiting for? Register here! 100% proceeds go to imagine1day for building education in Ethiopia.

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Imagine a room with 60 ambitious, driven and smart young women in Vancouver creating their ideal 10 year vision and having the opportunity to network with each other in a casual social setting after. These young women will be given a Place of Possibility aka. POP to design powerful support for that vision though solid long and short term goal setting.

What to expect at POP:

1. You will dream big.

You will be drawn into possibility to create a vision of your life 10 years from now, free of constraint.

2. You will make your dream reality.

You will learn how to design the next ten years of your life to ensure that you manifest your vision on time or earlier. You will learn how to set powerful goals based on a destination.

3. You will have a TON of fun.

You will have new insights into your life that will give you goosebumps.

4. You will know a brand new network.
You will leave knowing 59 other amazing young women in the city who will help you achieve your vision.
Possible side effects:
* You make important choices with ease * You have fun with the bumps in the road * You love every minute of your rad life
* 100% of proceeds is donated to imagine1day. Empower yourself. Check. Know other awesome young women. check. Help build an education system in Ethiopia. Check!
After party? Of course! We'll be heading over to Rogue Wet Bar for some drinks, appies, and some good old fashioned gettin-to-know-each-other!

POP YWiB is hosted by Adam Millard.

Adam Millard is our POPstar, fun facilitator extraordinaire and possibility expert. He dreamt up POP one summer evening, inspired by his upcoming Imagine Ethiopia trip this September 2010 with 17 other imagine1day creatributors.

Over the past three years, Adam has journeyed from goal setting beginner, goal setting trainer through his work as a manager at lululemon athletica, to a leader of powerful and effective vision and goal setting sessions for individuals, businesses, organizations, and groups from around the world.

All new world for women in business - Pink Coloured Glasses

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Taken from the Vancouver Observer. If you haven't already checked out this amazing article on the Vancouver Observer, please do! Steph and Katie are both bright, ambitious and true trail blazers. Steph is part of the YWiB team as our Chaper development officer and Katie is part of our SFU team. Take a read!

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Stephanie: The business world is evolving. Ambitious young women are kick-starting their careers with an insatiable drive and hunger to reach the top, eager and ready to make their mark on the world. We are a part of the next generation of emerging leaders that, in a few years time, will take the reins in molding the world around us.

Yes, we want to be industry experts that are called upon for decisions of great magnitude. Yes, we worry about being able to balance our personal aspirations with our ambition to reach the top. Yes, we do care about whether we wear the black patent leather pumps or the red power heels to the next big meeting (hey, we love fashion too!).

Through our column, we hope that you will gain a genuine understanding of the things that are important to us as aspiring young professionals, while learning, growing and exploring alongside us. We promise to be authentic, raw and open hearted. Join us – see the world as we see it, Through Pink Coloured Glasses.

Katie: We would like to begin by sharing some inspirational thoughts that we have come across recently, which have particularly resonated with us. The following is a compilation of quotes and videos that have fueled conversations and helped shape our individual outlooks on career goals, personal aspirations, and individual growth. We hope that these ideas can be equally as thought-provoking and inspiring for all of you, and that they will help introduce you to our opinions and perspectives.

Video #1 – Aimee Mullins and her 12 pairs of legs

S: Aimee Mullins is the epitome of the perfect woman – stunningly beautiful, articulate, athletic, intelligent, charismatic, and to top it all off, she boasts a dynamic personality and a great sense of humour. There is, however, one thing I forgot to mention: Aimee Mullins has no legs. In a compelling seminar for the TED2009 conference, Aimee explores the concept of beauty and ability, and redefines how society should identify those with physical barriers and challenges. Most importantly, Aimee reminds us that our perception of our own strength and ability is rooted from within.

“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.”

– S. Kierkegaard

K: I stumbled upon this quote the other day, and it really left its mark on me. As an undergrad student, especially in a field like business where career options are as numerous as they are daunting, I feel that this message is an important one. To me, it’s about staying true to yourself, being confident in your abilities, and making a commitment to discovering and pursuing your true aspirations – regardless of how wildly impossible they may seem.

We are fortunate enough to be entering the workforce at a time when the word impossible seems to be heading towards extinction.

We have paper thin, powerful, handheld personal computers that serve as everything from a television, to a game console, to a personal office; women are making their way into the ‘C-suite’ (though this is certainly still a topic deserving of attention); and one of the most celebrated and controversial entrepreneurs of our generation created his fortune by connecting the world through a website.

The world is what we make of it – there are so many opportunities to do something great. However, we often get so caught up in the idea of “risk” that it paralyzes us from pursuing our passions. I recently attended a conference for the Young Women in Business (YWiB) network, and attended a workshop delivered by Ken Sim, co-founder of Nurse Next Door. He said something during his workshop that really stuck with me, which was that “there really is no risk in anything - worst case scenario, you can live in your parents’ basement”. Certainly everyone’s circumstances are different, and it’s important to plan, prepare, and assess ideas, but I think Mr. Sim has it right. We shouldn’t let the fear of failure hold us back from pursuing an opportunity – career or otherwise – that could be seriously satisfying. Consider it a dare.

Video #2 – Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders

S: Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, pitches three ways she believes women can get to the top: sit at the table, make your partner a real partner, and don’t leave before you leave. My favourite message delivered through this talk is crystal clear: keep your foot on the gas pedal.

K: We hope that this compilation has served as an introduction to the two of us, as well as our attitudes and opinions. Before we sign off, we wanted to leave you with one more thought that really hit home with us, which is this:

“To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work”.

- Sister Mary Lauretta

Like many other young women, we’re still searching for this type of true love relationship. We hope that you’ll join us for some insightful conversation, advice, and ideas as we set out on a journey to find it.

Katie & Steph

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!

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2010 has been an incredible year for YWiB and we would like to take this holiday season and the New Year to thank each and every one of you who has supported us. We couldn't have accomplished anything without your support. Looking back at 2010, here's a highlight reel of a couple things that we have trailblazed (click through on the links to check out the events): - Awesome events including our Aritzia speaker session and Exploring Purple panel with phenomenal speakers

- SFU's second & even more successful SOUL mentorship program =)

- UBC's internship program, placing all interns!

- YWiB's very first GhostCEO with TWO winners [when there was only supposed to be one]

- The launch of SFU's GIVE program - with some fantastic partners

- UBC's first ever Downtown Career Tours

- Ladies in Pink storming events in Vancouver to volunteer!

- A brand spanking new website!

- Our THIRD Beyond Pink with inspirational keynotes and power couple panel

- SFU's super-power advisory board

- UBC's incredible cross-faculty relations

What a list indeed! Busy times indeed. We're ready for 2011 and looking forward to seeing all you young women at our events. As a teaser for what we have in store for 2011...here's a clue: have you heard about what's happening with YWiB at UVic yet? Keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Hello 2011 and cheers to 2010! It's been a great year indeed!

Beyond Pink: Memories, lessons and development

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Phew. 150 delegates, 8 workshops, 2 days, 1 power couple session & an abundance of inspirational knowledge later... Beyond Pink 2010 is done. The weekend has been a huge whirlwind and I think most of the team is still trying to catch their breath from it all!

If you didn't get a chance to attend Beyond Pink, here's some goodies from us to you. With love.

Video By Rick Chung: http://www.rickchung.com.

We also have pictures from our amazing photographer, Jeremy Lim. http://www.jeremylim.ca Check out his photo sets on Flickr to see if you can spot yourself!

In addition, here's a peek into one of the workshop speakers/YWiB Board member, Heather White.

Most of all, thank YOU so much: delegates, speakers, mentors, sponsors, exhibitors, advisors that made Beyond Pink a reality and such a memorable experience. The energy, the buzz and connections that were made from the weekend are invaluable and we're so so grateful to everyone that gave their time/effort/money to make it happen!

Passion, Chaos, and Dreams- Important Lessons Learned By Young Women At Beyond Pink Conference

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VANCOUVER, B.C. (November 22, 2010)- What a spectacle it was to see as over 150 women dominated the Four Seasons Vancouver hotel this weekend to prove that beauty and brains make the perfect combination. Reason for the occasion? The third annual Beyond Pink conference hosted by the Young Women in Business Society (YWiB). Delegates came from all over the Lower Mainland to learn how to “make their brand and leave their mark.”The impressive line-up of speakers included Michelle Rupp (Principal and Founder,Lighthouse Leadership), Ken Sim (Co-Founder of Nurse Next Door), Lisa Vogt (Partner of McCarthy Tétrault LL), and Judy Brooks (Co-Founder of Blo Blow Dry Bar), all whom shared their stories and lessons that they have learned on their way to success. Ken Sim began one of his workshops by asking the ladies to stand up and proposed the question, "What would you do if you only had 30 days left on this planet, would you continue to live the way you are now?" The ladies who answered “yes” were asked to sit down. Only two women sat down. He then continued to teach the important lesson of following your passion when choosing a career path. The Power Couple Panel brought together Gayla and John DeHart, Katie Dunsworth-Reiach and Nick Reiach, and Andrea and Chris Scott, three power couples of Vancouver.They were all proven examples of an ideal work-life balance sharing their knowledge and experience to an audience of aspiring women. As the couples discussed about stress and chaos in life, John Dehart noted, "The common bond where you focus on a vision makes the chaos more manageable.” You could almost see the hearts melting in the crowd of women as his wife Gayla DeHart later added "we don't know the specifics or details...But we do know we're going to get through anything together." As the weekend came to an end, the ladies gathered one last time at the celebratory Gala dinner. In consideration of the goal of Beyond Pink, a platform that pushes young womento their dreams, one of the Gala Speakers, Tsawwassen First Nation, Chief Kim Baird left the delegates with some food for thought as she asked, "What is your dream, and what are you going to do about it?" These young women then walked out Saturday night knowing that they are going to do something to make their brand and leave their mark on the world.

Article can be found here: http://www.vancouverobserver.com/localvocal/2010/11/24/passion-chaos-and-dreams-important-lessons-learned-young-women-beyond-pink

Photos by Jeremy Lim Photography http://www.jeremylim.ca