YWiB hosts screening of documentary Miss Representation!

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We're so excited to be hosting Miss Representation in Vancouver, on December 5 2011. Immediately following the first screening, we will be holding a panel discussion featuring: Moderator:

  • Janet Austin, Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Metro Vancouver, Influential Woman in Business [@ywcavan]

Panelists:

  • Patricia Graham, Vice President, Digital for Pacific Newspaper Group, publisher of The Vancouver Sun and The Province and their digital properties [@patriciagraham]
  • Kirk LaPointe, Ombudsman at CBC, themediamanager.com, UBC School of Journalism adjunct professor  [@kirklapointe]
  • Pamela Martin, Director of Community Outreach for the Office of the Premier Christy Clark, ex-CTV News Vancouver Anchor [@pamelamartin_bc]
  • Amy Chan, columnist for the Sun Media’s 24 Hours Newspaper and The Huffington Post [@amyfabulous]

For more information on tickets, visit here.  A special discount applies for YWiB members :)

YWiB & Women Entrepreneurs in Mashable article

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We love Nellie Akalp's (CEO, CorpNet.com) latest article in Mashable. Ms. Akalp talks about why women are successful entrepreneurs in today's "digital world". YWiB couldn't agree more! Here are some of our favorite points, summarized just for you:

1. Women possess strong communication skills and social intelligence. These are essential skills to have, especially in a world where so many modes of communication and interaction are available.

2. Women make good listeners, and are strong at drawing people into their conversations. To women, building a business is like building a team.

3. Women collaborate - on just about everything! From examples such as joint trips to the restroom to a 2009 Times article, women exercise a transformational leadership style that is very well-suited for today's flattening hierarchies in start-ups.

4. Women prefer lower risk, prioritizing work along with personal harmony - leading to fulfilling professional and personal lives. The flip side is that men's businesses are, on average, larger than women-owned businesses. So the question goes back to - where is that elusive balance? And how do you find the right one on your own terms?

Keep your eyes out for YWiB's upcoming launch of an exciting new offering, which we hope will provide a platform for women to explore these questions further.

Thank you to Jeremy Lim for the photo of our lovely YWiB ladies included as part of this article.

update - application deadline extended

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The deadline for applying to volunteer with YWiB has been extended to October 31st. This is to accommodate for our newsletter going out later than we expected to members annoucning the opening of the positions. Please see here for information on applying!

Thank you to everyone who has already applied - we will be in touch soon if we already haven't!

Professional Women's Network 15th Anniversary Celebration The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel September 29, 2011

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Professional Women's Network 15th Anniversary CelebrationThe Fairmont Waterfront Hotel September 29, 2011

Hors d'œuvres were circulated, live music was performed, drinks were poured, and inspirational words were spoken at the 15th anniversary celebration for the Professional Women's Network (PWN). Over 250 business and community leaders gathered to celebrate women in business and the launch of the new PWN website. Keynote speakers included Anne Lippert, president of Consulting and Advisory Services; Pauline Lipska, president of Young Women in Business; and Jennifer Sung, VP of Young Women in Business.

PWN was founded in 1997 by national chair Michelle Pockey (a business lawyer), together with three other Vancouver-based professional women. The network was established to help women to connect, refer business to one another, and assist each other in navigating the unique challenges faced by female professionals advancing in their career. Currenty the PWN is in Calgary and Vancouver, with additional chapters under development in Toronto, Montreal, and London, UK.

BC Business - full article & photos

YWiB Helps PWN Celebrate 15 Years!

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September 29th marked the 15th Anniversary Celebration of the Professional Women’s Network (PWN). Founded and chaired by YWiB Advisor, Michelle Pockey (whom we love!), YWiB was extremely excited to volunteer at the event and support these amazing women who have supported us!

The celebration honoured both women and men who have made, and continue to make, a significant contribution to the advancement of women in the professional workplace. The list included many familiar faces such as YWiB Advisors Frieda Granot and Bob Elton, Beyond Pink speakers Judy Thomson and Gayle Hallgren-Rezac, and the most familiar faces of all, YWiB President Paulina Lipska and Vice-President Jennifer Sung. (full list)

The theme of the evening was to recall the past and celebrate the future of professional women. The keynote address (and the highlight of our evening!) was given by Anne Lippert (President, Consulting and Advisory Services) and our very own Paulina and Jen!

Anne shared stories of her experiences in starting out in the working world. The proverbial glass ceiling was very much a reality in her time. After being told countless times that ‘women were not management material’, Anne fought to be recognized as an equal and was one of the first women in BC to participate in a trial program at RBC to train women managers. She provided incredible perspective on how much change has occurred.

Paulina and Jen followed with exciting stories of young women who are following their passions and pioneering new paths. The stories were of friends seeking opportunities for exploration, for making and impact, and for starting something new. Using a metaphor of ‘crayons’, Paulina and Jen explained that the options for professional women have grown from a ‘small pack of 12 colors’ to over 120 in the box. Their ‘call to action’ for all women present was to ask and invite young women to sit at the table. Exposing young women to all the crayons will help them find their favourite color, and to continue to add more crayon colors to the box.

A big hug and heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to Michelle and PWN! And an even bigger THANK YOU to all the women and men who were honoured for their contributions to helping us all to keep on growing, exploring and excelling.

marica

click for feature article in BC Business