Wrapping up on the Womens Entrepreneur Festival
Putting all humility aside, the Festival was just absolutely fantastic. There was a buzz in the air that was, as Andy Weissman said, infectious. I guarantee we plan on having this event again next year and figuring out ways that we can keep the networking among all of us going through the year.
I would love to hear from people on what you thought made this event so successful. Here are my thoughts. The event was not huge so there was an intimacy in the room that you don't always find at conferences. Having multiple generations of women there that wanted to connect and hear about each other regardless of age is very powerful. Every attendee came considering themselves on an equal playing field, everyone was wowed by each other. The bios of each attendee on the site was a great tool so that when we all came together we were each intrigued by each other. Everyone had their guard down. Everyone wanted to connect, listen, hear, learn and network. It was casual. Nobody wore a suit.
One interesting observation were the four men panelists. Each of them told intimate stories about themselves to the audience as the day progressed. One of them actually said to me that they never tell personal stories about themselves at a conference but here they felt comfortable doing it. To me, that is one of the most powerful components of being a woman. That personal link and the willingness to divulge our real feelings and stories is why every business will be so much more successful with women involved. That personal piece changes the game.
Wow. It was just an incredible day.
Comments (Archived):
Congrats. You continue to impress.
ha. working hard at it.
it sounds like a fabulous event. great mix of speakers with really interesting bios. i look forward to checking out the videos. congratulations.
It was an incredible day. You, Diana and Nancy set the tone by a) introducing personal stories from the beginning, which helped everyone feel free to talk about the personal elements of entrepreneurship and being a woman; and b) keeping the focus on all of the momentum and success of the panelists and the subject matter. Phenomenal.
I was sending you good thoughts!
Am glad it was a success! You mention you’d like to keep the networking going all year; that’s great, but remember there are many more women entrepreneurs out here that couldn’t be squeezed into this conference. Any plans to include them in the fold? ( I am on such 🙂
Good question. We are having a wrap up this week. The conference reallytouted how important networking is among women and that was obviouslyhappening in the crowd.
The WE Festival truly was a “we” event. It wasn’t about a single shining star or big egos, but rather about the power of community, and the power of women. Your description above is perfect – it was a place to be inspired, to be supported, to be vulnerable, to be educated, and to be courageous. Huge thanks to you, Nancy, Diana, Midori and the many others who made this possible. I look forward to being a part of this ongoing community of amazing women!
totally agree. no big egos. it was a complete community event. thatresonated so loud and clear and i love that!
I loved the conference. Having that many determined and passionate women in the same place gave great energy to the panels and social times.Though, I will have to say that this blog post concerns me (slightly), in that it highlights the male contribution to the event. Coming from a social work and feminist background, it seems that the entire purpose of this event is to highlight the many women entrepreneurs and our projects and ideas, yet this blog post names only one person (a male), and discusses how the male participants viewed the conference.I am looking forward to hearing the follow up blog posts and comments from all of the participants, and am formulating my own as we speak 🙂
sorry about that.
i will say that jen bekman said this was the best conference she has everbeen involved with.
hey amanda — it’s good that you call that out and we all need to make sure we keep making sure that a mulitplicity of female viewpoints are expressed…now and on an ongoing basis.coming from a world where the men are so dominant (tech) and where we are constantly pitching to men because they do the lion’s share of funding, i must admit myself that it matters to me deeply that the men felt it was excellent. we just can’t get there without men’s support, and the positivity they’re sending to us is one of the really unique things that’s making this a special moment. it’s a good thing if they think we’re a hot ticket! when we’re in our own echo chamber we tend to be marginalized and underfunded….and i’m over that! ;-)we must be heard. that is critical. male viewpoints must not supplant ours. but i really do like to see them in the mix.i look forward to your posts + hope to meet you at the next one! 🙂
nice one tereza.
Congratulations ! you are the perfect person to do this as its your passion
I was lucky enough to be included at the last minute because my mom couldn’t go – she couldn’t have given me a better gift. The conference was inspiring from the very first moment with Joanne’s opening remarks to the very end. The learning was huge because the speakers were so open with their successes and failures and willing to talk after. Amanda Steinberg of the Daily Worth was especially helpful and honest. The spirit in the room was contagious. Extremely well run event. It would be great if there was a way to connect with a lot of the women after the event – and trade contacts, ideas etc…
thanks Amy. i love that your Mom gave you her ticket.
I keep hearing more and more about the conference. A home run for sure. Can’t wait for video.My wish for next time…I realize there are lots of schedules to manage, but would love it if the conference could be held during the week. Had to miss this event because weekends are truly family-driven. Curious if you’ve had other feedback about weekend vs. weekday.
that was a big topic of conversation prior to the actual date. bottom line,we used the nyu facilities so it had to be on a saturday b/c there were noclasses taking place.i agree with you that during the week is much more ideal
The WE Festival was an awesome event and was completely worth braving the historic snow to make it! The attendees, organizers and speakers were all approachable, welcoming, confident and encouraging which was exactly what I needed. It’s entirely possible that I got more out of it than anyone and can’t wait to return next year! My thanks to everyone involved for making it such a great event!My hope is that everyone participates in the extended community that comes from the Festival and that many more women entrepreneurs join in. Any sort of follow-up/group that is set up will be as valuable as the group decides it should be by investing their time, connections, and resources.Looking forward to 2012!Kathlene MullensFounder/CEO, Female Equality Matters ™Buy when you see our logo to help crack the glass ceiling!