This Thursday, WIB held its annual Pearls of Wisdom (POW) Leadership Conference! As this event took place on Earth Day, POW helped raise money for Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF). WECF is a non-governmental organization dedicated to a gender-just and healthy planet for all. The POW committee even created customized Zoom backgrounds for every attending participant! Here is a recap of the event in case you missed it.
The theme of the night was “taking the industry by storm.” This year, WIB was lucky enough to invite Lara Abrash as a keynote speaker! Lara is the chair and chief executive officer of Deloitte & Touche LLP. She runs all aspects of the US Audit & Assurance business, including the execution of quality, innovation, growth, and talent strategies for their organization. She believes in creating a diverse and inclusive environment within the organization, driving disruption through innovation, and she empowers professionals to act boldly, embrace their entrepreneurial mindset, share knowledge, and tackle issues with creativity.
Then, during the fundraising segment of the event, there was a raffle for a chance to win a $25 gift card from Starbucks, Amazon, and Uber eats! POW also showcased three female-led small businesses. Participants were able to donate for a chance to win hand-poured soy wax candles and hand-crafted wax melts, earrings, and a set of press-on nails. Additionally, there was a raffle for a one-hour zoom coffee chat with any female professional who spoke during POW.
Next, the POW committee invited four female professionals for a panel discussion with the participants. Elaine Montilla, the Founder of 5xMinority, Angel Diaz, the Programs Manager at NielsenIQ, Sabrina Mohan, the Social Media Producer (SMP) at the Wendy Williams Show, and Nizan Packin, Professor at Baruch College, Advisor and Strategist.
As the panel progressed, we were able to hear about some of the important skills for women to have when entering the workforce. The skills the panelists mentioned include public speaking, emotional intelligence, project management, self-awareness, creativity, self-promotion and so much more. One of the moments that stuck with us is when the panelists shared with us their belief that everyone's dreams are big, but they are attainable.
Once the wonderful panel discussion ended and everyone's questions were answered, it was time for the raffle winners to be announced. So many prizes were given away and all of the winners were feeling extra lucky!
The next part of POW was breakout rooms, where attendees could experience more personal conversations. The breakout rooms were brilliantly named after the four seasons.
The Fall room, led by Lara Abrash, was all about seeing what goes on behind-the-scenes in the life of a CEO. This was a great experience to learn from a strong, inspirational, successful woman holding a position of power.
The Winter room featured three WIB alumnae: Berta Flores, Grace Anner, and Kelsey Johnson. These women shared what their journey has been like since graduating. They told attendees all about what it was like for them to search for jobs at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their three unique experiences were inspirational and offered hope and encouragement for the future!
The Spring room was all about mentoring. Featuring the Financial Women’s Association and a representative from the Executives on Campus mentorship program, individuals in this room learned about the value of mentorship and why we should all be lifelong mentors and mentees because there is always room for learning.
Finally, the Summer room showed attendees how to ace a digital interview. Digital interviewing is still new to all of us, so getting tips and tricks is always helpful.
Finally, Michelle and the POW committee ended the night with a WIB favorite: auctions!
First, a hand-painted bowl from Krodgercreative. Next, chocolate-dipped strawberries AND a breakable chocolate heart from Dipped in NYC. Finally, last but certainly not least, a doors-off helicopter ride around NYC for two. This prize was sold for 171 dollars, which is the most amount of money that a WIB auction item has ever sold for.
Executive Vice President Michelle and her committee put so much work into this event, and it was a great way for everyone to spend a Thursday night. To close off the night, the POW committee shared a networking spreadsheet with attendees, where everyone put in their LinkedIn information and networking was in full swing!
By the end of the night, WIB raised over $1,600 to donate to Women Engage for a Common Future. Thanks to Michelle and her committee’s hard work, the first-ever virtual Pearls of Wisdom conference was a success!
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