Women in Business, Jobs, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News: News On Women

Vanna Krantz Moderates FWA Panel November 16 in New York

Vanna Krantz, Chief Financial Officer for the Media Division of Thomson Reuters, is moderating the Financial Women's Association Economic Forum to be held November 16, 2009 at the Thomson Reuters World Headquarters in New York. The forum will cover core issues in today's financial environment. Panelists include Gina Martin Adams, Equity Strategist, Wells Fargo Securities and Beth Ann Bovino, Senior Economist at Standard & Poor's. Read more about the other panelists and the topics to be discussed on fwa.org.

Anne Welch to Speak at AdweekMedia's "Marketing to Women" Conference

Anne Welch, Vice President and Brand Publisher of Elle Magazine, is speaking at the AdweekMedia’s "Marketing to Women" Conference Wednesday, November 4, 2009. Anne's talents show through in her comments about marketing:

What marketers/brands do you admire and “look up to” for their strategies?
Apple – for defining cool
Target – for bringing fashion to the masses
Net-a-Porter – for taking e-commerce to the next level
Louis Vuitton – for remaining true to themselves

What are key marketing tips that you’ve learned that you feel are important to share?

Reinforce our Mission
ELLE has a distinct voice and one that separates us from our competition. It all begins with our mission and resulting editorial product. Over the past year we have solidified our position in the marketplace as the preeminent magazine for a relevant and relatable mix of fashion. While our competition has adjusted their editorial philosophy to the economic climate, ELLE has remained true to the magazine’s fashion mission: offering both practical and aspirational clothing and accessories; highlighting the trends, but never dictating them; and encouraging personal style and individuality.

Invest in Research
Consumer insight opens doors. In 2008, ELLE sponsored a ground-breaking study that profiled and identified today’s recession-proof shoppers. This study not only educated advertisers on the three types of women who will continue to shop in the face of the recession, but it also stressed the importance of fashion magazines. On every single measure studied, fashion magazine readers are significantly more qualified than that who do not read them: they spend more, they shop more, and they are more knowledgeable.

Innovate and Take Risks
ELLE is a magazine that has always taken risks—we were the first fashion magazine to launch a companion website and the first to participate in a reality television show. While the competition usually follows suit, ELLE continues to push the boundaries of what a fashion resource can do. Last spring we continued to innovate by launching the ELLE Dailies, a free subscription-based e-mail newsletter delivered to a broad, yet targeted, audience of prime fashion consumers.  In order to provide readers with more of the content they crave, last fall ELLE launched “Fall A to Zee,” an online feature that highlighted creative director, Joe Zee’s, key pieces and trends for the season. Over 400,000 consumers visited the site where they were able to click to buy straight from the advertising or the edit. Back by popular demand, Joe is again curating an alphabet’s worth of trends in Fall A to Zee and the ELLE Dailies have been extended to nine weeks reaching over 1 million opt-in subscribers daily.
 
With Project Runway, Stylista, and Ugly Betty, ELLE has always looked for creative ways to integrate the brand into television in order to increase brand awareness. Along these same lines, ELLE recently signed on with the Creative Artists Agency  (CAA), the world’s largest talent and branded entertainment agency representing clients such as Dell, Gap, and Coke. CAA will search for new opportunities for ELLE in television, motion pictures, DVD, and digital.

What have you learned not to do in your experience as a marketer?
 
Never Say Never
Over the last six years, ELLE has methodically moved up the ranks of fashion titles in the US by growing ad pages and share of market. In 2002, ELLE ranked 6th among the 7-book competitive set and had a 12% share of market. Today, ELLE is ranked #1 with 1,652 pages (and nearly 19% share) through October—two more pages than perennial category leader Vogue.
 
Limit Where the Brand Lives
With a crowded market place and tight consumer dollars, more so than in the past, advertisers have been looking for one thing when seeking media partners: proof of engagement. They want to know consumers are actively pursuing your brand and investing their valuable time and/or resources in it. To keep their experience with ELLE fresh, we are always looking for new ways to engage consumers both in-book and beyond the page. Whether it’s through a branded line of clothing or unique retail partnerships, we know our readers respect our opinion and therefore will seek our content through multiple touch points.

Learn more about the speakers at the AdweekMedia "Marketing to Women" Conference.

New Media Women Entrepreneurs Summit in Washington Nov9

The New Media Women Entrepreneurs Summit is being held in Washington, D.C. on November 9. Women from around the country will be coming together to discuss their entrepreneurial journalism ideas and endeavors. Read more about it on newmediawomen.org.

"Women on the Buy Side" Breakfast a Success

Women were out in full force this morning at the "Women on the Buy-Side" Breakfast sponsored by The Glass Hammer. An outstanding panel discussed how the markets have changed, the need for more transparency, the regulatory changes being considered, and the importance of analyzing the operational risks in the business. Panelists included Marianne Brown, CEO of Omgeo; Annie Morris, Managing Director of Linedata Services, North America; Elizabeth Philipp, CFA, PIMCO; and Cynthia Steer, Managing Director, Head of Beta Research at RogersCasey. Holly Miller, Partner at Stone House Consulting, did a great job moderating the panel. Women in Fund Management came together to share ideas and learn from each other. We hope to hear more from these women going forward.

SpringBoard Enterprises Presents AllThingsLifeSciences Sept30,09

Springboard Enterprises presents the AllThingsLifeSciences 2009 Venture Capital Road Show which will showcase 31 early stage, high-growth investment opportunities to audiences of active angel, venture, and corporate investors.  The first venture capital forum, where angel, venture, and corporate investors will get a preview of eighteen women-led life sciences companies, includes a seminar for aspiring entrepreneurs - Equity Matters: The Route To NASDAQ, and is scheduled for September 30 - October 1, 2009 at University of Wisconsin-Madison's Fluno Center. Read more on springboardenterprises.com. Springboard announced the companies to be showcased in Madison in the prnewswire press release.

"Women on Boards" Holds Conference in Atlanta October13,09

"Women on Boards" holds conferences across the country to educate women and help prepare them for serving on Boards. The next "Women on Boards" event is being held in Atlanta on October 13,09. Speakers include Mylle Mangum – Chairman & CEO, IBT Holdings, LLC; Robin Hensley – President, Raising the Bar; and Juanita Baranco – Executive Vice President & COO, Baranco Automotive Group. These panalists will discuss topics such as the job of a director and the differences between non-profit, private and public boards. For more information, go to WomenonBoards.com.

The schedule for future Women on Boards events is as follows:

Denver – Monday, November 9, 2009; Des Moines – Thursday, November 12, 2009; Twin Cities – Tuesday, December 1, 2009; Milwaukee – Monday, December 7, 2009; San Francisco – Monday, January 25, 2010; Chicago – Monday, February 8, 2010; St. Louis – March 2010; Washington DC – Tuesday, April 20, 2010; Dallas – April 2010.

Internet Week New York - Women in Business Conferences

Internet Week, events celebrating New York's Internet industry and community, starts June 1,09 and runs to June 8,09. Here are some of the many events going on:

Startups and Entrepreneurs:
New York Tech Meetup Showcase – Internet Week’s place to see demos from NYC’s coolest tech startups and their products.  (June 2, FIT Great Hall)
Startup 2009 – Presented by Silicon Alley Insider, Startup 2009 will showcase 10 top startups competing for bragging rights, buzz, and a $50,000 prize. (June 3, NYU Stern – Schimmel Hall) 
Hatch Match - An evening of facilitated networking with New York’s leading web/Internet/IT investors and advisor. (June 4, Columbia University Low Library)
Venture Capital Boot Camp – DFJ Gotham Ventures and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati will present a broad range of topics on how to navigate the venture capital fundraising process. (June 4 – Columbia University)

Social Media:
Social Media Camp – Social Media Club hosts a participant-driven event organized to help small busninesses and job seekers learn how to use social media with their current or prospective jobs and companies (June 4).
NY Social Media Roundtable: Social Media For Non-Profits – Charitini founder Rachel Sklar and others discuss the opportunities and challenges that social media pose for non-profit organizations (June 4, The Center).

Industry Conferences: 
Conversational Marketing Summit – Addressing the theme "What Works? The Case Studies," the Summit will bring together the most cutting-edge minds in the online marketing industry. Presented by Federated Media, which was founded by Wired co-founder John Battelle. (June 1-2, Hudson Theater & Millennium Broadway Hotel) 
Mediabistro Circus – The popular media industry site brings together a powerful mix of media luminaries and tech innovators for two days of knowledge-sharing, inspiration, and fun. (June 2, The Times Center).

Web Video & Television:
Innovation & Digital Video - Columbia University Business School hosts a discussion on current and future state of online video (June 2, Columbia University Business School).

The Web TV Producers Toolbox - The New York Television Festival, in partnership with Tilzy.TV and For Your Imagination, present a series of short sessions that highlight the process of creating a successful web show (June 1, For Your Imagination Studios).

Read about other events on internetweekny.com

Katharine Weymouth to Speak at Mid-Atlantic Women & Technology Conference June 11,09 in Washington DC

Katharine Weymouth (pictured), CEO of the Washington Post Media Group and Publisher of the Post, will be a keynote speaker at the first Mid-Atlantic Women & Technology Conference on Thursday June 11, 2009 at the Ronald Reagan International Center at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW in Washington D.C. Also speaking will be Casey Coleman, CIO for the General Services Administration. Read more about the conference.  Read about nominating a mid-atlantic woman for an award for  innovation, or managing and deploying technology in her daily business.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Offers Leadership Training for Women

The UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School is offering a three day seminar on how women can transition from Management to Leadership October 14-16,2009. The conference is for mid to senior level managers who want to further develop their skills. Read the announcement.

Girls' Advocates Honored at Annual GIRLS INC. D.C. Celebration Luncheon

On May 5, leaders in the business, public policy, and philanthropic communities will come together at the Grand Hyatt Washington to recognize exceptional champions of girls and young women. This event is held to honor local leaders whose work empowers girls to dream big and supports Girls Incorporated, a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.  The 2009 honorees will be recognized for creating new opportunities for women, achieving success through taking risks and innovation, and serving as career role models for girls and young women. The honorees are: 

Megan Beyer,Commentator and Journalist, To the Contrary, PBS
Megan (pictured left) began her career as a journalist in 1984 covering education and politics in Virginia.  She served as the MidAtlantic Finance Chairperson for Women for Obama and national Co-Chair of the Women for Obama National Women's Leadership Initiative - National Issues Conference and regularly represented Women for Obama on To the Contrary, the national PBS women's political talk show.

Lorna Donatone, President, Sodexo School Services
Lorna leads Sodexo's student nutrition service operations, which provide 2.6 million nutritionally balanced meals each day in 470 school districts across the United States, helping students and teachers support a healthy lifestyle. Donatone serves as Treasurer for the Board of Directors for the Women's Foodservice Form; she also is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association and on the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America. 

Natalie O. Ludaway, Managing Member, Leftwich & Ludaway, LLC
Natalie's legal practice is highly regarded for litigation and regulatory matters, with an emphasis in the areas of commercial litigation, telecommunications, and employment law. Her clients run the gamut from Fortune 50 corporations, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, governmental entities, to individuals. An active civil leader, Natalie (pictured left) is also Vice Chair of CareFirst (BlueCross BlueShield Company) and Chair of GHMSI; Member of the Judicial Nominations Committee of the District of Columbia; Member, Board of Directors, Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation and a former Chair of the Board of Directors, District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Robin S. Michel, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Giant-Landover
Robin oversees sales, operating profits, organization, and employees for Giant Food, one of the leading supermarket brands in the Washington D.C. area. The company operates more than 180 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs approximately 21,000 people.  Previously, Robin served as Group Vice President Procurement and Merchandising at Roundy's and held the position of Vice President Merchandising, US and Canada, for 7-Eleven, Inc.

The luncheon is being held, Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at the Grand Hyatt Washington, 1000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

Women Entrepreneurs Conference Hosted by Make Mine a Million $ Business and American Express Open

Obama's first 100 days pale in comparison to what I saw today at the "First 100 days of Women Entrepreneurs of America 2009 Make Mine a Million $ Business" workshop in New York. The conference was packed with eager business women sharing ideas and searching for the secrets of success. Susan Sobbott (pictured), President of American Express Open, spoke about how impressed she is with these women, women who are optimitstic and proactive; women who see opportunity even in this difficult economy; women who have the vision to help each other. Susan set the stage with some of her own secrets of success - know who you are, know your brand, and use both these things to sieze opportunities. The energy in the room was amazing, and it is clear that these women want to get ahead. The Make Mine a Million $ Business goal of one million women running million dollar companies is a great way to quantify the issues facing women business owners - how to increase sales and grow revenues in a profitable way. Congrats to Nell Merlino and Susan Sobbott for helping women make their dream a reality.

Executive Moms Make Time to Share Advice

The Executive Moms Spring Luncheon in New York today was a great success with women of all ages exchanging advice and business cards. I was so impressed with the talented people there, from corporate execs to entrepreneurs. I even met a concert pianist! The sharing of information was amazing - even the panelists had questions for each other. We all face an uncertain economy, and discussions ranged from balancing work and family to just being able to keep your job.

Despite the inventions of Google Calendar, Email, IM's, blogs and twitter, the issues facing women have stayed remarkably the same over the past ten years - questions came up  like "am I working just to keep the nanny?". The answers seem to have stayed the same as well - a supportive boss, a supportive family and a network of friends to help are a key part of success. But the networks of friends have taken a new shape, like Executive Moms and Care.com. Sheila Marcelo (pictured), Founder and CEO of Care.com who was part of today's panel, shared personal challenges which led to the founding of her company, a source for caregivers and other information for working moms.

ABC "Nightline" Co-Anchor Cynthia McFadden did a great job as the panel's moderator. There was one new problem - controlling blackberry time is a major issue for moms! Thanks to Marisa Thalberg of Executive Moms for hosting this entertaining and educative event.

Make Mine A Million Event April 27, 09 in New York

Nell Merlino (pictured), Founder of Count Me In and creative force behind ‘Take Our Daughters to Work Day,’ joins with Susan Sobbott, President of American Express Open, to present the Make Mine a Million $ Business RACE (M3 RACE) - a one-day live, business workshop and networking event on April 27 at the American Express Auditorium in New York City to celebrate the First 100 Days for Women Entrepreneurs in America 2009.

As the 100 day clock continues to tick for President Obama, come join business experts and hundreds of women entrepreneurs as they gather to discuss the opportunities and progress the new administration has brought about and how it will help jump start women small businesses.

WHERE: American Express Auditorium, 200 Vesey Street, New York, NY

WHEN: Monday, April 27, 2009, 8:30am to 4:30pm

Learn how to survive a tough economy with advice from a panel of experts; how to use Government Contracting to grow your business; find out about SBA Loan Opportunities from the Stimulus Package; create and clarify your vision with Mind Mapping Expert, Barbara Mackay; and learn how to utilize the M3 RACE tools: Financial Dashboard, Public Profile, Blog, and Online Community.

Executive Moms holds its Spring Luncheon Tuesday, April 21st, 2009, 12:00 to 2:00 pm at The Harmonie Club, New York City. The event will focus on "Your Biggest Working Mom Questions of 2009"; topics central to an Executive Mom’s life - Career, Child Care, Family and Finance. There will be a panel discussion of nationally known experts moderated by Cynthia McFadden, Co-Anchor, ABC's "Nightline".

Executive Moms was founded by Marisa Thalberg (pictured) in 2002. Marisa is presently the Vice President of Global Online Marketing for The Estee Lauder Companies, where she is leading the company's efforts to connect with its consumers in the digital space across its large portfolio of brands.

Marissa had this to say about the Executive Moms Spring Luncheon:

“In thinking about what theme to address this spring, it became apparent that every issue core to a working mom has taken on new shapes, contours and concerns this year.  It became impossible to  consider just focusing on childcare, or family issues, or career, when each of these topics bears reexamining through the lens of the world we are living in today.  We’ve always joked that the accomplished nature of our audience is such that, if you have any form of ‘Q&A,’ these women have more ‘A’ than Q.’   But this year, even the most confident among us have new, important questions (and hopefully some new answers) that will be amazingly beneficial to explore and discuss together, with our extraordinary panel of experts.”
 
“The real, underlying insight to Executive Moms, and it remains the rudder guiding everything we do, is that there are many women who are in fact succeeding well both as executives, and as moms.  These are not women who need to be told ‘how to do their life better.’  Rather, what we need most is a sense of connectedness with other women like us— and the resulting ability to laugh with recognition, occasionally commiserate, and inspire each other through our shared experiences.  Executive Moms exists to be a source of these connections, along with being a provider of great nuggets of ideas and resources that make it that much easier for great working moms to thrive in all the facets of our lives.”

Learn more about the April 21st Spring Luncheon and sign up here.

FWA Event on How to Set Up a Board April 7,09 in New York

The Financial Women's Association of New York presents "When & How to Assemble and Organize a Board of Advisors or Board of Directors" April7,09 in New York.

This event should help you with questions like: Should I set up a Board; if so what type; when is the time to set one up; who should sit on it; what is the benefit of setting up a board of directors vs an advisory board? The event will be held Tuesday, April7,09,  8am to 10 am, at The 3 West Club, located at 3 West 51st Street in New York City.

Panalists include Davia B. Temin, Temin and Company Incorporated; Linda C. Coughlin, Great Circle Associates; Colleen Molter, QED National. The event is moderated by Susan Stautberg, PartnerCom Corporation.

 For additional information, go to fwa.org.

Meg Whitman Keynote Speaker at Women Presidents' Organization Conference April 23,09

The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) will hold its 2009 International Conference in San Diego on April 23-25. This year’s theme is Sustainability: Securing the Future.  The conference encourages WPO members to share business strategies and experience with other successful women from all over North America, as well as learn from interactive seminars and speakers. Additionally, it will provide potential members who qualify a unique opportunity to experience the impact the WPO has on Women Business Owners professionally, and personally.

Keynote speakers for the Conference will include Meg Whitman, former President & CEO of eBay, T. Boone Pickens, founder & CEO, BP Capital, Janice Bryant Howroyd, CEO, Act-1 Personnel Services and WPO Board Member, and Adam Werbach, Global CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi S. Read more about it and get the schedule of events on womenpresidentsorg.com.

SpringBoard Conference on Capital April 3,09 in New York

Springboard Enterprises, the organization dedicated to getting women access to equity markets, joins forces with NASDAQ OMX to present "Equity Matters" - a seminar on raising capital and learning what lenders and investors look for in a business investment. The program is designed to help women business owners and women entrepreneurs address questions on the sources and uses of capital to sustain and grow their businesses. The seminar will be held on April3,09 at Columbia University Business School, Uris Hall Room 301, 3022 Broadway, New York, New York. Find out more about the "Equity Matters" series and future locations of the seminar on springboardenterprises.org.

Johnson Publishing President Anne Sempowski Ward to speak at UNC Women in Business Conference

Anne Sempowski Ward, President of Johnson Publishing Company whose titles include Ebony and Jet Magazines, is the keynote speaker at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School 2009 Women in Business Conference to be held April 2-3. The theme of the conference is Creating Change through Individual Development. Read more about the conference.

Kraft EVP Mary Beth West Honored by Girls Inc. New York

Girls Inc. is honoring Mary Beth West as an exceptional champion of young women at its 25th Annual Girls Inc. New York Celebration Luncheon. Mary Beth, who holds an MBA from Columbia, is Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Kraft Foods. Other women being honored at the luncheon March 19, 09 include Eileen Fisher, Founder of Eileen Fisher Stores; Kim K.W. Rucker, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Avon Products, Inc; and Linda Spradley Dunn, CEO/Publisher of Odyssey Media. The luncheon will be held March19 with a reception starting 11:15am at the Marriott Marquis, Broadway and 45th Street, NY, NY. Read more about it on girlsinc.org.

Project for Attorney Retention Conference March 05,09 in Washington D.C.

The Project for Attorney Retention (PAR) Conference is being held in Washington D.C. on March 5, 2009. This year the conference will focus on "Strategies for Advancing Women Lawyers in Turbulent Times". It will cover how legal employers can continue their progress toward advancing women lawyers during the economic downturn.  The topics to be addressed include whether work/life balance is a viable concept in the wake of unprecedented layoffs; how you can ensure that hidden gender bias does not affect layoffs; and what law firms need to know about using their compensation systems to develop talented women lawyers.
The conference will also feature a first look at the results of PAR’s part-time partner study and roundtable discussions of best practices.  Speakers will include James Potter, General Counsel, Del Monte Foods; Laura Stein, General Counsel, Clorox; Nicole Pierre, Public Affairs, UPS; Kate Fritz, Managing Partner, Fenwick and West; Lisa Horowitz, President, NAWL; Linda Oliver, Hogan & Hartson; María Meléndez, Sidley & Austin; Emily Finn, Latham & Watkins; Carter DeLorme, Jones Day; Christine Edwards, Winston & Strawn; and others. Read more at pardc.org.

The Project for Attorney Retention (PAR) is an initiative of The Center for WorkLife Law of the University of California Hastings College of the Law, funded by the Alfred P. SLoan Foundation and other grantors.