This week we kicked off the new Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) and an impressive group of executives joined us for a chic party, presentations by women entrepreneurs, and a private screening of the new Sex & the City movie.The idea behind the initiative is pretty simple, and it came to us from our members. For some time we've heard from businesswomen who want new ways to connect with their peers (other than traditional networking). And, ultimately, they'd like to provide meaningful support to women trying to enter the workplace and work their way up.
We were fortunate to have Mayor Dixon as a speaker and guest for the evening. Including the Mayor, the top four elected officials in Baltimore are women. That fact, and the overwhelming support Hillary Clinton had in her near-miss presidential run are testaments to how far women have come in terms of being seen as leaders.
On the other hand, there is still a sense that women aren't yet equal with men in the business world. This certainly is true when it comes to the pay rates. The salary gap has narrowed, but nationally men still make more than women for comparable work. You could also credibly argue that cultural bias hindered Hillary Clinton's chances in the Democratic primary. And then there's the strong encouragement we got to create the WLI in the first place.
This week's WLI kick off felt like the start of something big, and we hope everyone will consider getting involved. Our next event will be this fall. We're still working out the details, but we can promise this... it will be fun, educational, and it just might change the world.
-mike
