How do you persuade 52 super-talented and super-busy women to spend two days advising a start-up? First, assemble a fascinating cross-section of smart women. Second, convene them in a gorgeous natural setting. Third, ask for their ideas on unlocking the potential women have to help solve global problems.
This was the blueprint for three energizing Women’s Leadership Center convenings during summer and fall 2023. The stunning views from the shores of Williams Bay, WI fueled the bonding and brainstorming; ideas for tapping the unlimited potential of the future Center flowed freely. Each of the three cohorts reviewed current architectural and landscaping plans for the Center. Then they walked the site, immersing themselves in the magic of this eight-acre wooded parcel.
Each strategic visioning session intentionally included women from multiple disciplines — scientists, technologists, communicators, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and more. That added to the creativity in the room as the guests generated dozens of fresh ideas for programming, partners, and topics to tackle. Input from these 52 talented women is fueling our plans to accelerate progress on what we will achieve at the Women’s Leadership Center, including curated sessions on “big ideas” ranging from ethics in artificial intelligence to climate solutions that are scalable to other outcomes that improve our world.
As one attendee noted, “It has already taken so much dreaming and working to get this far. But I have no doubt this will happen.” Another woman summed it up: “It’s our time.”