What does it take to make an icon? A sold-out crowd gathered at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, WI the evening of Thursday, July 17, 2025, to hear the answer. As part of its summer Speaker Series, the Yerkes Future Foundation hosted Jeanne Gang, MacArthur Fellow and award-winning architect, to talk about her work as...
August 8, 2025
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In space, no one can hear you laugh. Yet naturalness, warmth, and collaboration—over power and control—can be exactly the way to lead a high-stakes team to success. This and other leadership lessons were shared with nearly 1,500 women at the 36th Annual Women in the Forefront luncheon, hosted by The Chicago Network. The annual event...
July 1, 2025
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When we write the past, we define the future. It’s said that people don’t tell stories so much as our stories tell us. They describe who we are, who we’ve been, how we think, why that might matter, and therefore what we can expect from the world. The power of the narrative is the power...
April 15, 2025
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Courage is the prerequisite to confidence. This powerful phrase from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management Professor Ellen Taaffe’s book The Mirrored Door inspired a special workshop hosted by the Women’s Leadership Center at Williams Bay High School. The event, titled “Courage Creates Confidence,” took place on Thursday, February 9, 2025. It was the second annual...
February 21, 2025
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Over 25 women from across the U.S. gathered in Lake Geneva from September 20-22 for the second Drake Scholars Retreat. The attendees received scholarships Ann funded through AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education), the MBA program at Kellogg School of Management, or the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. The purpose of these scholarships...
October 18, 2024
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We all get consumed with the demands of our professional lives. Intense board meetings. Conference calls on video. Searches for just the right talent. Who has time to break away for reflection and connection? At the second annual retreat of the Women Corporate Directors’ Chicago Chapter (WCD Chicago) in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, twenty high-achieving women...
May 29, 2024
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An astrophysicist, a nationally known consultant and author, a marketing communications specialist, and a senior strategy advisor walk into a high school. The punchline? Actually, it’s no joke: For a group of teenage girls contemplating their futures, a workshop featuring women leaders in these four roles painted a picture of the possibilities—and the mental strength...
April 24, 2024
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