U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy Presents
Women's Economic Opportunity Conference
Saturday, December 10, 2011
8:00am-2:45pm
Vermont Technical College, Randolph, Vt.
(Return to the Registration Page)
Directions to Vermont Tech: I-89 to Exit 4, east on 66 to Randolph Center, ahead is the VTC entrance, then follow signs.
Keynote Speaker
Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Born June 25, 1954, in Bronx, New York, daughter of Juan Luis Sotomayor and Celina Baez Sotomayor. Brother Juan Sotomayor, Jr. is a physician in Syracuse, New York. Nominated Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009; sworn in on August 8, 2009.
(download a printable version of the invitation for this conference here)
W O R K S H O P D E T A I L S
*Indicates workshops that build upon skills presented at the fall conference but are open to all participants interested in the given subject.
Session 1: 10:00- 12:00 PM
Discovering the Work You are Meant to Do – Presented by Laura Lind-Blum: There is work out there that has your name on it. Something that lights you up, uses your most-loved skills and talents, and gives you that deep satisfaction of doing work that you know you are meant to do. Now, if only you could figure out what it is! In this workshop you will experience five surprising strategies to bring your work into focus, and also sketch out your next steps for making it happen.
Does It Have Legs? - Presented by Debra Boudrieau: Learn a quick way to look at all aspects of your business idea including marketing, operations and locations, customer demographics, your team, as well as the all-important questions of whether your business idea will be profitable. In addition to taking into consideration your personal financial needs, you will learn how to start to answer the question: Can this business work?
Unstress for Success - Presented by Marie Frohlich: Do you feel anxious about the tasks you need to complete? Do you worry about what you could of, would of, should of done? Many of us are feeling the pinch of the economy, and all of us need easy tips and tools to calm us down. Come explore how to use food as medicine and specific herbal & energy therapies to unstress for success every day. Taste tests and handouts provided.
Self-Care Strategies and Practical Tools for Creating Work-Life Balance - Presented by Deborah Eibner: Dedicated, hardworking women often seek ways to stay on course and move ahead – despite competing demands between your work and your personal life. If you want to find a balance between having a passionate and fulfilling life and being successful in your career, you need to figure out your priorities and establish the habits that will allow you to balance them. This workshop offers new techniques to help you integrate your busy work and personal life.
Get Beyond Job Ads and Identify and Secure Best-fi t Jobs for You! - Presented by Markey Read: Some say there are only six people between you and anyone else on the planet; but in Vermont there are only three! Through the vehicle of technology we can find, stay in touch with, and communicate with almost any part of the globe. Yet, for most people the job search is very local. This workshop will help you identify and build your natural affinity groups in your local geographic region. Come learn how to cast a wider net and expand your sphere of influence that will keep you connected in all the right places.
Build and Repair Your Credit - Presented by Margaret Ferguson: Get the scoop on the important and confusing world of credit. Learn simple steps to build and repair your credit with credit counselor Margaret Ferguson, AFC. Leave with the beginning of a personal credit action plan and then implement it!
So You Want To Be A Consultant? How To Take Your Professional Skill Set and Create A Business! - Facilitated by Mary Johnson with presentations by Mary Dingee Fillmore, Susan Palmer and Mary Nealon: This workshop offers practical steps to opening your own consulting business. Come interact with a panel of professional consultants who will share; 1) How they got started, 2) The niche market they created and/or discovered, 3) How to get yourself known, and 4) Everyday but important information to understand as a consultant.
Principles of Marketing in Action - Presented by Amy Mattinat: This workshop was designed for small business owners or managers who are looking for cost effective creative marketing ideas that are easy to implement and will get the phone ringing and/or bring customers into your business.
Seven Social Media Tips in Seven Minutes – Presented by Hiata Corduan DeFeo, Crystal Maderia, Gerianne Smart, Janice Shade and Rocio Clark, and moderated by Lauren-Glenn Davitian: Seven tips in seven minutes to help you master social media. These business owners and professionals regularly use social media to build business, community, and connections, and will share their firsthand advice on what works – and what does not work.
Arts Go Online - Panel Moderated by Helen Labun Jordan: Whether it's writing, painting, sculpture, music, dance, film or any other artistic endeavor, the web has had a profound impact on how artists do business. It is easier and cheaper than ever before to display your work for the world using text, video, audio, and interactive options. This workshop presents a panel of artists who have successfully used web-based tools to expand their customers and audience.
Art of Simple Giving - Presented by Marianne Perchlik Donahue: "Giving" is a quality of being human, a cultural tradition, a habit, and an act of will. Come and explore how conscious giving can expand your dreams and values, stimulate greater authenticity in your relationships, and sometimes involve no material item at all. In this workshop, Marianne Donahue Perchilk, a Simplicity Parenting Coach, will facilitate an exploration of the steps we make when we give, and crafts a forum for experiencing the "giving" that represents your vision.
Localizing Your Business - Moderated by Andrea Cohen: What do we mean when we talk about local? Why are we talking about local? How can it help your business grow? Hear about the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility’s Local First Campaign, and from locally owned businesses about what being “local” means in terms of brand image and internal operations, and why buying local is an essential economic development strategy in Vermont. We will also explore local business-to-business opportunities and the how-to of marketing to other local businesses.
Nontraditional Careers for Women: Celebrating the Road Less Traveled – Moderated by Lori Valburn: Have you wondered what it would be like to pursue a career in law enforcement, the construction trades, engineering or computer technology? Nontraditional careers for women frequently offer higher entry-level wages and rewarding career ladders. Our panel of “Nontrads” will share their stories of how they overcame barriers and provide tips for succeeding in male-dominated industries.
Starting on a Shoestring - Presented by Gillian Franks: Starting a new business is an exciting and stressful decision. This workshop will help you ask and answer questions about financing, how to start small, how to scale-up your business, and how to build on your business success.
Principles of Marketing in Action - Presented by Amy Mattinat: This workshop was designed for small business owners or managers who are looking for cost effective creative marketing ideas that are easy to implement and will get the phone ringing and/or bring customers into your business.
Demystifying Business Opportunities with the State and Federal Government. Are You Missing Out? - Presented by Brenda Plastridge, Kathy Andrus, Diane Meyerhoff, and Deborah Damore: This is a panel discussion on doing business with federal, state and local governments. You will learn about contracting opportunities that match your products or services and certification programs available for women and minority owned businesses.
Session 2: 1:45-2:45 PM
Leaning-in or Leaning-out? Pushed-in or Pushed-out? Women Making Conscious or Unconscious Decisions About their Careers: Facilitated by Cheryl Hanna, Proffesor of Law at Vermont Law School. Senator Leahy has hosted Vermont's Women's Economic Opportunity Conference for 15 years, and he continues to do so because women are still facing difficult decisions in their professional lives, and they continue to ask Senator Leahy for this opportunity to connect to one another and build on their professional goals. This year's Conference will wrap up with a facilitated conversation by Cheryl Hanna as she guides us through a discussion about conscious or unconscious decisions women make as they move through their careers. We will hear from four women who have contemplated leaning-back, or trying to lean-in, or pushed-in to the world of paid work and power, or being pushed back when they enter it. When we lean, either forward or backward, we face resistance from our own instincts and from people and institutions that influence our decision-making. This will be a powerful conversation reminding us that our career decisions, however small or large, will have an impact on how we shape our future and we can do so unapologetically.