Women For Economic And Leadership Development

WELD DEVELOPS AND ADVANCES WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP TO STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OF THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES.

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES: WELD LAUNCHED A NEW E-CHAPTER IN TAMPA THIS YEAR. WELD HAS MAINTAINED STRONG MEMBERSHIP BY CONTINUING A STRONG LINE UP OF MEMBER ONLY PROGRAMS (NEW AND RENEWING MEMBER PROGRAMS, BOARD PROGRAMS, SPECIALTY PROGRAMS) AND CORPORATE MEMBER ONLY PROGRAMS (EXECUTIVE WOMENS SERIES, AFFINITY GROUPS BEST PRACTICES SERIES). IN ADDITION, WELD PROVIDED ALL OF ITS TELL IT LIKE IT IS THURSDAY WEBINAR SERIES PROGRAMS FREE TO MEMBERS AND CONTINUED DEEP REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS.

EVENTS: KEYNOTE: WELD HELD TWO KEYNOTES IN 2022. FOR THE FIRST TIME POST-COVID, THE WELD COLUMBUS CHAPTER HAD ITS KEYNOTE EVENT IN PERSON. THE EVENT FEATURED GRACE VANDECRUZ, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GRACE GLOBAL CAPITAL LLC. IT FOCUSED ON THE TOPIC "EMERGING STRONG THROUGH MOUNTAINS OF CHANGE." THE PITTSBURGH CHAPTER ALSO HELD AN IN PERSON KEYNOTE EVENT FEATURING LEANNE MEYER, AUTHOR, ON THE TOPIC OF "CLIMBING THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE." LEADERSHIP: WELD HOSTS AN ANNUAL WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE EACH SUMMER TO EDUCATE WOMEN AT VARIOUS STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS. THE 2022 CONFERENCE WAS IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE COVID. A WIDE RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING ADDRESSED THE DIVERSE WAYS WOMEN CAN DEVELOP AND APPLY LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC SERVICE. THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAREER TRACKS. ATTENDEES COME AWAY WITH A STRONG SENSE OF THE URGENT NEED TO APPLY THOUGHT AND CREATIVITY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, AS WELL AS PRACTICAL SKILLS TO HELP ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. WELD CONDUCTED ITS TWELFTH ANNUAL FULL-DAY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE WHICH FEATURED OVER 40 EXPERT PRESENTERS ON A VARIETY OF LEADERSHIP TOPICS, INCLUDING BOTH AN OPENING AND LUNCH SESSION KEYNOTE SPEAKER. WELD HAD 300 REGISTRATIONS, INCLUDING 38 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS. THESE WOMEN ARE STRIVING FOR ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND ARE REINVENTING THEIR LIVES AFTER SUFFERING EXTREME SETBACKS. THEY WERE ABLE TO LEARN NEW SKILL SETS IN A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT AND BUILD NEW COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. THE CONFERENCE ALSO INCLUDED A CORPORATE BOARD TRACK. WOMEN WELDING THE WAY CALENDAR(R) RECEPTION: THE WELD COLUMBUS CHAPTER LAUNCHED ITS 19TH ANNUAL WOMEN WELDING THE WAY (R) CALENDAR. THESE CALENDARS SHOWCASE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF 12 WOMEN WHO ARE NOMINATED BY THE COMMUNITY AND SELECTED BY KEY BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. THE CALENDAR HONOREES ARE A DIVERSE MIX OF WOMEN WHO ARE LEADERS IN THEIR COMPANIES AND INDUSTRIES, HAVE POSITIVELY IMPACTED THEIR COMMUNITIES AND HAVE INSPIRED WOMEN TO STRIVE FOR THEIR CAREER ASPIRATIONS WHILE REACHING BACK FOR OTHERS. A PRINTED CALENDAR IS CREATED FOR EACH OF THESE CHAPTERS THAT SHOWCASES THE TALENT AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF THESE WOMEN. THIS EVENT WAS HELD IN PERSON AT THE OHIO STATEHOUSE. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS FOR THE EVENT WERE ALMOST 300.

PROGRAMMING: WELD HOLDS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO TEACH SKILLS USEFUL FOR LEADERS AT VARIOUS STAGES IN THEIR CAREERS. TYPICALLY, THESE ARE A BLEND OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL EVENTS. MANY CHAPTERS HAVE RETURNED TO IN PERSON EVENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE COVID-19. THESE EVENTS INCLUDE THE EMERGING PROFESSIONAL SERIES PROGRAMS TARGETED TO THOSE JUST STARTING OUT IN THEIR CAREERS, THE LEADERSHIP SERIES PROGRAMS TARGETED TO MID-CAREER PROFESSIONALS COVERING A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS AND AN EXECUTIVE WOMEN'S SERIES FOR SENIOR LEADERS AND C-SUITE EXECUTIVES. WELD CONTINUED TO OFFER SEVERAL PROGRAMS WITH SHRM, CPE AND OH AND WV CLE. WELD LAUNCHED A FULL YEAR OF BOARD PROGRAMS/C-SUITE SERIES DESIGNED TO HELP WOMEN OBTAIN THEIR FIRST SEAT ON A NONPROFIT BOARD. THE TOPICS FOCUSED ON PUBLIC COMPANY FINANCIALS, NONPROFIT FINANCIALS, PREPARING FOR THE BOARD INTERVIEW AND OTHER BOARD PREPARATION TOPICS. WELD CONDUCTED SEVERAL NEW MEMBER PROGRAMS ACROSS ITS CHAPTER BASE AND ALSO HOSTED ITS ANNUAL AFFINITY GROUPS BEST PRACTICES SESSION FOR ITS CORPORATE MEMBERS. WELD ALSO CONDUCTED TWO COHORT-BASED LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS IN THEIR SECOND YEAR OF EXISTENCE. THE WELD PATHWAY TO MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PREPARE WOMEN FOR THEIR FIRST PROMOTION INTO A MANAGEMENT ROLE. THE WELD PATHWAY TO EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP WOMEN STUCK IN MIDDLE MANAGEMENT LEARN WHAT IT TAKES TO BE CONSIDERED FOR EXECUTIVE ROLES. WELD ALSO LAUNCHED THE INAUGURAL WELD PATHWAY TO MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN OF COLOR THIS YEAR ATTRACTING MAJOR SPONSORS AND DELIVERING EXCELLENT ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS. WELD ALSO LAUNCHED A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON INCREASING AFRICAN AMERICAN REPRESENTATION IN THE C-SUITES OF PUBLIC COMPANIES IN OHIO, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN DIRECTORS FORUM, FOUNDED IN PITTSBURGH. IN ALL, WELD HAD NEARLY 4,800 WOMEN AND MEN ATTEND OUR LEADERSHIP AND MEMBER PROGRAMS AND SIGNATURE EVENTS. OVER TWO HUNDRED WOMEN AND MEN SERVED AS PROGRAM SPEAKERS.