Kellogg Executive Women's Network

KEWN had the great fortune of having Mike Monar, president of Monar Consulting Inc., present a highly interactive and dynamic program, “The Coming Cataclysmic Workforce Shift: A Unique Opportunity for Women Professionals.” The evening’s program focused on the changes that will occur in the workforce in the next three to five years when organizations begin to see a dramatic shift as baby boomers retire and the leadership positions they filled become available. KEWN members discussed how women can balance typical male and female leadership characteristics to position themselves for these opportunities. The evening was filled with energetic and fun conversation and resulted in a great white paper sent to all attendees by Monar Consulting Inc.

In April, approximately 50 alumnae from Kellogg, Booth and Harvard business schools met for a great evening of networking and shopping at Laudi Vidni (Individual spelled backwards), a shop in Chicago that provides premium leather handbag customization. The evening included a discussion with the founders of the business, Laura Kofoid and Grace Tsao-Wu, who shared their story, thoughts and advice on entrepreneurship. (Chris Roberts ’10 is Laudi Vidni’s COO.) All attendance fees for the evening’s event and 10 percent of sales proceeds went to support Bottomless Closet, a nonprofit organization founded in 1991 in response to the compelling need for services to increase the potential of women on assistance and to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency. Jude Andrews, the CEO of Chicago Bottomless Closet, spoke to the group and explained how her organization helps such women and highlighted the ever-increasing need for support from women and women’s organizations. It was a wonderful evening of learning, networking with fellow business school women, enjoying a great glass of wine and sharing with women in need.

Some 60 KEWN members met to celebrate the end of another successful year of KEWN events and the beginning of a much-anticipated summer with our fourth annual wine tasting and networking event at The Artisan Cellar in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. KEWN members spent an enjoyable evening sampling some of the finest wines of summer while meeting and catching up with fellow Kellogg alumnae and guests. The evening began with a welcoming aperitif to toast the beginning of summer, followed by a sampling of six to eight premium wines appropriate for summer gatherings that were introduced and presented by representatives of key European and domestic wine producers. It was a perfect evening for networking and thanking KEWN members for their support throughout the year.