Women Who Lunch

Nicole Johnson February 4, 2016

WOMEN WHO LUNCH

An National Movement of Women Empowerment and Networking

Women Who Lunch (WWL) is on a mission to connect women so that they can share ideas and empower each generation to teach the others. With chapters in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, Boston and Hudson Valley, WWL provides women across the nation with platforms to build their businesses and improve their networks. Women Who Lunch is a Florence Belsky Charitable Foundation (FLOBEL) sponsored event created by a group of FLOBEL leaders. Nectar News sat down with Jillian Markowitz, Dan Schneider and local WWL leader Vicki Koenig (Hudson Valley) to hear more about the event’s success in their communities.

Women Who Lunch Philadelphia

NN: Jill, how have you participated in the building of the WWL brand and the administration of events in the past few years?

JM: I came on as Associate Director of the Foundation after the first few Women Who Lunch NYC events had already been done. Those events had a featured female speaker, free time to network and were completed under the “Women Mentor Women” brand. Soon after, Women Who Lunch expanded from NYC to Philadelphia to Boston to Hudson Valley to Los Angeles. Each event in each locale has a slightly different structure and tone to fit the culture of the place where it occurs. This is why we ask for local facilitators to run the events so that they can give us an indication of what the local culture is like and how Women Who Lunch can best fit there. While the Foundation provides the backbone of collecting money, providing programs, name tags etc., coordinating with the vendors, the local facilitators are responsible for picking a theme for the event and promoting the event locally.

NN: Dan, what do you believe has caused the expansion of the WWL brand?

DS: The people and the format . We have good people who care about personal connection. Our advisors want to serve their communities and help each other. Men have created institutions to help themselves network throughout the world . This is a modern day version for working women . Women today are juggling career, family and personal life . They need a place to vent and also see how their peers are succeeding at finding balance .

Women Who Lunch NY

NN: Jill, what do you enjoy most about WWL and how do you imagine guests benefit from the event?

JM: I most enjoy meeting the other women and having a chance to be able to speak to them about their experiences relating to their careers and personal lives. As one of the younger women attending the events, it’s been enlightening to learn how other women have handled decisions in their lives.

I imagine that other women benefit from the event in the same way and enjoy the opportunity to share their own experiences in a safe environment. I know that women have also developed friendships from attending the lunch.

NN: Dan, how have you seen the WWL develop since it’s initial events?

DS:The brains behind the original format and structure were Christina Bark, Leslie Malin and Vicki Koenig. They are all women in the Hudson Valley who travelled to NYC to test the concept and develop and change it into its current format .

NN: Jill, what do you hope the events will develop into over the next few years or how do you expect guests to benefit from attending frequently?

JM: I particularly like the structure of the events in the Hudson Valley – I think they have developed a fully fleshed out program the perfectly suits the culture of the area. I think that this is why women keep returning to the Hudson Valley lunches. I hope that the other locations will continue to develop and tweak the program to specifically fit their own locations. While the Foundation provides the backbone of the events, it’s up to the local facilitators to change the details to suit the location.

Women Who Lunch Hudson Valley

WWL Hudson Valley Testimonials

“Thank you Vicki…..what a fun time we had….lovely food, lively
conversation and incredible energy in that fabulous space…..thank you so much for inviting me….I knew if you were involved that it would be great!!!”

“A much needed organization that differentiates itself from others by placing human connections before business connections. .. an effective way of creating sustaining and helpful relationships“.

“Thank you Vicki and all our volunteers and participants .. The Hudson Valley is setting the benchmark for the national women’s network“.

NN: Vicki, how did Women Who Lunch Hudson Valley begin ?

VK:The Florence Belsky Charitable Foundation hosts Women Who Lunch events in a handful of different cities including New York City, Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. About a year and a half ago, Melissa Gibson and I got together and brainstormed about having an event in the Hudson Valley. We started in September 2014 and have had six events thus far where women share ideas and stories in a meaningful way over food. Some people have received new clients, lots of office space has been secured at these meetings.. whether it’s political, grant funding we realize that it’s who you know a lot of times. WWL opens the doors for relationship building.

NN: What is expected of the women who attend the WWL in the Hudson Valley ?

VK: At the beginning of each WWL event in the Hudson Valley I always try to express that women network differently, then men. Women hear about the abilities of other women and often respond by saying “my friend would love to connect with you because she’s trying to do…”. I ask the ladies to truly connect with each other and connect someone to somebody else who may benefit. Thankfully, through the Women Who Lunch event we are able to connect people in need of services.

Women Who Lunch LA

To learn more about Women Who Lunch visit the Florence Belsky Charitable Foundation website and become a part of the movement by connecting with Women Who Lunch on social media.

Women Who Lunch One Sheet

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