WEConnection, May 2016, Volume 10

WEConnect International Day Updates

Look Who's Coming WEConnect International Day!

More than 110 women business owners, corporate reps, and partners from 14 countries have registered for WEConnect International Day! What are you waiting for?


  Join us for WEConnect Academy Live webinars to prepare for WECI Day in June and maximize your conference experience!

More from the Washington Team
Elizabeth A. Vazquez on Unlocking the Potential of Women as Suppliers

CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International Elizabeth A. Vazquez recently published a post on the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth Blog. It begins:

Barriers that keep women suppliers from winning business are barriers to economic growth itself. Women who supply products and services are drivers of the economy locally and globally. They invest the majority of their income back into their families and communities. If men and women participated equally in the global economy, the global GDP could increase by as much as US$28 trillion.

Elizabeth A. Vazquez Appears on CIPE Democracy that Delivers Podcast

Elizabeth A. Vazquez discusses the biggest challenges that women around the world face when trying to start and grow a business, and the one thing that they all want the most. Vazquez also talks about how watching her mother host Mexico's "first yard sale" while she was growing up taught her the value of entrepreneurship for changing women's lives, and the fundamental mental shift that many businesswomen need to make to reach their potential.

Event Round-Ups: Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Turkey
Mexico: Women's Forum

Building on the theme of Co-creando junt@s / Co-creating together, the first edition of the Women's Forum Mexico emphasized actions and solutions to open new social and economic opportunities, and the need and importance of involving everyone in processes of change.  The event,held on April 27-28, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Polanco in Mexico City, welcomed more than 500 women and men leaders from Mexico, the United States and Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and representing all major sectors of society. Elizabeth A. Vazquez was among the prestigious list of speakers and panelists.


Peru: ESAN University Conference

I late April, WEConnect International participated in the conference "Why are there still empty chairs? The challenges for women in the work force" organized by ESAN University, in Lima.  Belisa de las Casas, Director for Latin America, showcased  success stories of women who, despite the existing barriers, are now part of  corporate value chains due to their certification. Highly respected and well-known researchers were among the speakers as well as the Minister of Social Inclusion and Minister of Education. The event was attended by some 150 people.


South Africa: Annual Conference

WEConnect International in South Africa hosted a one-day event on April 8, 2016, celebrating and training women-owned businesses through presentations and informative workshops as well as providing networking opportunities with WEConnect International corporate members. Throughout the day the WEConnect International South Africa team:
  • Assisted corporate members to identify high-potential women-owned businesses
  • Facilitated connections between certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) and corporate members
  • Connected self-registered women-owned businesses with certified WBEs and Corporate Members to learn the benefits of WEConnect
  • Attracted women-owned businesses from all market sectors and all races across the country, to learn about WEConnect International and the benefits and opportunities it provides to women-owned businesses
  • Provided a platform for extensive networking 

Turkey: Tedarikte Kadin Olmak a Huge Success

WEConnect International is very happy to share that our latest Meet the Corporate event in Turkey - "TEDARÄ°KTE KADIN OLMAK" - was a huge success!
We'd like to extend our gratitude to those who made the event possible:
  • OzuM 10000 Women, our partner organisation on this event, for all their team work;
  • TEB Kadln Bankaclligı and MSD Turkey, our Local Corporate Members, for their leadership and support; and
  • Sisli Municipality, our host, for their full support to ensure the event went smoothly!

From Our Corporate Members

Uniting the nation's leading business diversity organizations, the inaugural Best-of-the-Best event recognizes outstanding achievement in promoting cross-segment diversity and inclusion. Only companies achieving industry leading results across all diverse segments are eligible to receive the prestigious Best-of-the-Best designation from the National Business Consortium (NBIC), a coalition of national diverse business organizations spearheaded by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and including Women's Business Enterprise National Council, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Business Leadership Network, U.S.Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, National Black Justice Coalition, and WEConnect International.

More than 10 of our corporate members made the list with local member JPMorgan being named Diversity Corporation of the year


DiversityInc's Top Companies for Diversity 2016

More than 1,800 companies participated in DiversityInc's "Top 50 Companies for Diversity" survey in 2016. The survey, now in its 17th year, leads to a detailed, empirically driven ranking. The free report card assesses performance based on four key areas of diversity management including  Talent PipelineEquitable Talent DevelopmentCEO/Leadership Commitment, and Supplier Diversity.

More than 20 of our corporate members made the Top 50 List as well as the Top 12 Global Diversity, Top 13 Supplier Diversity, and the Top 25 Noteworthy Lists.


Events

MSD Effective Problem Solving Workshop
Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Date: May 17, 2016

WEConnect Academy Live: Building Healthy Business  Relationships
Location: Online
Date: May 19, 2016

Women Entrepreneurs Speed Networking
Location: New Kingston, Jamaica
Date: May 19, 2016

Speak Up! How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking
Location: Online
Date: May 19, 2016

UN Global Compact Event
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Date: May 25, 2016

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