The Crossroads Chamber strives to help the businesses in our community grow and thrive, and sometimes that means taking a moment to look at areas that need improving. On Thursday, November 9, Crossroads held its second annual Women’s Brunch. Influential women from all over the Region gathered together to learn more about the inequalities women face in the workplace, share their stories of resilience, and empower one another to go out and be instigators of change.
“People don’t want to think that inequality in the workplace is prevalent here in Northwest Indiana, but it is. It’s about time we open our eyes to that. This is all about raising awareness about this issue so that change can happen,” said Kevin Kosek, chief marketing officer at Regional Federal Credit Union and co-chair of the Women’s Brunch.
Looking around at the incredible amount of attendees in the room, one would not guess that it was only the second year that Crossroads had held the event. Over 200 individuals came out to show their support, eager to learn how they can make a difference in their community.
“We are definitely building some momentum. We’re here with a sold-out room, which is a great testimony to how important this issue is for the Region. We have a lot of return guests who have already heard the information and the statistics – everyone is informed. Now, we’re really here to start talking about what needs to change here within the Region and how we can make a difference,” said Catherine Hill, PNC Financial Services’ client and community relations director for Northern Indiana.
There was no better way to begin the conversation of change than with an incredible keynote speaker. This year’s presentation was given by Beth Wrobel, CEO of HealthLinc. She shared her story of how she started college thinking she wanted to major in home economics, but quickly found her passion in engineering. Being one of the only female engineers in her field, she faced many adversities, but she didn’t let them stop her. Instead, she let those obstacles fuel her to achieve her fullest potential, paving the way for countless female leaders to come.
Wrobel’s story was moving, but what was even more inspiring was what the event had in store next. To encourage even more dialogue, Crossroads invited a panel of four women to speak about the challenges they faced getting into business and some of the qualities that have helped them push forward and become leaders.
“The panel is meant to uncover some of the themes that continue to surface around female financial inequity. Not only will the panelists share their opinions and experiences but they’re going to invite everyone in the room to be a part of the conversation because there are so many successful, ambitious, strong women and men who want to see improvement,” said Hill.
One of the panelists was Kelly Vates, founder and executive director of Fair Haven Rape Crisis Center. She shared that her qualities and experiences gained as a woman are what have made her so successful, and encouraged all the women in the room to embrace who they are to get what they want.
“I am a survivor, thriver, overcomer, and warrior for change against sexual violence. I understand resiliency and I understand compassion. For us as women, it is time for us to advocate for ourselves. We are strong, passionate, and compassionate, and those are the exact qualities that build a strong, healthy business. No matter what your title is or what your position is in a company, know that you have influence. Use that influence wisely and step confidently and boldly forward,” said Vates.
Vates spoke proudly of all the women in the room and urged everyone to unite to bring about change.
“I know that many of the women in this room are amazing and talented and have a vision to unite our community and overcome the obstacles that stand in our way. I can only do so much alone, but if we stand together we’re so much stronger,” said Vates.
As everyone clapped and cheered one another on, it was clear that the second Women’s Brunch was the empowering event everyone needed to feel more confident in seeking out ways to transform our community into a more equal place. Crossroads is grateful to everyone who came and to all the sponsors who helped make the day so successful.
“I’m thankful for all of our sponsors. When planning this, it was so easy to get sponsors. Once they knew the cause, all these companies didn’t even ask questions – they just put their support behind the cause. It was really impressive. My only regret is wishing we had more sponsorship opportunities to offer for the community,” said Kosek.
Crossroads can’t wait to keep holding more Women’s Brunches in the future to keep paving the way for a brighter, more equal future for our community’s young women.
“We’re going to keep doing these for years. It’s going to continue to be women focused, but we’re going to keep bringing out different panelists and bringing up different topics. We plan on doing this for a long time until all of Northwest Indiana realizes that this is an issue everywhere, not just in bigger cities,” said Kosek.
To learn more about the Crossroads Chamber, visit crossroadschamber.org.
