The Education Market Association (EDmarket) is pleased to announce the formation of the Bold Women Collective — providing a year-round forum for connecting, sharing, and learning with other women in the education market. The Bold Women Collective allows those new to the industry to meet women in leadership, find mentors to guide them, and build a network for both friendship and potential business/partnership opportunities.
“Successful leaders in any sector develop a network of critical friends with whom they can have conversations and share situations without a filter,” says Deb Kerr. “It is especially critical for women leaders to develop a trusted network of colleagues, recruit others who may be like-minded, and connect with other professionals who may help them accomplish their goals. The Bold Women Collective provides these opportunities to meet, network, and learn together as women in leadership aspiring for greatness!”
A hallmark of the Collective is the ability to discuss topics relevant to professional success in a safe and supportive space. At EDspaces 2023 in Charlotte, discussion at the Bold Women, Bold Conversations event revolved around questions from the book 12 Habits That Limit Our Success – How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen. The Collective will continue the conversations around those 12 habits in virtual sessions each month beginning in March 2024.
The goal of the EDmarket Bold Women Collective is to educate, inspire, and encourage women to reflect on their own goals and challenges. The Bold Women Collective allows those new to the industry to meet women in leadership, find mentors to guide them, and build a network for both friendship and potential business/partnership opportunities.
“The Bold Women Collective session was perhaps the most inspiring part of EDspaces for me this year,” says Chelsea Adicks, Marketing Director at Meteor Education. “Being able to connect with so many brilliant, kind, and passionate female leaders was invaluable. I left with ideas, encouragement, and connections I would not have had otherwise. As we look forward to the new year, I am so excited that we are building off this momentum to bring even more bold women together for year-round connection points!”
“I am so proud to be associated with these dynamic women,” says Darlene Akers, President of Akers Business Solutions. “The Bold Women Collective uplifts like-minded women to support and inspire women to lead ‘her’ ship!” EDmarket Chair of the Board, Jolene Levin, concurs: “I have such a great feeling that this is the start of something quite groundbreaking for EDmarket. It’s an honor for me to work with such incredible BOLD women on this!”
Membership in the EDmarket Bold Women Collective is open to all EDmarket members. Corporate membership is required of manufacturers, dealers, and independent representatives, and all female employees of those companies are encouraged to participate. Corporate and individual memberships are available to architects, designers, and education leaders. For more information on joining EDmarket, visit https://www.edmarket.org/membership/.
Stay tuned for more information on the formal launch of this program this spring.