Women’s Breakfast Roundtables in 2010

For specific locations check this site each month or send an e-mail to events@cardeacenterforwomen.org

Each event is organized around topics related to the CCW focus areas with guest speakers and ‘conversation starters’ who share insights and tips to get the discussion going and moving on to an engaging group dialogue – with plenty of time at the end for informal networking to connect with others. There is no better time or place to invest in yourself.

Propose a Speaker or a topic you would like for future breakfasts. We want to hear about the issues that are important to you - so bring your ideas to the table.

Can't make it to the meeting, but want to learn more? notes from all our previous sessions are available here.

Previous Meetings

Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 8:00am - 9:30am
Money Matters: How Women Earn, Spend, Save and Invest

Did you know that women control 60% of America’s wealth and that in 80% of the nation’s households, women are the primary decision makers regarding purchases? More and more, when it comes to money, women are in a position to influence and decide how to spend, save and invest for themselves and their families.

Come join us as we explore women’s relationship with money and discuss how we can wisely maximize our finances over time.

Conversation Starter: Shannon Parker

A licensed investment advisor with a specialist designation in financial planning who focuses her practice on working with women and families. She conducts regular educational workshops for women around various aspects of financial and estate planning and is passionate about giving women the tools to make smart decisions when it comes to their finances. She has led investment and financial planning practices at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Vangaurd.

Location: Sunnyvale Art Gallery Cafe, 
251 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, CA 94087;
phone: (408) 737-8188.

Tuesday, June 15,2010, 8:00am - 9:30am
Knowing and Playing Your Strengths
Knowledge and skills can be acquired, but strengths are innate. Knowing your strengths energizes you. It makes you sharp, not well-rounded. This month, we will explore our strengths through conversation, experiential exercises, and a bit of introspection and
discuss why knowing your strengths and mastering them is more important now than ever before in our constantly changing world.

Conversation Starter
Pat Obuchowski, CEO inVisionaria
co-author of
“ Scrappy Women in Business: Living Proof that Bending the Rules Isn't Breaking the Law ", and co-founder of Catalyst Youth Leadership Program.

Location & Parking
Orchard Valley Coffee Shop,  349 East Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
phone: (408) 374-2115

Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Has the Gender Revolution Stalled?” was the topic of the conversation with special guest: Paula England, Professor of Sociology and an affiliate of the Clayman Institute for Gender Research, whose research focuses on gender inequality in labor markets, and on how changes in family life are affected by the gender and class systems.

During her interaction with the audience, Paula provided insights and traced the progress of women in the workplace and home over the past 50 years in comparison with the relative changes in the roles of men in both work and family life. Followed by Q & A. Great audience participation.

Our special guests this month were two long-time advocates in the Valley.
Sally Lieber, former Mountain View City Council member and Mayor and Former California State Assembly member representing the 22nd Assembly District that includes the cities of Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and portions of Santa Clara and San Jose. She has extensive and impressive experience to share in the realms of public service and civic engagement.

Emily Thurber began her career working for Senator Alan Cranston and then became a Foreign Service wife and mother living in Tanzania, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Canada and Washington, DC. Since returning to the South Bay in 1990, she has been active in politics serving as President of the Peninsula Democratic Coalition, and now Regional Director of the California Democratic Party for Region 5. She has also served on or chaired boards and committees for YWCA, Los Altos Sister Cities, the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women, and the Los Altos Community Foundation.

Lisa Frederiksen, Researcher, author and speaker widely known for her work on women’s history and women and family issues provided important insights on the history of women in the workplace and how far we’ve come in balancing the “second shift.” She then lead the audience in an engaging group dialogue around the topic, posing a number of questions to pull forth the experiences and wisdom of the group.

At the February 2010 Cardea Center for Women Networking Breakfast, entrepreneur Kristi Royse shared her story of starting and running her own consulting business – KLR Consulting. Through courage, determination and optimism, Kristi has grown a business and a career that aligns with her passion and allows her to create the lifestyle she desires. She highlighted the importance of goal setting in her success: “If you don't have a goal, how do you make your dreams come true?" She also shared the importance of friends, mentors and coaches along her journey – friends to provide support and a sounding board, mentors to provide advice and counsel and a personal coach to help map out plans and hold her accountable along the way. Other women in the group – many also entrepreneurs – echoed this advice and agreed that a strong support system around a new business owner to provide resources, ideas and strength are key to success in branching out and starting your own business. Breakfast attendees exchanged advice from their own experiences, brainstormed around some new business ideas, and highlighted a number of key resources for women business owners (such as the Small Business Administration and Score).

Thanks to all who participated – it was a great conversation for both established and budding female entrepreneurs.

Our first January Breakfast of 2010 was a great success! Thank you to Carol Adamski life coach and CEO of Alive, Centered and In Action

Drawing from her 15 years of experience as a life coach, Carol provided her insights and some practical tips on how to mindfully begin the New Year and focus our energy and attention on achieving the goals and dreams most important to each of us. She lead an engaging conversation around setting goals and mapping out a plan for 2010. As we launch into the New Year, the breakfast was a great reminder to take time to be intentional about what we want to create in the world – whether it be in work, family, relationships, community or other goals and dreams.
 
Using the “Be/Have/Do” framework that Carol introduced, we began brainstorming and sharing some of our aspirations for 2010.

• Be – goals that shape who you are in the world (e.g., spontaneous, peaceful)
• Have – things you want to acquire, whether material (e.g., money, a beautiful house) or immaterial (e.g., courage, deep friendships.
• Do – what you want to accomplish or achieve (e.g., go on a trip, get a promotion)
  

The goals and perspectives shared were varied and insightful – each person contributing valuable ideas and points of view that enhanced our lively discussion. It was an excellent way to begin the New Year and start a new week.