Professional Development – Track 1
Stiletto Networking
Event: How Women’s Networks Are Shaping Business ft. Pamela Ryckman
Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Track: II
Stiletto Networking
Pamela Ryckman, journalist and author of “Stiletto Network: Inside the Women’s Power Circles that are Changing the Fact of Business”, introduced us to a new phenomenon, created by women, that is shaping the business world and will possibly possess greater wealth in power in the next ten years.
Pamela starts by saying that for the past several years, groups of female executives from different major companies throughout the US have been meeting with each other to discuss business, ideas, their families, and even their fears. The result of these “group gatherings” has led to a new type of networking called “Stiletto Network”. This is a new and growing network that joins powerful, female business leaders from different industries (like media, tech, law, finance, and retail) to interact with one other and to offer support to each other, as well, on the struggles for succeeding in a “male business world”.
Afterwards, she talks about the benefits of stiletto networking through the example of a company called Gilt, an online shopping startup. Like many other starting businesses, this one possessed a big risk with a low budget and that’s when two key women come to light: Alexa Wilkis Wilson and Alexis Maybank. These two women play the role of mobilizing young women in Stiletto Network. Here, Pamela emphasizes on how they find female collaboration or partnership to finance and market the business through Ann Kaplan, the general partner and a managing director from Goldman, Sachs & Co before going public. Also, how they search for guidance, but at the same time, build deep relationships. Essentially, she highlights how women are working together, getting themselves heard, changing the businesswoman stereotype and, finally, how they are shaping the business world.
Finally, to conclude her lecture, she mentioned six important points in a Stiletto Network: 1) Assemble groups; 2) Have courage/ give courage; 3) Believe in magic; 4) Embrace technology; 5) Go Away together; 6) Play with boys.
I consider this event to have been very enriching and helpful. Personally, I had never known about the existing of Stiletto Networks therefore, it really opened doors for me to something I had no knowledge of. Not only that, it is something that benefits me directly. Definitely, joining the Stiletto Network can bring about so many opportunities that it will not be strange to see this become into a dominating sector in business in general. I really appreciated how this network also supports diversity. Nowadays, the minority population in the US like Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, and more, are building businesses and I think it is very important to bring out these minority female business leaders and prepare them to their full potential. Stiletto Networking is without a doubt, the future of women in business.
jgonza27 
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