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More than 700 attend the Chamber’s Women’s Initiative sixth annual breakfast


A capacity crowd attended the Women's Initiative event

A capacity crowd attended the Women’s Initiative event

Staff Report

A capacity crowd — more than 700 people — filled the Northern Kentucky Convention Center conference room for the sixth annual breakfast meeting of the Women’s Initiative of the NKy Chamber.

Chaired by Dale Silver of C-Forward, the event offered networking opportunities, an award presentation, door prizes, and a speech by author Linda Rottenberg, co-founder and CEO of Endeavor, an organization supporting fast-growing entrepreneurs.

Chair Dale Silver and Kamela Barrier of Cors & Basset

Chair Dale Silver and Kamela Barrier of Cors & Basset

One hitch — Rottenberg was unable to attend in person, having been snowed in in New York, and joined the program via Skype. She was a trooper — and so were the organizers, moving along with little fanfare. And the crowd was mesmerized by the speech anyway: “Crazy is a Compliment.”

Rottenberg told of starting her nonprofit organization, of lessons learned along the way, and of how to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit.

The more experienced she gets, she says, the more she understands the need to be “less superwoman” and “more human.”

“We want careers of course,” she said, “but we want lives as well.”

Katie Enzweiller of The Bank of Kentucky ad Linda Schilling, Spirit of Achievement Award winner

Katie Enzweiller of The Bank of Kentucky ad Linda Schilling, Spirit of Achievement Award winner


Some advice:

“Don’t let friend test drive your ideas.”

“Chaos is your friend.”

“You don’t have to do it all at once.”

Copies of her book, “Crazy is a Compliment,” were distributed to all attendees.

Linda Schilling of Valley View Temporary Furnished Housing received the Spirit of Achievement Award.

Sponsors of the event included title sponsor PNC Bank, presenting sponsor DHL Express, speaker sponsor Toyota, Sprit of Achievement Award sponsor Bank of Kentucky Supporting Sponsor Horan, and Even Sponsors, Delta, Fifth Third Bank, Gateway Community and Technical College, St. Elizabeth Health, Media sponsor NorseMedai, and attendee gift sponsors Barnes Dennig and Jeff Wyler Buick GMC.

Peggy Casey of Tri-Ed and Carrie Chandler of Toyota

Peggy Casey of Tri-Ed and Carrie Chandler of Toyota

The Women’s Initiative was founded in 2008 to address the leadership gap for women and has become the leading organization for women of all career stages to “connect, grow and achieve” for business and professional success. It offers event for fund and networking career development support and advice, and roundtable programs to foster professional development.


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