The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Women’s Initiative invites women and men from around the region to join for the virtual 12th Annual Breakfast, sponsored by PNC on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The event theme, “Inspired Women Lead,” will provide perspective on what drives success both in business and in life.
The WI Annual Breakfast, sponsored by PNC, will feature a panel of dynamic local female leaders who will provide insights into how their ethics and values helped propel them in their careers. Their discussion will also explore how they each drew upon their individual expertise and that of their teams to navigate difficulties.
Catrena Bowman-Thomas
“We’re excited to be able to bring these inspiring leaders together to impart their insights around leadership, in general, and during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Barbara Johnson, CFP, First Vice President – Investment Officer at Wells Fargo Advisors, and Chair of the WI Annual Breakfast. “Our goal is for this Annual Breakfast to provide attendees with a much-needed sense of empowerment, motivation, and inspiration as they continue on their career paths and prepare for opportunities in 2021.
The 2021 program will be moderated by Catrena Bowman-Thomas, Executive Director of the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission. Bowman-Thomas has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit field and has a proven track record in nonprofit leadership.
This year’s panelists include:
• Brit Fitzpatrick – Fitzpatrick currently serves as Executive Director of Blue North, which connects, equips, grows, and invests in entrepreneurs throughout the 8-county Northern Kentucky region. In 2013, Fitzpatrick founded MentorMe, one of the first SaaS mentoring startups, which provided mentoring program management software for more than 100 K-12 mentoring programs throughout the United States. She has spoken on entrepreneurship, mentoring, and social innovation at more than 30 events and conferences across the U.S. – including Dreamforce, TEDx, and White House Demo Day.
• Mary Miller – Miller is an inspirational speaker, coach and CEO of JANCOA, a family-owned and operated commercial cleaning company. Her passion is to encourage people to identify and capture their fascinating future. Her book Changing Direction: Ten Choices that Impact Your Dreams outlines steps anyone can take to achieve a quality life that is bigger than they had imagined. Miller is known for infusing energy for the audience and sharing feasible solutions to create their own plans to live their fascinating future.
• Molly North – North has served as president and CEO of Al. Neyer since 2015. North has extensive experience in sophisticated capital instruments and is especially passionate about urban redevelopment and projects that foster diversity and inclusion at every level. North is also heavily engaged in the community and is currently serving as the board chair of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. She has received numerous recognitions including Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Midwest Real Estate News Magazine Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame among others.
Brit Fitzpatrick, Molly North, Mary Miller
New this year, WI Annual Breakfast organizers are adding two new features: a virtual networking element and the opportunity to help support local, women-owned businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic.
“Many businesses, especially small and women-owned companies, within the Greater Northern Kentucky region are struggling because of the restrictions imposed in an effort to keep us all safe,” said Johnson. “As a way to continue to show the Women’s Initiative’s commitment to supporting our region, we’re excited to provide virtual networking registrants with a $25 gift card to their choice of a local, woman-owned business.”
The WI Annual Breakfast will also include the presentation of the Debbie Simpson Spirit of Achievement Award. Named after founding WI member Debbie Simpson, the award is presented to a professional woman who has had career success, been active in the community, and made a significant impact on the WI. This year’s recipient will be announced in January.
Finally, DCCH Center for Children and Families (DCCH), a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of those who have been impacted by trauma, has been named the 2021 WI Annual Breakfast Nonprofit Recipient. Attendees are encouraged to support DCCH with cash donations or “Wish List” donations such as weighted blankets, neck pillows, and noise-canceling headphones. A complete list of “Wish List” items can be found here.
The 2021 WI Annual Breakfast, sponsored by PNC, is free to attend, though registration is required. Virtual networking is available for $25 and includes a $25 gift card to a local woman-owned business. For more information, click here or contact Gina Bath at gbath@NKYChamber.com.
Title Sponsor: PNC Bank
Speaker Sponsor: Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Debbie Simpson Spirit of Achievement Award Sponsor: C-Forward
Networking Sponsor: Wells Fargo Advisors
Event Sponsors: Cincinnati Bell, Citi, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Duke Energy, Frost Brown Todd LLC, Humana, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Writing Enhancement Services
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
