The WBII Executive Board met to kickstart 2016, and what an exciting year it is going to be!
Some highlights of our meeting include:
Executive Board Retreats for Strategy Planning
The Board works so intensively on day-to-day operational matters, searching for new opportunities, organising events and speakers etc. that we have realised that at times we get so swamped in the details that we risk losing the big picture and our mission to empower women entrepreneurs. With this aim in mind, we have planned two three-hour retreats during 2016 for strategy planning facilitated by Sinead Hewson of TpEBO.
AGM and Presentation of our 2015 Annual Report
We are aware that members of the Board and our Support Team members know how hard we work and what we are doing, but there are others who may not be so clear on all that goes on behind the scenes.
We have decided to add a 30-minute Annual General Meeting (AGM) prior to our March networking event so that those interested can hear more about what we have done in the previous year and where we are going. We’ll present an update and there will be an opportunity for members to ask questions.
Our annual report: Onwards and Upwards! The Annual Report for 2015 has already been published. Download your copy here!
Support Team Updates
Our Events Support Team are immersed in the planning and preparations for our International Women’s Day (IWD) event on 8 March. Our media release has been sent out, and registration has opened this week. Early Bird tickets are now on sale, get yours today!
We reviewed our list of potential speakers for our 2016 networking events and are kicking-off the year with Noa Brume on the topic of Self-Marketing. Tickets are already on sale.
We have confirmed Sushi Morikawa as the venue for our February Networking Lunch. Fun, informal, and delicious, this is a great opportunity to relax and connect with one another. Tickets on sale soon.
Coming up at the end of this month is the Feel at Home in The Hague Fair on 31 January. Our Support Team members are currently finalising plans to animate the WBII stand in a special way. Watch this space for details! In the meantime, you can already register for your free ticket to attend.
Monthly Professional Development Workshops
We’re gearing up to host monthly Professional Development Workshops (PDWs) with some great topics to help us all grow our businesses! Thank you to all the members who submitted suggestions for topics they would like to explore.
Our future PDWs will be open to Members and Non-Members, women and men, with a special price for members of the WBII. The first of 2016 will be on the subject of Taxation for Small Businesses, and will take place on 18 February, followed by Financial Business Planning on 17 March. Save the dates! Registration opens soon.
Supporting Female entrepreneurs among the refugees with a crowd-funding initiative for Start Your Own Business
We brainstormed the possibility of crowd-funding to run a Start Your Own Business (SYOB) seminar dedicated to supporting female entrepreneurs amongst the refugees. We are looking into involving WBII on a more strategic level, potentially in collaboration with Cordaid. We are currently investigating the possibilities. More details to follow.
The WBII Executive Board:
Julie Kennedy, Charlene Lambert, Nira Satguru, Clare Summerfield, Myra Colis, Lisa Hall, and Suzy Oge.
The board is made up of dedicated volunteers who meet on the first Tuesday of the month for a 2-3 hour meeting at our office on the Nassauplein.
(write-up by Julie Kennedy & Natalie Carstens)