She Leads, Indeed!
Women are taking the stage and taking up their space more than ever – globally, and right here at home.
Part of the mission of Fort Collins Startup Week is to empower entrepreneurs of all stripes, backgrounds and passions to build better business through a spirit of inclusion. It is important to our team that Startup Week celebrates entrepreneurship as a primary driver of social, cultural and economic equity.
Last year’s polling data revealed that 59% of our respondents identified as female. This is hardly surprising, as our Northern Colorado communities are rife with strong and visible female leaders. To ensure we are living our values, we crunched the numbers and were delighted to find that 54% of the speakers this year are women!
Given our values of inclusion, representation, and diversity, we often find ourselves aligned with local organizations that share our mission and empower entrepreneurs of all stripes, backgrounds and passions to build better business.
Enter: She Leads.
She Leads is a community of professional women in Northern Colorado. They consider themselves the “anti” networking group, suggesting we all “ditch the elevator pitch” and get to know people for who they are – not just what they do. Designed by introverts for introverts, She Leads embodies the #Give1st mindset. The group hosts two free events each month where members practice taking up their space, being seen as leaders in the community and increase their influence through personal and professional development.
Since its inception in 2017, She Leads has blossomed into a force to be reckoned with in Northern Colorado. With over one thousand members and counting in their Meetup group, sponsorships from powerful local organizations, and a paid membership tier to help scale the business while keeping regular meetings free and accessible to women from all walks of life, this is a community with serious staying power.
Sounds like a group that should be active during Startup Week!
As it turns out…they are. Of the 81 female speakers this year, 14 of them are active with She Leads, totaling 28 presentations throughout the week.
Check out these diverse and impactful presenters speak on a variety of topics from video production and sales to self-care and human resources. She Leads is proud to collaborate and support these powerful women, including:
- Chrysta Bairre, She Leads Founder and Chief Executive Officer
- Jamila N. Bryant
- LeAndra Foster
- Karen Fournier
- Ariana Friedlander
- Sierra Frost
- Erin Hottenstein
- Ellen O’Neill
- Marissa Orchard
- Ali Owens, She Leads Chief Creative Officer
- Tami Parker, She Leads Chief Financial Officer
- Alison Proffit
- Cindy Skalicky
- Tina Todd
So as part of our 5-day celebration of entrepreneurship, we would like to celebrate She Leads for bringing such talented leaders to Startup Week. We can’t wait to see you there.
To learn more about She Leads, visit: www.meetup.com/sheleadsfc
She Leads is on Instagram: @sheleadsfc