WEConnection
August 2015
Issue 3
 

Elizabeth A. Vazquez, CEO & Co-Founder of WEConnect International
Photo provided by Adam Schultz, CGI
WEConnect International Presents Two-Year Update on Clinton Global Initiative Commitment 

As most of you know, women do 70% of the world's work and earn only 10% of the income.
Women own 1/3 of all private businesses and earn only 1% of corporate and government procurement spend.

To help address these gaps, the Clinton Global Intitiative spent two years incubating a mega commitment called "Advancing Women-Owned Businesses in New Markets."
  
It was given life at this time in 2013 by WEConnect International and Vital Voices Global Partnership.  The partners intended to create a more efficient, effective channel to identify, develop, and scale high-potential women entrepreneurs who could become strong corporate suppliers. 

In just two years, partners collectively exceeded both primary objectives of our five-year commitment.


Featured National Conferences: India and Canada



 

Welcome New Corporate Members
WEConnect International is proud to announce the addition of three new corporations to our prestigious list of  corporate members. Delta joins more than 60 corporate members representing over US$1 trillion in annual purchasing power. Boyner and Garanti have joined as local members in Turkey.

We also want to welcome new board members Mark Baxa, Global Procurement Strategy Lead at Monsanto Company and Chris Kaisand, VP of Global Suppler & Client Relations for GS&PS at AIG. We look forward to learning from their experience and expertise in the coming year.
     

WBE Success Story
Sally Ormond, Briar Copywriting Ltd., UK

I first became aware of WEConnect International through a certified member I met at a local networking event. She was aware of my business and said that she thought it would be a good fit as my skills were not only suitable to the corporate market, but also fellow WEConnect International women business owners. I  soon decided that the only way forward was to become a fully certified member (a painless process), initially deciding to try it out for a 3-year period. Anything like this takes a while to show results, but I am now into my fourth year and have worked with a few WEConnect International women business owners and a couple of corporate contacts.


Business Advice
How to Use the Women Owned Logo

In late July, WEConnect International invited two WBEs Christy Cook, CEO and Founder Teach My and Kristin MacMillan, President Imprint Plus to answer your questions about the Women Owned logo based on their experience. In this short video, they cover w hy they use the logo on their packaging; w hich customers are interested in the logo; and what the  advantages are to using the logo.

Watch More 
Partner News
Position Opening at UN Development Business

The Special Envoy on Gender of the African Development Bank aims to recruit a Gender Policy Consultant to support the Bank to scale up gender mainstreaming and sustain progress in Bank's operations and promote gender equality in Africa. The Gender Policy Expert, in line with the framework agreement between the AfDB and the Finnish government, will work on a number of ongoing tasks to operationalize the Bank's Gender Strategy.

Read More

Free Tickets Available for Global WIL Economic Forum 2015

WEConnect International has two free tickets available to the Forum taking place in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 2-3. The 2015 edition focuses on advancing women's participation in the workforce and increasing their business opportunities in the economy. Elizabeth A. Vazquez will speak at the event. Interested WEConnect International Certified WBEs should contact Liz Whitehead by Aug. 21 for a chance to win the tickets. Two winners will be drawn at random on Aug. 22.


WEConnect International Events
WEConnect Academy Module 2: Understanding & Reaching Your Customer
Date: September 9, 2015
Location: Online
Register

WEConnect Webinar: Back to Class 
Date: September 17, 2015
Location: Online
Register

WEConnect International in Brazil Forum

Date: October 2, 2015
Location: São Paolo, Brazil
More Information

WEConnect International in India Annual Think Big Women in Business Forum
Date: October 9, 2015
Location: Delhi, India

WEConnect Academy: Aligning Your Business Strategy
Date:  October 14, 2015
Location:  Online