Not An Affliction But A Gift

By:Allison Salisbury Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Jewel Of Collaboration

An autistic visual thinker and an expert on animal behavior, Temple Grandin has designed humane handling systems for half the cattle-processing facilities in the United States and consults with the meat industry to develop animal welfare guidelines. PETA says, “Dr. Grandin's improvements to animal-handling systems found in slaughterhouses have decreased the amount of fear and pain that animals experience in their final hours, and she is widely considered the world's leading expert on the welfare of cattle and pigs.”

As an author, Grandin’s books about her interior life as an autistic person have increased the world's understanding of the condition. She is revered by members of the autistic community, because she is a voice for those who are sometimes challenged to be heard.

She credits her autism with her ability to “understand” livestock. She visually understands what makes them balk - rapid movement, contrast, and other distractions. Recently HBO released “Temple Grandin” a movie that documents her life as an autistic woman who, with a supportive family and brilliant teachers, broke into the slaughter industry, when men were the norm.

I had the distinct pleasure of talking with Grandin about her life, her accomplishments, and her thoughts on autism in general.

Talk about some of the barriers you have faced and how you have broken through them – both in business and in life.

Well in my professional life, women were not welcome in the cattle industry in the 1970s so I learned how to sell my work and not myself. I was determined. People thought I was a little different but when I built my systems they worked. You have to have things that work. When people saw pictures of things that I had designed, they would go, ‘ooh – wow, maybe we ought to pay attention to that.’ I also had to make myself very knowledgeable - that took a lot of effort.

I am appalled at the lack of good science teachers and that we are taking a lot of the hands-on classes out of the schools. -Temple Grandin

I have designed some good cattle handling systems. I designed the center cut restrainer system that is used in all the big plants. There are two things that will improve the industry—better equipment and better management. For management, I developed a very simple scoring system for evaluating the efficiencies of meat plants. Instead of saying things are wrong, I developed a system where you can evaluate systems based on how many cattle fell down, how many cattle were mooing their heads off, how many cattle got poked with the electric prodder, how many cattle were not stunned right? I can count these things with my scoring system.

What connections have you made between autism and the cattle industry?

My visual thinking helped me with the cattle industry stuff because animals think in sensory ways. I wrote about how animals think in pictures, they think in sounds, they think in touch sensation. Animals are sensory based thinkers. I am also a sensory based thinker. The way I think helps me understand animals. That’s the connection.

How can we better tap into visual thinking skills in the education of children with autism?

If a child is a visual thinker you have got to incorporate drawing, Legos, and other visual things. We need to be building that strength. My mother really emphasized my interest in drawing. She did everything she could to encourage that. We need to be looking at what kinds of jobs these kids can have when they grow up—graphic design, photography, industrial design—fields that really use visual thinking skills.

The movie did a great job of showing how I think in pictures. The word “horse” is said and a whole bunch of different horse pictures come up. When I design things it is the same – I can actually test run them in my head. Another kid might be a mathematics kid, so you work on the math. We have to build on the area of strength. Kids need to be working on their work skills young.

What innovations would you like to see for children living with autism?

It varies with the severity of the autism. It could be anyone from a Silicon Valley computer person to someone that’s got epilepsy is non-verbal and has lots of medical problems.

My big concern is for those smart kids where they don’t have a science teacher. I had a great science teacher that got me interested in studying. I am appalled at the lack of good science teachers and that we are taking a lot of the hands-on classes out of the schools. Those are the classes where some of these kids can really excel—you know, wood shop, art, auto mechanics, music—a lot of these specialized things have been taken out of schools because we’ve just got to study for the test. I believe you can work material for the tests into these classes.

How can we improve the way that we work with children in schools in light of budget cuts and program cuts?

Sometimes the best teachers are the quirky teachers. Mr. Carlock, my high school science teacher, was so interesting and he was a NASA space scientist. He had interesting things to do in his lab and that got me interested. All of the projects in the movie were actual projects from original drawings—the dip vat to the optical illusion room—it was all how I originally made it. You have got to tap into what these students are interested in and then you’ve got to broaden it. So if a kid likes race cars...you’ve got to do some math with race cars, look at the history of race cars, write about race cars. You must tap into that interest and use it.

Discuss the research-based correlations between autistic behaviors and diet?

While diet is very variable, I think it definitely helps people. Some people are helped by the wheat-free and dairy-free diets. Cutting out the sugar and carbs can be important too. I have personally cut out tons of sugars and have cut the wheat. It’s made a big difference in my health and how I feel. But it is important to note, that for other people, changing the diet doesn’t work. I think everybody ought to try it.

I am proud of things I have done in livestock and in autism that have made real change out in the real world. - Temple Grandin

Who has inspired you in your life?

It depends on when and why. When I was in high school it was my science teacher. Another person who helped me was Ann out at the ranch. Good teachers and mentors are instrumental.

How has collaboration played a role in your success?

I’ve had some great people I’ve worked with and I’ve had some great students who have been good at the things that I am not so good at. I have a student right now that can do all the statistics, something I’m not good at. We make a good team. The visual thinker is good at thinking up experiments and then there are those that are really good at doing the experiments. Those people working together in teams are important.

Someone said you “are a woman who has overcome a serious disability to lead a normal life...” Do you really lead a normal life? Do you see yourself as a woman with a disability or has it been an advantage?

Well, I don’t really have a normal social life. Work is basically my entire life. But the thing is... I am who I am. One thing that helped me was anti-depressant medication - it helped stop the horrible anxiety and panic attacks. Thinking In Pictures, my most important work on autism, details the careful use of medication. I think way too much medication is given out like candy and way too much is given out to little kids. I would try diet and exercise first.

You’ve achieved all these things in life – what are you going to look back on and say you are most proud of?

I am proud of things I have done in livestock and in autism that have made real change out in the real world. It is not about abstract ideology, but about real things happening on the ground with real people and animals. I like improving something.

To learn more about Temple Grandin’s work with livestock visit www.grandin.com or to learn more about her work with autism visit www.templegrandin.com.

Allison Salisbury is a freelance writer who works with children with Autism and behavioral challenges. She works for the Cherry Creek School District in Centennial Colorado.

Money, Management, Marketing, & Me

By:Sharon Clinebell Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Jewel Of Collaboration

Recently the Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado hosted the Women in Business Forum entitled “Money, Management, Marketing & Me.” The forum highlighted accomplished women in the field of business and brought together business professionals and students to learn from each other, as well as from the speakers. As the title implies, the goal was to cover a wide variety of business areas. The speakers for the forum were Rhea Law, CEO and Chair of the Board, Fowler White Boggs, P.A.; Kate Warne, Ph.D., CFA, Principal/Research, Investment Policy Advisory Committee, Edward Jones; Diane Fannon, Principal, Brand Management, The Richards Group; and Debra Benton, President of Benton Management Resources, Inc., New York Times Best-Selling Author, and Executive Coach. These nationally recognized women shared their insights with businesswomen and students during the forum. Law, Warne, and Fannon are profiled here.

Rhea Law

Ms. Law is the CEO and Chair of the Board of Fowler White Boggs, P.A., one of the largest law firms in Florida. Ms. Law has been recognized as one of the top women business leaders in Florida. She has more than 30 years experience in Government, Environmental, Administration and Land Use representation and has received the highest rating by Martindale-Hubbell, Legal Elite and Super Lawyers. She was inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame for Legal Elite in 2009. She was also inducted in the NAIOP Hall of Fame, appointed by Governors Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist to the Florida Council of 100 and was instrumental to bringing the Super Bowl back to Tampa, as the Vice Chair of the Host Committee.

Florida Trend Magazine named her one of the State's most influential people and the Tampa Bay Business Journal tapped her as Businesswoman of the Year. She has been inducted into the Florida Council of Economic Education Hall of Fame, the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce Women's Hall of Fame and the Stetson Hall of Fame in 2008. Tampa Bay CEO Magazine named her CEO of the Year in 2008 and she was also recently named 2009 Woman of the Year by Tampa Bay Business and Professional Women. She is a proud military supporter and was selected by the Secretary of Defense as one of 60 people throughout the country to participate in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. Ms. Law has spent her career working—and playing—in what used to be a "man's world." As if that wasn't enough, she's been a race car driver, speed boat racer, has flown in an F-16, parachuted with the Army Golden Knights, and driven a tank.

While many of us use focus, determination and implementation skills to succeed in business, we don't seem to apply these same principles to succeed in our personal lives. - Rhea Law

Ms. Law spoke about “Business Planning for your Life.” She said that while many of us use focus, determination and implementation skills to succeed in business, we don't seem to apply these same principles to succeed in our personal lives. Ms. Law explained her view of relying on the four F’s: Faith, Focus, Family, and Friends. Faith refers to the belief that we are here for a reason—there is a higher purpose for our lives. Focus means that we need to find what makes us happy and fulfilled. We need to answer the question of what is our success? The definition of success changes from individual to individual and we need to find our success and not rely on someone else’s definition. Family is another important aspect and, although they may not always agree with our plans, they do want us to succeed. And finally, friends are much like family in that they are our support system and want to help us succeed. She related that early in her marriage, she and her husband decided to follow her career, even though she was a young associate at that time. Which career was to be followed was an intentional choice, not left to chance. Ms. Law indicated that work/life balance should be renamed work/life alignment. She and her family use business planning principles for their personal life, creating one-year, three-year, and over the horizon planning timelines. The over the horizon timeline refers to very long-term goals including for what they would like to be remembered. Goals in these planning horizons may include household needs, financial goals, family needs, and recreation to name a few. Their goals are reviewed quarterly and corrective action is taken as needed. Using business principles in our personal lives can help us be successful—whatever our definition of success may be.

Kate Warne

Dr. Warne of Edward Jones has been with the Edward Jones Research department since 1997. She was named a principal with the firm in 1999 and became a member of the Investment Policy Advisory Committee in 2003. Warne holds a doctorate in economics, specializing in finance and competitive strategy, from Yale University, a master of science from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree with high honors from Swarthmore College. She earned her Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1997.

Dr. Warne is the Edward Jones’ market strategist in Canada and the U.K., interpreting market conditions and recommending appropriate long-term investment strategies to aid the firm's more than 7 million clients in reaching their investment goals. Dr. Warne has appeared on CBS, CNBC, CNN and Canada’s CBC and Business News Network. She has been quoted in such major publications as The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Globe and Mail, the Scotsman, Forbes and Fortune magazines. Dr. Warne was the energy analyst at Edward Jones prior to assuming her current position as market strategist. She has worked for AT&T and General Motors, and was an assistant professor of finance at the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Warne previously lectured at Yale University and was an economist at the President’s Council of Economic Advisors.

At the Monfort College of Business Women in Business Forum, Dr. Warne’s presentation was “Making Sense of Today’s Economy and Investing.” Dr. Warne addressed the issues of the stock market over the past 10 years, what it means, and what we can expect in the future. She provided a global perspective, examining where growth potential lies and how to take advantage of it. Dr. Warne noted that women tend to be more conservative investors than men and outlined some important issues such as appropriate asset allocation.

Diane Fannon

Ms. Fannon is a Principal, Brand Management, of The Richards Group in Dallas, Texas. The Richards Group is the largest independent advertising agency in North America. Ms. Fannon has spent most of her career in the creative discipline of the advertising business, beginning in New York at Grey Advertising as a copywriter. She moved to Tracey-Locke in Dallas where she spent eight years developing award-winning creative work for Frito-Lay, Haggar, The Dallas Morning News, Phillips Petroleum, Taco Bell, and Pepsi, becoming senior vice president and senior creative director in 1985. With nine more years of creative responsibility at Bozell and again at Tracy-Locke, as executive creative director, she added Hogan, Tabasco, JC Penney, Adams Golf and Budget Rent A Car to her client list.

She left the advertising business to run The Image Bank, the photography division of a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kodak. With responsibility for marketing, creative content, and operations, Ms. Fannon visited franchise offices in 72 cities in 35 countries, filling two passports, speaking passable French, eating Chinese food you don't get in this country, and learning why you use two hands to pass a business card in Japan. Five years later, her right brain began to miss advertising. Ms. Fannon joined The Richards Group as brand manager for Fruit of the Loom, The Home Depot, The Salvation Army and new business development. In her appearance at the Women in Business Forum, Ms. Fannon’s presentation was “Branding Yourself in a Tough Economy.” Ms. Fannon explained strong brands survive missteps, challenging economies, leadership changes, and the onslaught of competition. She described what constitutes a strong brand and why some brands thrive while others flounder. She explored how the same principles that guide a brand like Chick-Fil-A or Bridgestone Tires to success can provide guidance for people as they develop their own personal brand. She explained that a brand is a promise and challenged the participants to think about their brand.

There were overarching themes that were recounted throughout the day by the speakers such as the importance of having integrity, developing mentoring relationships, and showing persistence. If you lose your credibility, success is often very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. Mentors are very important to a successful business career and developing relationships with multiple mentors are important. Also, being persistent and not giving up is a key factor to success. Ms. Law recounted that when she started at a law firm, every day she would ask the senior partner if there was something she could help him with. Every day he told her, “no.” One day, however, he was doing a task that he disliked so he delegated it to her. She completed the task well and from then on, she was given important tasks at the law firm. It would have been easy to have given up after the first few rejections, but she showed persistence and it paid off for her career. The value of the forum was threefold. First, the insights these accomplished women gave were very valuable and could be used immediately. Secondly, role modeling is very important, not only for the students in attendance, but also for the business professionals. These speakers took very different paths to reach their success. And finally, the interaction between audience members during the breaks added to the networking contacts for the participants. The Women in Business Forum provided an excellent opportunity to showcase accomplished women and share their experiences with others.

Sharon Clinebell is the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs at the Monfort College of Business. More information about the Monfort College of Business, including its Baldrige application summary, is available at its website www.mcb.unco.edu.

Margaret Kelly

By:Luke Wyckoff Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Jewel Of Collaboration

What is the earliest business transaction you can remember conducting?

From age 12 to 22 I worked for my father’s factory in Detroit. I worked cutting steel and making nuts and bolts at my father’s company. I hated it. The first thing I tried to negotiate was renting a machine from my father. I wanted to buy the steel, bid out the project, rent the machine from him, and keep all the profit. My father didn’t really go for it. I was his employee, after all. The second business transaction that I can remember is buying gold coins. I bought ten ounces of gold coins for $300 and then sold it for $8100. Believe it or not, that money paid for my college.

Where did you go to college?

I went to Oakland Community College in Michigan. I got a two year accounting degree. Then I went on to a four year college. I went to Welsh College in Michigan and got a BBA in finance and accounting.

How did you choose finance and accounting?

I took an accounting class in high school and I liked it. I wanted to get out of the dirty job. I didn’t want to be covered in machine oil for my entire life. I thought that I could be a bookkeeper so I decided to get an accounting degree and I thought that that would be it. Fortunately, I went on and got my four year degree. The funny thing is, my parents supported me but probably always wondered what I was going to do with that degree. I came back to Walsh college years later and was the commencement speaker. That was one of the high points in my life. Both my parents were gone by then, but I felt their presence and knew they were proud of me.

What was the first job you had out of college?

I worked at Metropolitan Hospital in Detroit. It was good. I was there for about a year. I had met my husband in college and we were dating at the time. He got a job offer out here so once we got married we moved to Denver. At the hospital, I was a financial analyst and I was working on budgets. When I moved to Denver, I took the same kind of job at Presbyterian St. Luke’s. I was a financial analyst and then got promoted to manager of the department. I had worked there five years, I was pregnant, and I decided to quit because the job was moving to Texas. I tried the stay-at-home mom thing for a while but always knew that I wanted to do something else. I wanted to go back to work. I was bored. I was pattern vacuuming the carpet! There was a tiny little ad in the paper for a financial analyst at RE/MAX. That was in 1987 and my son was 11 months old. He just turned 24.

I just took advantage of opportunities that came my way and had to guts to pursue them even though I was scared to death.

What are some of the major decisions that you’ve made that have helped you get where you are today?

I’m the youngest of six kids; I have one brother and four sisters. We all worked at the factory for about ten years because my father needed workers. My sisters and I were not encouraged to go to college. I was always expected to just get married and have kids. I knew that I was meant to do more than that so they finally let me go to college. I had to trust and follow my gut. I have always worked really hard at every job I’ve had but I didn’t have goals of being CEO. I didn’t have any high expectations. I just took advantage of opportunities that came my way and had the guts to pursue them even though I was scared to death.

Who were some of the major influences in your life?

My parents. My father took me to the factory even though my friends were out - I was working. I worked every holiday and every summer. I hated it at the time but it taught me an important work ethic. My father and mother both taught me many important lessons.

Professionally, my mentor has been David Liniger who is the founder of the company. As I grew in the company, and got to know him, I watched him and I learned. He has been a tremendous mentor. I didn’t know it at the time but he wanted to promote me from a management consultant to the head of the Colorado region. He came in and sat down and offered me the position of regional manager of Colorado. I said “No. I’m not ready.” He turned beet red and he said to me, “If I think you’re ready, why don’t you think you’re ready?” Then he walked out of the room and didn’t talk to me for about a week. I thought that’s it - I’m done. I blew it. Then, about a week later he came back and said to me, “I usually don’t offer again, but would you like to be the regional director of Colorado?” This time I replied with, “Yes absolutely. I would love to.”

I realized that my self-doubt shouldn’t hold me back when there were others who believed in me enough to promote me to such a great position and see the potential in me. So that was a huge lesson. I learned to believe in my own potential rather than my self-doubts. Years later he offered me the president position. I had been dealing with health issues – I had just overcome cancer so I told him I had to think about it. I realized that being president was the role I wanted and that it was an amazing opportunity for me. I took the job the next day. I became president in 2002 and CEO in 2005.

What motivates you?

Absolute love of the job, love of the people I work with, and love of the membership. I am so excited to get out in the field. After 23 years here, I know so many of the brokers and agents by name and it’s like family. I’m on different boards. Those types of things excite me. I like challenges. I like to push myself, but at the same time, after all these years, I truly love what I do. It is a joy every day. I love to get up and say, “Let’s go.”

What are some of the challenges that you have had to overcome?

There have been many challenges but the biggest one was between 1999 and 2001. Over a 24 month time period, I had breast cancer and I ended up with cervical cancer. So I had a hysterectomy and mastectomy, and I lost my father. After all the surgeries for the cancer I then blew out a disk in my back. I was numb up to both hips, couldn't use one of my legs, and had to get emergency back surgery. I sat back and said, “Okay. God what are you trying to tell me here?”

I decided to take a six month leave of absence. I needed time to heal physically and mentally wrap my head around it and figure out what I wanted to do. At that time I realized that I truly wanted to come back and I wanted to work. So, I came back. The Komen organization came to us at RE/MAX and asked us to be a national sponsor. I got to be a speaker as a survivor and a sponsor. If I hadn’t come back I wouldn’t have had that opportunity. I was also offered the presidency at that time. I really had to think about it and do some soul searching. I didn’t know if I wanted the stress of being a president. I thought about it overnight. I realized that it was an amazing opportunity. How many women get this kind of opportunity? I thought that I could have the opportunity to be an example for women. Here is a woman from Detroit who worked in a factory, and now I get to be president and ultimately the CEO of the largest real estate company in the world. That is a dream come true! I wasn’t going to let my self-doubt hold me back from taking that job. I took the job and I’ve never regretted it. I love it.

You don't have to sacrifice everything in one area to be able to succeed in another. You really can do it all. You just have to know what's important and what's not and how to schedule properly.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The people. We are in a relationship business. Buying and selling a home is all about relationships. The internet is out there and it’s great but it’s still really about buying and selling, meeting with an agent face-to-face, forming a relationship, and ultimately helping people. This business is all about relationships and that has to start from the top.

What accomplishment are you the most proud of?

Take everything I just said and wrap it up with a big bow. I’ve been married to my husband for 28 years and we have two sons. Being a working mom and having a great relationship with my family is something I am very proud of. You don’t have to sacrifice everything in one area to be able to succeed in another. You really can do it all. You just have to know what’s important and what’s not and how to schedule properly. I learned early on that somebody else can clean the house, someone else can help me buy the groceries, and maybe I can spend more time with the kids. It’s all about learning to balance and prioritize. I’m very proud that I can do all that I do and still have a strong family life.

How do you balance it all?

It was hard at first. It was tough on the boys when I would travel. We would get college kids to come and live with us; kind of like a nanny. My husband and I would get out of the house early but we were there every single night for dinner unless we were traveling. I would also get the kid’s school calendar and book around it. If I had a conflict I would sit down with the boys and explain it to them. They were very understanding. You need to balance it all out. My husband is wonderful. We are a team, and I couldn't do it without him. He is very supportive. A lot of guys would be intimidated having a wife as a CEO but he is behind me every step of the way saying, “Go for it. I’m proud of you.”

How would you define your leadership style?

I have no way to define it. I think leadership style needs to be defined by the people that you lead. I believe in team. I love to get input from people. I love for them to disagree with me. I want honesty. The problem is that most compliments and feedback go downhill - they don't go uphill. Employees don't tell their boss they want to change something because they are afraid. I try to encourage feedback as much as possible. I try to instill in the team that they need to take risks or we’re never going to grow as a company. I’m very inclusive but I’m also the one who has the responsibility of making the ultimate decision.

I think leadership style needs to be defined by the people that you lead. Women have a lot of self-doubt and put other people first. I think women hold themselves back more than men do. They need to know that it's okay to take a risk and make mistakes.

What are your words of advice to young women in the work place?

There are a lot of things that women do that men don’t. Women are not better than men in the work place and vice-versa. Women bring the skill of team and are more inclusive. Men charge forward and are better about complimenting each other. Women have a lot of self-doubt and put other people first. I think women hold themselves back more than men do. They need to know that it’s okay to take a risk and make mistakes. Women think they can do it all. They need to realize that they aren’t going to be perfect and that’s okay. If you are a working mom and you go home you are going to have guilt that you’re not working. If you go to work, you’re going to have guilt that you’re not home with the kids. Either way, you are going to have guilt so you need to figure out which one is best for you. Nothing is ever guilt-free. Women just need to prioritize and give themselves a break once in a while. That’s it.

Luke Wyckoff is the Chief Visionary Officer for Social Media Energy. He can be reached at [email protected].

Lawyer, Author, Lieutenant Governor

By:Jan Mazotti Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Jewel Of Collaboration

Describe some of the barriers you have faced and how you have broken through them in your professional life.

There were certainly barriers and prejudice for women in politics in 1986. When I ran for Congress, people kept asking me how I could run for office when I had three children. I pointed out that my father ran for President when he had 10 children at home and no one asked him how he could run. When I ran for Lieutenant Governor in 1994 there were only four female Lieutenant Governors in the U.S. But after that election, 21 women were elected in that position. I think two things made this happen. One was the Clarence Thomas hearings with Anita Hill. It just enraged so many people across the country that women were being examined by all these men and that there was no one out there speaking for women in politics. So I think, there was a sense across the country that women needed to have a much larger role and voice in politics. I was also helped by the women’s movement generally and by having great women friends who strengthened me, who urged me on, and who gave me help in the tough times.

Two things are important for women in politics. We must first work politically to raise consciousness and awareness and you have to find friends who will support you.

Describe some of the innovations you have introduced and their effects.

Before becoming Lieutenant Governor I made Maryland the first state in the country to require community service a requirement for all students because I believe that young people can make a difference. They can be powerful and they can see problems and change them. What we found though was that too many young people didn’t believe that about themselves and had never had the experience of making a difference – so I wanted to give them the opportunity to learn how they could change the world for the better. Oftentimes we have issues in our own life, but we don't know there are bigger issues out there, because nobody talks about them.

For 22 years I wanted to improve the quality of people going into policing. So I worked on providing college scholarships to people who promised to be police officers for four years. When I became Lieutenant Governor of Maryland we became the first state in the country to receive and distribute those scholarships. In fact, one time when I was in Denver, a man walked up to me in the airport and said he was a graduate from one of the first classes and that now he was with the FBI. He thanked me and told me it was a wonderful program.

I was also focused on an anti-crime effort when I was Lieutenant Governor. The Attorney General and I started family violence counseling programs where we strengthened our laws on family violence and we trained 911 operators, police officers, District Attorneys, and judges. As we did this we realized that it was not enough to train people in the criminal justice system alone, we had to change the attitudes of the community. So I made sure that every single state employee received training in domestic violence so that they could recognize potential problems and say “it’s part of my business to understand what’s going on.” We wanted to change the culture on domestic violence.

I also worked on the issues of women balancing work and family. I had one conference, where Betty Friedan came, where we focused on working women with children. It was clear in many of the conversations that the biggest challenge was women juggling work, children, and elder care and that we had very few resources for these women. As a result, we started a number of community programs to help with these issues.

Was this before the Family and Medical Leave Act?

No, it was after. When we initially had this conference there was not much focus on the challenges of senior care. Instead, we were focused on the challenges surrounding working families with children. As we learned more, we added the conversation around senior care—it was sort of this unspoken conversation.

I remember... I was supposed to give a speech on our senior care initiatives to 45 women legislators. Instead of giving the standard speech I decided I would go around the room and let people tell their stories about taking care of their elderly parents. Thirty nine people had a story about taking care of an elderly family member. It really taught me that oftentimes we have issues in our own life, but that we don’t know there are bigger issues out there because nobody talks about them.

You come from a family of strong and powerful men and women. Do you think it is important for women and their work to be recognized? What are some of the underlying implications of these patterns and gender-based roles?

For a long period of time, women’s work was not really recognized or given the due that it really deserved. I think that we still have challenges in this country to recognize the importance of women. I’ve given a number of talks around the country and I usually start by asking everyone to close their eyes. Then I ask them to think of a powerful person. Then I ask them how many of them thought of women? What I have found is that even at conferences devoted to women, very few actually say, ‘Oh, I thought of a woman in power.’ So even today, we have challenges to actually recognize women as powerful.

Politics and government is where we make our most solemn common decisions, therefore the more that women get involved the more apt it is that politics will accede to the needs of women.

What are the implications of that?

The implications are that we still don’t have 50% parity in the number of women in Congress and the Senate. We only have about six women who are heads of Fortune 500 companies. We still have challenges with the adjectives that women still use for men—power, strong, and aggressive—where the adjectives for women often include kind, loving, sweet, beautiful. For women in power the adjectives often change and they are accused of being bitchy and those sorts of things. We are still struggling with trying to figure out the dichotomies of being female and powerful. I believe we will see change over the next 20 years as more and more women become powerful. And, I think we will see a range of character types of women in power.

How do you see women playing a role in the global economy going forward?

Many of the Fortune 500 companies, at least in the United States, are run by men. I think that is one of the great challenges right now. Typically, women are able to understand different cultures and traditions more easily and they try to get people to get along with one another and work together. I think women also bring verbal skills rather than command and control skills - again qualities that we will absolutely need in the global economy going forward.

How can we accelerate or advance changes in community service, overcoming adversity, and other social justice issues?

I think one of the things women can do is get involved in politics. If they’re not going to run themselves, contribute to political campaigns or organize events. Politics and government is where we make our most solemn common decisions, therefore the more that women get involved the more apt it is that politics will accede to the needs of women. As women started engaging in politics, you saw much more interest in childcare, in healthcare, the environment, and with education. As a result, women getting involved in politics has made a difference. The same is true in business. The more women you have, the more you can get the business to take into account the needs of women.

Who has inspired you in your life? Why? How?

I went to Catholic school as a kid, so I was always inspired by the nuns. As the recent healthcare debate escalated, I was particularly inspired by the nuns who stood up against the bishops and said, “We need healthcare.” I thought that was really fabulous because for so many years women, particularly in the Catholic Church, were treated like second class citizens.

I am certainly inspired by Madeline Albright and Hilary Clinton and what they’ve done around the world. I am especially impressed by Hilary’s determination to make women’s issues part of the foreign policy conversation. She’s pointed out that in those countries where women are well-treated they are less apt to get involved in terrorism. It is those countries where women are badly treated that are most apt to be terrorist countries. She’s made that connection very clearly and she’s also pointed out that when women get educated, their children benefit and so does the whole nation.

You’ve achieved all these things in life – what are you going to look back on and say you are most proud of?

It’s really hard to pick just one. I would say I’m most proud of three things. Starting the Robert Kennedy Human Rights Award, which was a way to keep my father’s legacy alive around the world, has been very rewarding. Making sure that Maryland was the first, and still only state that requires community service for graduation is something I am proud of. Many generations of young Marylander’s have learned that they can make a difference. And finally, I am proud of my work with the Maryland HotSpot Initiative. Through these collaborative efforts we reduced crime 35% in high crime neighborhoods and actually demonstrated that you could reduce crime if you put your mind to it.

Do you have a mentor?

No. When I started politics there were not a lot of women in politics or law. Today, I think women are much more fortunate because they have access to female mentors. When I went to college, for instance, I didn’t have a single woman teacher. But, when I went to law school there was a great woman who I worked with, Ruth Kovnat. We commuted from Santa Fe to Albuquerque together and remain good friends to this day.

Has collaboration played a role in your success? If so, how?

Yes! Absolutely! Working with other women who supported me and who helped me was very important. I was able to mobilize and move on critical initiatives because of collaboration. For instance, when we were trying to reduce crime I realized that you couldn’t just have the police involved—you had to get police, probation, parole officers, community designers, the citizens in the community—to really make change. Problems are not just single-minded. You have to get people to work with one another.

Educate Girls Globally

By:Charlotte Mills Seligman Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Jewel Of Collaboration

Based on the stunning results of its education reform program in 500 government schools in the Pali District of Rajasthan, India, Educate Girls Globally (EGG) is now expanding into more than 2,300 schools to serve more than 260,000 children, about 125,000 of them girls. Half of the funding for the expansion is coming from DASRA1, a philanthropic organization in India that has pledges from private donors four years into the future to support the model. “This is an unprecedented endorsement for the model,” says EGG Founder and President A. Lawrence Chickering. “We have demonstrated the model’s effectiveness and we are now ready to expand to other developing countries.”

The project, run by EGG’s Indian affiliate, Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, has reduced the number of girls out of school by 90% and has dramatically improved learning. In March 2008 EGG conducted a household survey in the neighborhoods near the 500 schools initially using the program and found some 3,839 girls not enrolled – either because they had dropped out or because they had never gone to school. By December of 2009 some 3,560 more girls had enrolled, and only 279 girls remained out of school.

Equally impressive have been increases in learning. After three months of EGG’s Creative Learning Teaching (CLT), in addition to EGG’s basic program, far more children can read in Hindi or English and do basic math than before. Dr. Barbara Herz, an economist who launched the World Bank’s Women in Development Division and who now co-chairs EGG’s Board, made these comments on the results, “The percentage of children in the Program Schools, grades III-VII, reading a paragraph in Hindi jumped from 42 percent before CLT to 59 percent after.” She says, “Those reading a paragraph in English nearly tripled, from 15 to 43 percent. Those able to add and subtract two digits doubled from 26 to 57 percent. In fact, the gains are so large that even if the test scores are slightly inaccurate, as measures of learning tests often are, it’s plain that positive change is occurring.”

The EGG program is unique on many levels: It works in operating government schools, which keep costs low. It is scalable and can be deployed exponentially in schools. It is replicable in many countries, cultures, and political systems; and it is sustainable for the benefit of future generations.

After EGG’s founding in 1999, Chickering began developing a strategy for promoting girls’ education to address the problem of poverty and extremism in developing countries. “Research by the UN and the World Bank shows that as women are educated, birthrates fall, family health improves, literacy increases, per capita income grows, and governance and political participation improve,” he says. “Research also shows that an uneducated and marginalized female population is a significant cause of both poverty and extremism.” The gains are so large that even if the test scores are slightly inaccurate, as measures of learning often are, it's plain that positive change is occurring. - Dr. Barbara Herz Chickering has spent more than 30 years researching, designing, and advocating reforms of government institutions and policies to empower disadvantaged people. He is a graduate of Stanford University and the Yale Law School, a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and author of numerous books and articles on how civil society initiatives can support foreign policy objectives strategically. In 2005 EGG started partnering with the World Economic Forum and then the state government of Rajasthan to create a reform model for Rajasthan.

EGG’s model regards people in the community as the greatest underutilized asset in education. By engaging all the stakeholders—communities, teachers, children, and government officials—individual programs in any of the locations will continue, even after EGG withdraws. And learning is enhanced in the schools by shifting to more creative, interactive teaching and by helping girls in the school to form local groups where they gain confidence and experience.

Because government buy-in is essential to reform government schools, EGG starts by getting the government’s endorsement. Working with government ministries, the EGG program helps educate large numbers of girls at a very low cost by leveraging the investment governments have already made in teachers’ salaries, physical plant, textbooks, etc. According to Chickering, EGG’s model has proven that, with a mere 2% increase in their budget, governments can reach 25-33% more girls and can significantly raise learning scores, both in reading and math.

“Most NGOs refuse to work with governments because of bureaucratic and political opposition,” explains Chickering. “But EGG believes that working inside government schools is the only way to achieve large-scale, low-cost, sustainable change. And we have shown how to do it without bureaucratic opposition.” As evidence, EGG’s 2010 budget is a modest $600,000.

Rajasthan is one of the most male-dominated states in India and, thus, one of the most traditional and difficult in which to promote change. EGG’s Community Activation Model has proven successful in reversing men’s response to girls’ education from negative to positive. According to Chickering, one of the most profound moments in the program occurs at village meetings, when the girls who have dropped out address assembled village leaders, explaining why they dropped out of school and why they want to go back to school. “These moments are transformative,” he says. “Hearing their own daughters stand up and speak out, asking for a chance in life, the elders, even in the most traditional Islamic communities, become advocates. Our program actually promotes deep cultural change in very traditional communities.”

Research by the UN and the World Bank shows that as women are educated, birthrates fall, family health improves, literacy increases, per capita income grows, and governance and political participation improve. - A. Lawrence Chickering

An important part of EGG’s model is the creation of Action Committees to develop action plans for each school. The Committees reach out to the communities and identify issues, such as teacher absenteeism, lack of clean water, or the absence of girls’ bathrooms, and set them as priorities in their action plans. “Sustainability is integral to the program,” says Barbara Herz. “Initially, staff members chair the Action Committee meetings, which take place every six weeks, to monitor progress on the action plans. Once we determine that the Action Committees can assume full responsibility for ongoing operations, they are on their own. After that, EGG follows up with annual and/or bi-annual visits to make sure all goes well or to lend a helping hand.”

Heading up the program in Rajasthan is EGG’s Executive Director, Safeena Husain, who oversees the program as well as the training of lead teachers in the villages. “The Creative Learning Teaching (CLT) approach is not rote memorization that’s prevalent in many school systems,” Husain says. “Rather, we work to improve school quality by incorporating life and work skills, with a focus on creative learning, which increases involvement and keeps the children in school.”

EGG’s program also fosters girls’ self-esteem and leadership training through its student parliament, which has served 6,500 girls in the second stage program in 500 schools. In that stage, the program also gave leadership training to 6,500 adults who participated in the school management committees. The program also gives training in life skills, which has increased self-assertion, even in tribal schools. According to Chickering, these “soft” skills have been as rigorously evaluated as has been the attendance and learning results in the program.

Chickering believes that EGG’s model could become a powerful instrument in the U.S. government’s counterinsurgency strategy. He was recently invited by the U.S. military to visit Afghanistan and explore using the model there. He is also currently in conversations with both the Counter Operations Center and the Central Command Center in Tampa, Florida, regarding Afghanistan and other countries. He is also talking to various departments in the State Department about the same issue. “When you give people a stake in the school system, you promote a positive concept of citizenship, and you give them a reason to resist forces that are trying to bring the system down,” says Chickering.

Chickering maintains that the EGG model is a new, organic model of public policy change by engaging people to work incrementally for change. “The traditional model of public policy reform is mechanical,’ he says. “Everything happens on Tuesday—an election happens, a bill or a regulation passes. Everything changes suddenly, and sudden changes bring uncertainty about effects; people don’t like uncertainty. So they vote no. In our model, change happens incrementally, organically, and there is never any opposition.”

He believes that without opposition, the process transcends all current political debates. “Our model is neither ‘conservative’ or ‘liberal,’ but draws strength from across the political spectrum. We think it is a powerful way to use conservative means to achieve liberal ends.” EGG's model could become a powerful instrument in the U.S. government's counterinsurgency strategy. “I think we’re at a tipping point,” Chickering says. “The extraordinary results we’ve gotten in India are achieving serious recognition there. The model can easily be replicated in other countries and cultures, with measurable results and at surprisingly low costs. It is only a matter of time before governments there and elsewhere realize that with a relatively small, incremental investment, they can greatly improve their education systems. My concern now is to build the capacity to respond to the demand we know is coming.”

Given the crippling poverty, religious extremism, and abuse of girls and women in many of the world’s most volatile regions, let’s hope that EGG’s education model reaches critical mass and becomes an epidemic of social change.

Charlotte Seligman is President of Traversant, Inc., a San Francisco Bay Area brand communications firm she founded in 1999. She is an impassioned advocate of equal rights and education for girls and women and works with numerous nonprofits, including Educate Girls Globally, No Means No USA, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and Refugee Transitions. She received her B.A. in Communications from Stanford and served in the Peace Corps in Liberia, West Africa. In 2008, she received a University of Cambridge CELTA certificate to teach English as a Foreign Language.

Crusader for Clean Food

By:Jan Mazotti Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Jewel Of Collaboration

It was a day like any other. Robyn O’Brien awoke and prepared breakfast for her four children. The three oldest got a tube of bright blue yogurt, some frozen waffles and scrambled eggs. The baby, Tory, got a banana and some eggs too. After breakfast, she put Tory down for her mid-morning nap while the other kids played. When she went to check on the baby, she noticed that Tory’s little face was bloated and red, and her eyes were swollen shut. She rushed Tory to the hospital. The doctor said it was an allergic reaction – most likely to eggs. O’Brien’s first thought, “Since when did an egg become so dangerous?”

A Little Background

Raised in Houston on meat, potatoes, Doritos, and Ding Dongs, Robyn O’Brien proclaims she was not a foodie. She was your average Texas girl, raised in a conservative family. She earned her MBA from Rice University and graduated at the top of her class. She went to work for a major investment firm as an analyst for a team that managed approximately $20 billion in assets. She intimately understood “enhancing profitability and shareholder value” and “managing earnings and expectations”. When her first child was born, O’Brien became a full time mom.

Now with four beautiful children, O’Brien is the founder of the AllergyKids Foundation, which strives to protect American children from the chemicals now found in our food supply. She is also the author of The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick And What We Can Do About It. The book takes an in-depth look at the deregulation of the food industry in the U.S, how food has become a mish-mosh of chemicals and additives, and how she is on a personal quest to engage people and challenge the status quo of what people put on their tables.

Just the Facts

Today, the American population suffers from a list of chronic health conditions, from asthma, to food allergies, to cancer, to diabetes. Every family has been impacted on every rung of our socio-economic ladder, creating a tremendous burden on our healthcare system, while countries around the world barely seem to sniffle. Have you ever wondered why?

O’Brien says it has to do with how the food industry in the U.S. enhances their profitability by using chemicals in our food supply that have been banned in other parts of the world. For several years and for very personal reasons, she has been trying to “figure out” the cause of the allergy epidemic and understand the link between nutrition and health. She found that there have been steadily increasing disease rates over the last 70+ years including cancer, autism, and autoimmune diseases. In fact, she said, “1 in 8 children suffer from asthma and 9 out of 10 cases of breast cancer are linked to environmental causes, not hereditary causes.” She argues (and documents well) that much of the linkage between poor health and immune disorders is related to the “fake” foods we eat.

So, what are we to do when it is openly documented that only 4% of the average American diet consists of “real foods” like vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits? Or that 80% of the average Americans calories are from white flour, sugar, and oil? Or that 60% of our calories are processed foods?

O’Brien asserts “fake/techno” foods tend to be cheaper and easier to access. She found that corporate, government and non-profit relationships between the producers of foods, seeds, pesticides, and insecticides were more co-mingled than the money that caused Wall Street to crumble. She discovered that for years, corporations knew of the dangers of large quantities of genetically engineered products, including soy, in their foods and still they put them on the shelves of the local grocer. She learned that hidden allergens are rampant in our food supply because of mislabeling. In fact, approximately five products a week are recalled because of mislabeling and over the past 10 years, nearly half of those recalls were never publicly announced.

Something even more disturbing—milk. How can milk be disturbing? O’Brien said that for the past 15 years or so much of the nation’s milk has come from cows that have been injected with a genetically engineered growth hormone known as rBGH, a hormone, made in a lab to mimic hormones of female cows. While there are plenty of financial reasons to be concerned about this (of which you can learn from her book), rBGH is injected so that milk cows increase their production levels. But what most people don’t connect is that hormones injected in cows become hormones ingested by people, which is concerning considering that the industry learned of the hazardous outcomes to the herds; increases in cystic ovaries, disorders of the uterus, decreases in gestation length and mastitis.

"Think of the mastitis for a minute," she said, “Think of the bacteria and pus pouring out of those inflamed udders—infections that aren’t even being treated. How does that affect us, our kids, and the babies in our wombs?” That thought was stunning and disgusting.

She did give a more positive view on the milk industry as she changed topics, almost one-third of the largest U.S. dairy processors are now rBGH-free.

It All Starts With Farmers

O’Brien posits that spiraling healthcare costs are partially connected to the way we eat. She says that, “Americans spend almost 20 cents of every dollar managing disease—allergies, asthma, cancer, obesity—and only 10 cents of every dollar on food.” She argues that the environmental maneuvering of the food producers is much to blame and going organic may be more expensive, but much better in the long run.

Empowering farmers is part of the solution, O’Brien claims. In a recent article, Health Care Begins With a Grocery Cart, O’Brien says that organic food costs more than its conventional counterparts because our taxpayer dollars are not used to support organic farms to the same extent as conventional farms. She argues that, “it is more profitable for farmers to grow crops laced with chemicals than organic ones because they will receive larger government handouts from the USDA Farm Subsidy program, more marketing assistance, and stronger crop insurance programs.” She says that it costs farmers more money to produce organic products because they do not receive the same level of financial handouts and then are charged a fee to label their goods “organic.” Basically, they have a higher cost structure with the added fees and expenditures.

The linkage between poor health and immune disorders is related to the "fake" foods we eat. She asked, “Wouldn’t it make more sense to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize the crops without chemicals given the evidence pointing to the impact on our health? What if our most powerful weapon in the war on healthcare was a farm subsidy?” She answered, “Health reform should begin at the USDA, with an equal allocation of tax dollars between organic and conventional farming,” which would enable more organic alternatives and ultimately drive down costs.

The Rest Of The Story

O’Brien is on a mission to share how food makes us sick and what we can do about it. While she may be an unlikely crusader for cleaning up our food supply, she is doing it. She fundamentally believes that safe food is a social justice issue.

She believes that collaboratively we can all play a role. “We simply have to get savvy and stand together so that our voices can be heard by leaders in our government and the food industry the same way that families overseas have made their voices heard,” she said.

She knows that no one will save the world overnight. But she believes that if a group of committed people do a few little things it will add up, and change will happen. She strongly encourages parents to choose better food options at home, like eating plain rice with your own spices, instead of prepackaged rice mix. Or perhaps promote better school lunches that serve chemical-free milk. She says whatever you do — do something!

Nell Newman, Co-founder & President of Newman’s Own Organics says, "As eaters, we are all shareholders in our food supply and can learn from Robyn's work. Her efforts are both inspiring and important. "

O’Brien counters, “Though we can't change the beginning of our stories, we can change the end. Hope is the knowledge that change is possible, even when it seems hard to imagine.”

Learn more about Robyn O’Brien’s efforts or buy the book at www.robynobrien.com.

Learn more about the AllergyKids Foundation at www.allergykids.com.

A Lesson in Courage and Leadership

By:Nicholas Lumpp Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Jewel Of Collaboration

It all started over a plate of overpriced sushi in Laguna Beach, California. For over a year, my good friend Jared and I had frequently discussed the horrifying stories we had heard in the news and watched in documentaries about the global sex slave trade. We read about little girls who were trafficked across borders, bought and sold like property, and forced to have sex with multiple clients every night. We had discovered a $12 billion-per-year criminal industry that is for the most part hidden and ignored. Most Americans don't even know that the United States is the second largest trafficking destination. It was a world that baffled and angered us. How can something so horrifying be happening in the same world we live in? A remarkable thing happened that night at the sushi bar that would forever change our lives; we promised to make a difference.

Peering out the window of the 737, I spotted a small terminal across the runway. I squinted, my eyes struggling to stay open after an exhausting 19-hour flight to the other side of the world. I had not even considered that a week later I would be co-founding an organization with one of the greatest leaders of our time or that I would be involved in a presentation to the U.N. Security Council the following month. I nudged Jared, who was sound asleep in the seat next to me. "We're finally here!"

We anxiously located our luggage, moved through customs and hurried outside to find Somaly Mam and two of her staff members waiting for us with a big sign reading, "Greenberg, Lumpp." They greeted us with big smiles and a customary bow of respect. We followed their lead and then jumped into the air-conditioned car, pleased to have escaped the hot sun and humid air.

We hadn't planned on bombarding Mam with questions right away, but we couldn't wait to get the answers we had come so far to find. She spoke in broken English, having taught herself the language in less than a year with no formal training. Her personality, charisma and character were every bit the legend we had envisioned before our trip. Her words, her energy and her passion inspired me in a way I had never before felt. She shared stories more terrifying than you can imagine and then there was complete silence as we contemplated the seriousness of this situation and our role in helping. Dropping us at our hotel, she left us with a warning that we were in for an intense experience in the upcoming week. This was surely an understatement.

The name Somaly Mam meant nothing to us until a week before we had plane tickets to visit her in Cambodia. A short clip on Anderson Cooper 360 on YouTube intrigued us enough to learn more and eventually contact her. The first article I read detailed her achievements that led to her becoming Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year. The next article was about her experience carrying the Olympic flag in the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino. She seemed like a celebrity to me. Then I read the third article and suddenly the words "Somaly Mam" meant more than I had imagined. That name began to take shape as a representation of remarkable courage and leadership, much as I had envisioned Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Little girls are trafficked across borders, bought and sold like property, and forced to have sex with multiple clients every night. Mam's past is more horrifying than anyone I've ever known. She was abandoned and raped when she was 12 years old. By the age of 15, she was sold into a brothel where she was forced to have sex with five or six clients every night. She described a time when two clients came alone, but took her someplace unfamiliar where 20 men gang raped her. Somewhere she found the strength to escape her slavery and start an organization that would rescue and rehabilitate girls with the same circumstances.

Her remarkable courage can best be described by listening to her own words…

"Our job is dangerous. Once this man who ran a brothel put a gun to my temple; he was angry that I'd talked to his girls. He told me I was a (expletive), and that he was going to kill me. Last December we rescued 89 women and children in a police raid on a big hotel. But the pimps went to our shelter and grabbed them back. The next day they threatened to come back with grenades. I phoned everyone I could for help, but I was told I'd gone too far - I had bothered powerful people. I make a point of going to see the criminals who threaten me. I have to show them I'm not afraid by talking to them."

We briefly visited Mam's headquarters, where we met her hard-working staff and coordinated our excursion with their AIDS prevention team. The lobby was filled with articles praising Mam's efforts. I spotted a letter from Condoleezza Rice, and another from Colin Powell. A "U.S. State Department Best Practices Award" was displayed between her picture with Pope John Paul II and one of her with Hillary Clinton. One of her staff members could sense our interest. "The Queen of Spain calls her often," he said. "That's when I thought why hadn't I heard of Somaly Mam earlier?"

Our first stop was the red light district of Phnom Penh. Images of deteriorating buildings and muddy streets littered with trash still linger in my mind. Two bodyguards accompanied us wherever we went. Most of the brothel owners know Somaly and many would like to kill her. At all times, we had to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. The girls get excited when Somaly comes to visit them. She is a source of strength and hope for them. She is a symbol of what is possible even if they cannot yet see that possibility in their own lives. A small 12-year-old girl in a pink shirt and flip flops ran to Somaly and hugged her tightly, burying her face in Somaly's waist. She was crying. Her name was Jenny. Somaly told us that she had been raped the night before and that she would be coming with us for medical treatment. At the end of the week we returned to visit Jenny, but she was nowhere to be found. They say she was kidnapped by a foreign casino owner. Even more disappointing is the realization that this is not rare. It happens to girls around the world every day.

The following day we traveled to Kampong Cham to visit the children's shelter. I was shocked to learn that there are so many victims under the age of 16 that Somaly had to open a shelter specifically for these children. A young girl sat on the front stairs hugging her teddy bear and watching us as we approached the front entrance of the shelter. "Please, God, tell me she is not a victim," I thought to myself. She is eight years old now. She was sold into a brothel at the age of six. Her virginity was sold to a foreign man for $500. She has AIDS now and the doctors say she will not live much longer. To her right stood another very young girl. She is seven now and had been rescued from a brothel when she was six. Her pimp kept her in a cage when she wasn't being raped by clients or tortured by the men who ran the brothel. Somaly told us horror stories of how they would cut her arms, put salt in her wounds and how they pulled out her hair; and on several occasions pressed nails into the back of her head. I quietly suppressed my feelings of anger and sadness as we moved on to see the rest of the shelter before departing for Siem Reap. Most Americans don't even know that the United States is the second largest trafficking destination.

About an hour outside the city in the beautiful countryside beyond Siem Reap sits an oasis of well-kept buildings, clean yards and beautiful gardens. We had arrived at the Siem Reap shelter just in time for lunch. After lunch, Somaly ordered a bus and we took all 42 girls to a park near the Angkor Temples. Jared and I chose to ride with the girls on the bus, which was quite an entertaining experience. They sang songs and clapped and smiled and I clapped and played along as if I knew what they were saying. They taught me how to play their version of the paper, rock, scissors game. I taught them some English words while they taught me Khmer. They laughed at my expense as I tried to pronounce the words. When we arrived at the park, the girls took turns singing songs they had written about their past. Without knowing a word of their language, I was struck by how intimately I could feel their emotion. Later, one of the girls, Sina, took my hand and led me over to a park where several of the girls were gathering in a circle. Unfortunately, she could not explain in words how to play the game, but I figured it out as we went along. They would laugh hysterically every time I messed up the game!

After a fun day of smiles and laughter, I couldn't help but think about the girls stuck in the brothels we had seen in previous days. Before leaving the park, the girls gave me a necklace and keychain. I will forever treasure these gifts as a reminder of the time I spent with them and as a daily motivator to continue my work on the foundation they have inspired me to start.

As I walked to the car, several of the girls stopped me. One of them held out her pinky finger and gestured for mine. She locked hers around mine and made me swear to return to Cambodia to see them again. We were more to them than just guests; we were friends. For the first time, I had real names and real personalities to attach to every horror story I had ever heard. On the ride home, Mam told us stories about what had happened to our new friends before they were rescued. I slept very little that night. We had the privilege of visiting a girl in a nearby village who had been rescued, rehabilitated in the Siem Reap shelter and reintegrated back into a small village where she now runs her own business.

Landmines still cover the fields along the Thai border. It is a problem that Cambodians still deal with daily. We stopped to eat before going to the hotel. Flashbacks of my Air Force Academy survival training ran through my head as the waitress placed the food on our table. A full pigeon, head and all, covered most of my plate. However, there was still plenty of room for turtle and lizard. Later we would be introduced to even finer Khmer cuisine: spiders, crickets and cockroaches.

The following day we had the privilege of visiting a girl in a nearby village who had been rescued, rehabilitated in the Siem Reap shelter and reintegrated back into a small village where she now runs her own business. At the shelter she learned basic literacy skills as well as sewing and basic accounting. She was doing so well that it was difficult to believe she had once been a slave in the brothels with no future.

Mam and her staff continue to follow up with reintegrated girls for three years after they leave the shelter. It is important to help them get on their feet again and gain the strength and experience they need to support themselves, and many times their families as well. It was amazing to see the direct results that come from Somaly's work. After the interview, we bought some items from her shop and continued back to the capitol city.

One can learn a lot about courage and leadership from spending merely one day with Somaly Mam. She is the embodiment of everything I have come to appreciate in life; the will to fight for what is right, the courage to take a stand when no one else will, the strength to take command in the midst of chaos, the integrity to make a difference and the perseverance to find a way. She brings hope to the hopeless and a possibility of life to those who were once bound by the shackles of slavery. This woman needs no army, no personal wealth, and no elite title to be recorded in history as one of the great leaders of our time. She is an inspiration for all of us to take command and make a difference.

I will forever remember my trip to Cambodia. I will never forget the courageous woman whose passion to fight for others will never die. Memories of laughing with the girls at Siem Reap, visiting the helpless victims in the brothels, and watching the little girl with her teddy bear on the front porch as we drove away, are constant reminders of who I am working for now.

For me, it is no longer an option to stand by and watch. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Lisza Gulyas: International Dance Foundation

By:Emily Haggstrom Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Collaborator Profile





















Since the time Lisza Gulyas first waltzed into a ballroom, she has been forever captivated by the emotions, sensations and happiness she experienced as her feet twirled across the dance floor. She has been dancing and teaching ballroom ever since. And although her life at the time was enveloped in heartache, solitude and struggles; Gulyas emerged not only stronger but completely transformed. Now she is looking to transform the lives of others.

With her son by her side for inspiration and support, Gulyas chiseled out a life for herself, succeeding in school and climbing the corporate ladder not only as a woman, but as a single mom. She proved her value in a cutthroat world known to men, while facing pressures most of them would never know.

Unlike most people who work to subsist despite their passion, Gulyas always kept dancing in the forefront of her mind. In 2008, Gulyas decided that she had suppressed her passion long enough and decided to make it a reality. What spawned from her dancing career was a program that would engage groups of people to feel the same emotions within them that Gulyas had experienced the first time she stepped out on the dance floor.

International Dance Foundation, the program that evolved from her vision, took shape to specifically target groups of people that Gulyas felt could really benefit from the movement of dance. She created an organizational model that would bring dance classes to, “communities that would not typically have the opportunity to learn how to dance due to their financial situation, location, physical or mental challenges.”

Whereas there are organizations that touch specific individuals within certain communities, Gulyas’ aim is to provide a model that will be replicable once the organization egresses from infancy. She is currently focused on instituting the Dancing Students and Move After School programs in Title I public schools. Gulyas’ challenge is working to access budgetary funding in a federal program that is geared towards school-wide reform and rigorous curriculum hours. These are schools that have previously cut physical education, arts and music from their set of courses and are skeptical to add them back in.

What Gulyas and others know is that music and dance set off a myriad of senses and cognitive thought that is not only helpful with development but also spurs creativity.

For children who spend most of their early years in school it simply can help to break up the monotony of their daily class regimen and encourage healthy social interaction with physical activity.

And it’s not about the ballroom part of dancing; it’s about what it has to offer. “About 10 years ago, when my son was in middle school, I saw how boys couldn’t talk to girls and girls couldn’t talk to boys. Their hormones were going crazy and they don’t know how to be themselves and also how to be respectful to the opposite sex.

I knew what ballroom dance could do. It’s got a common factor that’s used to communicate with the opposite sex. You learn a respect factor and etiquette that’s not taught in schools,” said Gulyas.

It has also become inherent that without physical education and basic arts, students are losing a fundamental part of their day where they can experience activities that keep them physically active and engaged socially with others. By instituting dance back into the curriculum Gulyas believes it can help children on various levels by promoting physical well-being and social grace while adding a sense of competitiveness where girls and boys can compete together maturely. It also helps them gain respect for themselves and others. “I’ve seen these kids completely transform in 45 minutes,” said Gulyas. “They don’t even realize it is happening and eventually they’re hand-in-hand, full of confidence and ready to ask someone else to dance.”

And while Dancing Students and Move After School are key to a successful future for the International Dance Foundation, one of Gulyas’ original programs, Dancing Seniors; is near and dear to her heart after enduring the affects that Alzheimer’s had on both of her parents. In research studies, Alzheimer’s patients who dance are more likely to recall memories due to physical activities increasing brain chemicals and encouraging nerve growth. She has introduced ballroom dance into Alzheimer’s centers but is also focused on implementing the program into any interested senior residence. “This program is targeted for seniors like Phyllis Minton, who at 94 years old, with all of her faculties, looked at me and said, ‘this has been the best day of my life’. That alone is the reason why I do this,” Gulyas said. She is confident that of all the programs and their eventual success, the Dancing Seniors program will be the one that will ultimately take off on its own. “The older generation used to go to the dance clubs all the time. It’s all about feeling good,” she said.

Ballroom dancing’s easy and fluid movements also provide physical and mental benefits for children with Down Syndrome and Autism. Children with Down’s and Autism, who participate in physical activity, have been shown to increase balance and experience stimulating effects, which in turn increase temperament. Ultimately Gulyas sees the main benefit for these kids being pure and utter happiness. New alternative forms of therapy such as dance for special needs kids are starting in cities across the country. Gulyas is confident her program can provide benefits and relief for these children while they are having fun. Aside from the therapeutic and educational values International Dance Foundation can bring to cities across the globe, it is also a conduit through which communities with lower income families can participate in dance classes they normally could not afford or wouldn’t have joined because of competing family priorities.

It also, brings citizens into their local theaters, art complexes and halls where people can congregate and bring dance back into their communities; similar to times in the 40’s and 50’s. “It can unify people culturally and bring them together at all ages. It can change how people view dance and it can become socially accepted,” Gulyas said.

And although Gulyas’ Foundation is still in its infancy, she is working tirelessly, at her own expense to see her passion get off the ground and into schools, community centers and seniors groups across the world. States such as Hawaii, California, Florida and Colorado along with individuals in Brazil and Argentina see the benefits and are working with Gulyas to tailor a program to be specific for their schools. “Right now I am still working on funding,” she said. “I’m proud just to be doing it, getting it done instead of talking about it. I hope one day people will see that it makes you feel better, that it’s fun and enjoyable.”

“Starting a non-profit organization has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done and the most time consuming thing I’ve ever done, but when it’s a passion it doesn’t seem like there’s a barrier.” So for Gulyas, with new motivation and people to reach, the pressure of heading to work each day seems just a bit more tolerable.

To find out how you can bring International Dance Foundation into your school, local community center or charity function; please contact Lisza Gulyas at [email protected].

Emily Haggstrom has a B.A. in Journalism and Media from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a member of the Level One Society in Denver, Colorado and sits in on various charity committees. In an effort to impact her local community she also volunteers for Whiz Kids Tutoring, Inc. as well as Denver Health Medical Center.

Kari Anderson

By:Sandy Williams Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Collaborator Profile

Meet Kari Anderson…Business Development Leader for Real Colorado, a community-based organization committed to helping players learn, grow and celebrate their love of the game of soccer. The goals for the players are simple: develop character, integrity and personal growth while creating future leaders.

Real Colorado has experienced unprecedented growth and expanding membership that includes more than 3,700 families in and around the Denver metro area. The soccer program has three types of programs including Recreational, Competitive and Real Colorado Foxes. The recreational league is open to players 3 to 18 years of age at varying levels of competition. This league places an emphasis on learning the basics of the game and provides an enjoyable environment in which players can practice and develop their skills. The competitive league is open to players 10 to 19 years old. This league offers several playing and competition levels within each age group, and each team is held to high standards of performance. The Real Colorado Foxes is open to players ages 18 to 23, who are often alumni of other Real programs. These teams are part of the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League (PDL), a training ground for nurturing many of the nation’s future stars. The PDL operates as a feeder system to Major League Soccer and professional leagues around the world.

All players who participate, regardless of league, grow not only in their soccer ability, but as student-athletes who continue to make their mark in their classrooms and communities long after leaving Real Colorado. According to Kristen Kemp, a Real Colorado alumnus, who is currently pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Regis University said, “I learned the value of commitment, selflessness, work ethic, time management, confidence and leadership. While these skills developed on the soccer field, they are the skills that I have carried with me after leaving Real Colorado. Real encouraged me to set an example for my teammates and community, both on and off the field, and to this day I consider myself a reflection of the goals and values of Real Colorado soccer”. The attributes of dedication, discipline and leadership that I learned through soccer are skills that I carry with me every day. In life, you will always be on a team, whether it is sports related, in your career or in your family. -Sean Flanagan

Anderson uses her passion, leadership skills and experience in multiple non-profit organizations including The Logan School for Creative Learning and The American Heart Association. Kari is working to create Real Colorado’s business development department which includes an $11.5 million capital campaign for a new soccer field complex. The recent acquisition of twenty plus acres of land in Douglas County, positions Real Colorado to build a "Real Home"…a dedicated soccer field complex that will expand the recreational opportunities available to area youth, while enhancing the vibrancy and vitality of the community and surrounding areas. This new field complex will give Real Colorado ownership of the fields and games. It will also allow the coaches and staff to better support their players and the organization can continue to provide quality programs that facilitate leadership and personal growth.

Keeping Philanthropy at the Heart of the Matter

Anderson learned her own values of leadership, teamwork and an overall appreciation for the great life lessons participating in sports provides, when she started ski racing at a young age and competed nationally through college. She also coached for fourteen years, leaving coaching with a Level II United States Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA) coaching license.

She has had the opportunity to be mentored by women leaders and to have served as a leader to women in some of the organizations she has worked. These experiences have provided valuable lessons which she applies every day. One such lesson is, to challenge the process by looking for new ways of doing things. While building the business development department, she has had to find new and innovative ways to communicate, build relationships and promote Real Colorado. As she pursues efforts to promote and gain financial support for Real Colorado’s new soccer field complex, she has learned the value of inspiring a shared vision by looking into the future and communicating the organization’s goals to the rest of the group.

Anderson has also served as an advocate and referral source for senior citizens at the Lutheran Social Services. Furthermore, she has worked with teams to advance advocacy and legislation efforts for health initiatives strategies and communications platforms in the Denver and Tacoma markets for the American Heart Association. Anderson has also assisted clients who had been diagnosed with neuromuscular disorders in obtaining the resources best suited to their needs for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Working in these organizations has taught her additional lessons to include enabling others to act by listening and encouraging others to participate.

Making an Impact for our Youth at Real Colorado

Anderson took the job at Real Colorado for numerous reasons – most of all for the life skills and values they teach youth. There was a desire to be a part of keeping growth opportunities alive so each player could continue to build self-esteem and enhance life values, and to eventually become instrumental leaders and contributors to the community.

Another lesson she has learned is to encourage others to grow by acknowledging and rewarding their accomplishments. Anderson has enjoyed seeing the accomplishments made by Real Colorado to the community, as is testimony from Sean Flanagan, now a land technician for the Forest Oil Corporation. He said, “Real has been an integral part of my life. The attributes of dedication, discipline and leadership that I learned through soccer are skills that I carry with me every day. In life, you will always be on a team, whether it is sports related, in your career or in your family. It is important to recognize that life is not always about you but about the way the team works together to succeed.” I want to create something bigger than me and make a legacy that I am proud of and that will be carried on to make great things happen for others. -Kari Anderson

These testimonies, the voices of Real Colorado, drive Anderson to relentlessly pursue business development efforts to raise capital for the new soccer complex through special events, sponsorships, grant writing, donor cultivation and stewardship while executing all development, communication, branding and marketing plans for Real Colorado. Through it all she says, “I want to create something bigger than me and make a legacy that I am proud of and that will be carried on to make great things happen for others.”

Women in Leadership and Legacy

Anderson says, “Sometimes it's tough to lead, and to be that woman responsible for leading, but what I have come to appreciate is that what sustains a leader and what gives her courage is love. Leaders are in love - in love with the people who do the work, with what their organizations produce and with their customers."

Sandy Williams is President and Founder of Strategic Marketing Innovators LLC. a marketing firm that helps businesses create a marketing impact that makes customers react. Sandy has a BA in English Literature from the University of Texas at Austin and an Executive MBA from the University of Denver. To contact Kari Anderson call 303.694.6882 Ext. 404, email at [email protected] or visit www.realcolorado.net.

BUILDING BRIDGES

By:Beth Parish Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Building Bridges

Imagine it is midnight, you are eight years old, and your mother wakes you. She tells you that you can pack three things and then you will leave everything else behind: your toys, your books, your clothes, your friends and some of your family. What if you had 24 hours to move across the world, to a foreign land, where no one spoke your language, no one knew your customs and no one looked like you. Could you do it? Don’t feel bad if you answered no, I could not do that, you are not alone. These are the types of questions Kay Smith and Carole Spaulding-Kruse ask school children and business people in their World of Difference Workshops. These questions are challenging for the U.S. schoolchildren to answer and probably even harder for the businessperson.

These questions do not come from thin air, rather these questions help workshop participants put themselves into a real world situation faced by families that are forced by political, economic, environmental, and cultural situations to leave their home and re-locate to a foreign land. Kruse and Smith developed these real world situations as a result of their work profiling ten families, through the eyes of the children who have had to move across the world, leaving everything they know to settle in Iowa. The women put these stories into a book that profiles families who left their native land to find a better life; the families might have left for political, cultural, or economic reasons. While some of these children were woken and rushed out under the cover of night, others came on a gentler route to Iowa. The authors hope that the stories of these young people will help the children and families that read the book, better understand the great cultural diversity within their own communities in Iowa.

The Bridge to Iowa

When I heard that two moms had written a book about families that had moved to Iowa from different parts of the world, my first thought was, "Iowa, why Iowa," and really, "How many people from remote parts of the world would be moving to Iowa?" As Smith and Kruse found out, Iowa has long been an open and welcoming state for those going through tough political and environmental situations. At the end of the Vietnam War, the governor of Iowa was the only U.S. governor to raise his hand and say yes, Iowans would welcome, with open arms, displaced Vietnamese families. While we might think of Iowa in terms of America’s Heartland, the open door policy has brought great diversity to The Hawkeye State. Governor Robert D. Ray, the governor who raised his hand at the end of the war, is writing the forward for the book Zakery’s Bridge. Much beloved in the state, the Governor felt that the future of Iowa’s economy depended on helping people immigrate to Iowa. Now the families who came to Iowa are giving back to the community and have become an integral part of the Iowan culture and economy.

Zakery's Bridge

The title of Kruse and Smith’s book is Zakery’s Bridge: Children’s Journeys From Around the World to the Heartland. In addition to the title story about a family’s flee from Bosnia, the book presents the journeys of families from the Sudan, The Netherlands, Vietnam, Laos, Palestine, Israel, India, Mexico and Taiwan. With the children guiding the accounts, Zakery’s Bridge tells more than stories of immigration; the young people recount, in detail, why they had to leave their homes, and what political, cultural, economic, or environmental situation made the move necessary. Most of the families did not have Iowa in mind when they fled, and they certainly had not seen tourist brochures and pamphlets from America’s Heartland.

The title character, Zakery, and his family crossed both physical and cultural bridges as they fled from Bosnia-Herzegovina. When his family left their home in the war-torn country, they did not know where they were going to live. But because it was a state with a well-funded refugee re-settlement program, an aid group re-located the family to Iowa. The physical bridge in the title of the story is located in Mostar, Bosnia - the original home of Zakery’s family. The city was named after those that minded the old bridge; the residents of Mostar were proud of the ancient bridge at the center of the cultural heart of the town. Even though the bridge had no strategic military value, because it was a symbol of peace to the residents, it was destroyed during the war. For all of his life, Zakery had heard about this wonderful, symbolic, peaceful bridge. At the conclusion of the war, the residents of Mostar used international aid monies to re-build the bridge. After hearing so much about the bridge, Zakery and his family were able to travel from Iowa to walk across the re-constructed bridge; during the same trip Zakery had a chance to meet family members from Bosnia that he had only heard stories about.

Or, in the 1970’s, at the age of eight, Kong was snuck out of her Laos village in the back of a flat bed truck; the book recounts her family’s story of flight to Iowa through her eight-year-old eyes. Before the Zakery’s Bridge book project, Kong’s children knew very little of her story; when asked if they would be able to flee in the middle of the night, Kong’s children were not sure they could leave everything as their mother had done decades ago.

Not every family in the book left their home country as a refugee. Because the farmland in The Netherlands is shrinking, Iowa has been working to relocate Dutch dairy farmers. One story in Zakery’s Bridge recounts a family’s move to America’s Heartland for economic opportunity.

Arriving with few possessions, not knowing the language, having to start over, the children and families that Kay and Carol met were positive and inspiring. Kay recounted that the families did not use the sadness of their stories to keep them from going on and succeeding in life. After losing his father to an ambush, one young man fled from the Sudan, leaving everything behind. Today, this Iowa high school student has started a young diplomat program to help his classmates learn about other cultures.

The Bridge to Understanding

Kruse and Smith hope that their book and their World of Difference classroom programs will help citizens, young and old, appreciate our culturally diverse world. This book can help young people understand the point of view of the new kid coming to school, families learn about the history and culture of another family, encourage readers to see the rich diversity that makes up our neighborhood, and the stories can help all of us view our world through the lens of a displaced family. The stories in Zakery’s Bridge are conversation starters, not the end of one child’s journey.

Not known for its cultural diversity, Kruse and Smith have found that Iowa is a great melting pot with families from different backgrounds and cultures. The authors want young people to think about their own stories and journeys. Smith noted, as Americans, our story began over 200 years ago. While this book honors family histories, Carol pointed out that bridges need to be built between a myriad of ethnic groups. While Iowa has a large Caucasian population, there are Iowa residents who have immigrated from all over the world including Asia, Africa, and Europe. Iowans have cultural backgrounds that embrace religious and ethnic traditions. Carol said that Zakery’s Bridge is not just about the U.S.-born Caucasian population understanding people of color. The stories also encourage those from the Native American tribes to learn about the residents from Asian countries, encouraging those with roots in Africa to learn about the Hindi cultural traditions and hoping that those from The Netherlands will embrace African traditions. Kruse highlighted the success of the Des Moines Asian festival; every year Des Moines hosts an Asian cultural festival that is now seen as a celebration for the entire community event, not just a celebration for the local residents with ties to Asian countries.

The Bridge for Smith and Kruse

Smith recognizes, we all have a story, a journey. While neither Smith nor Kruse are native Iowans, both feel at home in the state that is most famous for holding the caucus that kicks off the presidential primary season. Smith freely admits that she is drawn to cultures different from her own. She fondly recounts middle school days with her best friend who was from a Korean family. This family spoke Korean, had artifacts from home, and made her feel part of something special when she visited their house. Kruse, who teaches English literature and writing at Drake University in Des Moines, admits that after growing up in California and spending a year in Paris she felt culturally unprepared moving to Iowa; twenty years later she also considers herself a native Iowan.

Kruse and Smith met through activities with their children. Over coffee one day, Smith proposed the idea that became Zakery's Bridge. Kruse, who had done a lot of research into American ethnic literature and had been teaching multi-cultural literature classes, was drawn to the idea of telling the story of Iowa’s unique diversity through the eyes of children. Because interesting immigration patterns have helped Iowa become what it is today, Smith and Kruse wanted to help raise a generation of children who could work and live in a very diverse environment.

The Bridge Beyond the Book

The road to publishing Zakery’s Bridge was long and strewn with roadblocks. Smith and Kruse approached traditional publishers with the book idea. While there were encouraging words, no one was willing to take on the project. Discouraged, the authors returned to their writing and their work looking for other avenues. Inspiration came from one of Kruse’s students who had a friend that used a community press to publish a book on Iowa’s homeless youth. While the author wanted the voices of these young people to be heard, he also wanted to help raise monies for the local shelter. With the community-publishing model, the book’s proceeds go directly to the youth shelter. Because Kruse and Smith wanted the message of Zakery’s Bridge to go beyond the book, they adapted the community-publishing model to allow the book’s proceeds to support their World of Difference Foundation. Committed to giving school children and business people hands-on experience related to global equality, cultural diversity, and world issues, this multi-cultural non-profit allows the message of Zakery’s Bridge to go beyond the book.

Zakery’s Bridge is due out in November of this year; community publisher Shrieking Tree Press will print the book. To learn more about World of Difference please go to www.worldofdifference.us. To learn more about Zakery’s Bridge visit www.zakerysbridge.com. If you are interested in purchasing the book please visit www.shriekingtree.com.

Beth Parish is an affiliate faculty member at Regis University teaching graduate and undergraduate marketing, advertising and consumer behavior classes. Beth is currently pursuing her doctorate in organizational leadership focusing her research on understanding how consumer purchase behavior is influenced by the social mission of the company.

Margaret Reich

By:Luke Wyckoff Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Collaborator Profile

Q: What is your role at Republic Financial?

A: I am the Chief Operating Officer for Republic Financial, an international private investment company, who over the last five years, has used its expertise in commercial aviation leasing, distressed commercial debt, and asset management to navigate the most difficult business and complex financing situations and amass multinational investment interests exceeding $1 billion. In nearly every case we own a majority or controlling position, or they are owned through a private equity fund that we have where we act as the general partner. It is really a role that is very multi-faceted.

We run a shared services model here, so all the resources that we have whether it be legal, risk-management, IT, or HR, operate not only for Republic, but for all the other operating companies that we own. Today, we own eleven operating companies. My role is to make it all happen.

Q: What is the first business transaction that you can remember conducting?

A: My first entry into business was figuring out how I could spend less time babysitting while making more money. I was in junior high, and I ran a computer babysitting business. I realized that it was the verge of the personal computer and my father was a computer nut, so we probably had about ten computers lying around the house. I didn’t want to just babysit kids; I wanted them to have a structured work environment. I knew it was a way to charge twice the going rate.

Q: Looking back, what were some of the big decisions you made that helped you get where you are today? A: My mother went to school her entire life. When she passed away when I was young, she had her undergraduate and Master’s Degrees and she was working on completing her PhD. Throughout my childhood, I remember her going from college to college to college so she could finish her degree. I made a decision early on to get all my schooling out of the way and that it was going to be a very broad base of education. My undergraduate degree is in marketing, I have an MBA in finance and IT, and I have a law degree. All of it was completed in a short period of time.

I also decided not to take traditional routes. I had the opportunity to work for Anderson Consulting after graduation, but instead I decided to work for a smaller boutique consulting firm. While in law school, I transferred from the consulting division into the law firm and ran their IT department because I wanted to get a feel for what it would be like to work in a law firm - but I also didn’t want to take a pay cut. When I passed the bar, I had two job offers - one at the firm and another from MediaOne. I took the job at MediaOne. Looking back, it was a stupid thing to do because everyone graduating law school at the time wanted a law firm job. Even though I took that path, it ended up being a great decision.

Q: Who were some of the major influences in your life? Who helped you get where you are today?

A: When I interviewed at MediaOne, I met this woman who I thought would be good for personal development and my career. She oversaw the law department at US West and then, when they spun off, she went with MediaOne. She didn’t have a college degree, which is pretty interesting, because she ran a department of professionals who were very proud of their degrees and their pedigrees. From the beginning, she patiently taught me how to run a business and how business really works. She taught me how to negotiate the politics of a big company, how to get work done through other people, and how to project confidence when you don’t have very much of it. She taught me the importance of business relationships and remains a fantastic friend who has had a huge influence on me.

My father was also a big influence on me. He was the corporate vice president of Honeywell. On the long 45 minute commutes from town to home, he would lecture me about how I could do anything. He would tell me that women were so much smarter than men in business, and that they have all of these special skill sets that men are missing. So it wasn’t a question of “if”, it was a question of “when” I was going to go into business. Looking back, I think he is a little mad that I didn’t get into politics.

My step-mother is another great influence. She is a high school principal. I can’t believe the decisions she is faced with on a daily basis - situations that you don’t have to deal with in business. She has to deal with all different types of families and reconcile complex problems while advocating for people’s kids and other educators.

There are also four or five women, throughout my career, who are my sisters - who have really been a positive influence on me.

Q: Is there anyone in business today that you really look up to?

A: Well, there are certain types of people whom I look up to. I look up to people who can sell anything. Also, you get to a point where you really admire those who take a step sideways and do more than make money; they start foundations that support others. I think once you get to a certain age, you realize that you have spent your career making money for a company or for yourself. I admire people who have made a significant amount of wealth and then realize that they want to do more; that they want to give back.

Q: What motivates you?

A: I have been told that I am a professional problem solver. The nastier the problem and the more pieces to the puzzle - the better. That is fascinating to me. I love to approach complex problems and work through them. I love the result at the end where you can look back and say “Wow, we really did do something pretty fantastic here.” I think one of the better experiences I have had is taking the support staff that I was given when I came into this job and completely changing their vision of how they operate and what they do on a daily basis. I feel like I taught them that they aren’t here to simply support; they are here to design and figure out how to move companies forward. Seeing that change - that shift in mentality - takes a lot of tenacity, personality, and relationships. Motivating people to do something completely outside of the box is fun for me. I like facilitating that change.

Q: What was one of the biggest problems that you have faced in the past five years and how did you handle it?

A: We bought a company that had 27 different operating units - basically 27 separate companies. Ultimately, it was too big to get our arms around. So, long story short, we had to sell the company. I had to come in and coordinate things so that we could proceed with the sale of the company. When I really started to look at it, I realized that the company had never been fully integrated and that there were various platforms and contracts all over the place; we didn’t know where they all were. We didn’t even know where the equipment was. This whole mess needed to be cleaned up within 60 days. I worked with a team of people to get everything in order and figure out what assets we had, as well as those that we were selling. It was an extremely work intensive 60 days - I was working around the clock. I love those circumstances!

Q: What is the most challenging part of your job?

A: I think that the most challenging part of my job is managing the expectations of what can be done. We have very short timeframes here. When we have a deal we need to get it done. You run into things that are totally crazy so the biggest issue is getting the resources and getting people moving as quickly as possible.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of being the COO?

A: After solving a problem, being able to look back and say “Wow, I can’t believe that we actually got that done.” It’s a great feeling to get all the pieces in place in a certain time frame and ultimately accomplish something that seemed impossible at the time. Realistically just taking a look at the people and being proud of the work they’ve done is great. We do impossible things routinely around here!

Q: Do you see any advantages or disadvantages to being a senior-level woman of power in a major company?

A: Advantages. I grew up with six brothers so the concept of having male verses female roles is pretty blended for me. Because I grew up with so many male influences, working almost exclusively with men comes fairly easily - I can usually anticipate their behavior. So for me, this makes my position, in what is a male-dominated industry, a lot easier. You’ve got to get your ego out of the way and figure out how to communicate in environments where your voice is heard.

Q: Were there any hurdles that you had to overcome?

A: Yes, of course. I think that women often tend to advance things through cooperation or collaboration. I think that subtlety is something that you cannot use, especially in the environment that I am in – it just doesn’t work particularly well. You can set the agenda, but you need to be in front of the team. You must collaborate at a different level. As much as I hate to say it, and I’m not one of those people who get real worked up about the whole “glass ceiling thing,” there is a different reaction when women bring forward propositions than there is men. It happens a lot. You’ve got to get your ego out of the way and figure out how to communicate in environments where your voice is heard. I think that you just adapt to where you are. You have to have the ability to separate the facts of what's going on and your emotions. Emotional intelligence is crucial for women. Really understanding how to listen, pulling logic together, knowing the basis of the argument, and understanding who you're dealing with are all such critical pieces.

Q: What is your advice to younger women who are coming into the business world today?

A: My number one goal, at some point in my life, is to figure out what I know at 40 and train women who are in their 20’s. I have two daughters and I try to teach them the art of negotiation and how to think through problems objectively. The one thing that I have learned in a really tough business environment is that you have to have the ability to separate the facts of what’s going on and your emotions. Emotional intelligence is crucial for women. Really understanding how to listen, pulling logic together, knowing the basis of the argument, and understanding who you’re dealing with are all such critical pieces. You can’t expect people to change, because I know from experience that they’re not going to. You need to know who you’re talking to, know the likelihood of their reaction, and know how to manage those reactions to get to the goal that you want -- know people’s patterns of behavior. My number one goal, at some point in my life, is to figure out what I know at 40 and train women who are in their 20’s.

Q: How would you define your leadership style?

A: It’s changed a lot in the past five years. I think it has to do with adapting to the environment. While I used to take a more collaborative approach, I am much more decisive today than I have ever been. I think it comes from working for a company like this where one day you are trying to understand potential pension liability to the next day when you are trying to figure out how to do business in Ireland. You are rarely dealing with the same thing twice. I have learned to create a set of counselors - people who have very specific specialties and experience - and get their advice and then make the decision. I think that in the past, in a different environment, my leadership style would have been more collaborative. I would have allowed more decision making at a lower level. Here, it’s just too complex. You need to know all the factors inside and out.

My leadership style today is very direct but I have also developed very strong relationships with people who work with me. I’m a people oriented person. I love meeting people who are smarter than me. I like to make the crazy parts of the job fun. I think I have a good sense of humor. I think that anyone in an executive position struggles with work-life balance; I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman.

Q: How do you do you balance work and your personal life?

A: Women executives get asked this question all the time and many of them will tell you that they have outsourced parts of their life, that they have it together. We don’t have it all together. While women may try to paint that illusion - they don’t have it all together. There were so many times that I came to work with a big yogurt handprint on the back of my silk jacket. There is that messy closet in your house where you throw everything before guests arrive. You can’t possibly do all of it. It’s a series of measures. I think that anyone in an executive position struggles with work-life balance; I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman. Are the expectations different for women? Sure. You’re still going to be a wife and a mom and you’ll feel societal pressure. It’s a series of trade-offs.

Luke Wyckoff is the Chief Visionary Officer for Social Media Energy. He can be reached at [email protected].

Katrina Hodge

By:Jan Mazotti Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Collaborator Profile

Through the course of liberating Iraq, female soldiers have conducted air missions, kicked down doors, disarmed mines and shed their own blood. This is a story of a Lance Corporal in the British military who doesn’t consider herself a female soldier, but a soldier who just happens to be female. This is the story of Katrina Hodge; one of only ten women in the Royal Anglians, an infantry regiment of the British Army, who have been posted in Iraq. She is also Miss England.

On a dare from her older brother, Hodge joined the military at 17. Arriving at boot camp in Winchester, Hampshire, with a pink suitcase and kitten heels, Hodge was immediately deemed “Combat Barbie.” Although chided and jeered, she successfully maneuvered training and was deployed to Basrah in 2005. While in Iraq, she served with distinction and won a commendation for disarming and detaining a suspected rebel fighter with her bare hands. She was given the commendation after members of her regiment were threatened at gunpoint by an Iraqi insurgent after the vehicle they were travelling in overturned and rolled three times. She said, “As I came round, the Iraqi suspect was standing over us with the rifles. I knew if I didn’t act fast then our lives would be in danger. I punched him and was able to retrieve the rifles from him.”

Also on a dare while on leave from Iraq, Hodge signed up for the Miss England pageant and was named the first runner up. So she headed back to the army to do her job. Sitting in the barracks in Surrey, wearing her greens and without makeup, she received the call that the previous winner had been asked to step down and that she was named Miss England. that she was named Miss England.

It’s All About Perceptions & Stereotypes

Hodge said that perceptions of women in the military and women on the pageant circuit are often misconstrued.

She said, “When I first joined the army I imagined that everyone would judge me and see me as inferior.” However, she soon discovered that much of her worry was based on her own insecurities. Once she proved herself physically she says, “No one judged me at all. To be honest, in the military we are all equal - we all pass the same fitness and medical tests.”

When Hodge first entered the pageant, she says, “I was keen to break the stereotype.” But what she learned was that the “stereotype” she wanted to break was based on her own outsider views. “People automatically judge women who are in pageants and think that they are self-centered.” What she learned was that women in pageants were not only beautiful but extremely intelligent—they came from all walks of life—from military, to lawyers, to doctors!

Innovation, Motivation, and Inspiration

Because beauty pageants are sometimes perceived negatively, especially the swimsuit round, Hodge decided to do something about it. She managed to have the swimsuit round of the Miss World pageant removed this year and replaced with a sporting competition. She said, “This will hopefully help with confidence. I mean it’s hard enough to get on stage, let alone in a bikini!” Replacing the swimsuit competition will hopefully also highlight other parts of the pageant like philanthropy.

Hodge is absolutely determined to succeed in life. She was laughed at when she joined the army and again when she entered the pageant circuit, but she continued to prove everyone wrong. She says, “I believe that if you set your mind to something nothing is impossible!” Regardless of gender or naysayers, Hodge says, “it is important for girls to realize if you want something in life you can do it. Just go for it!” I am determined to do well in life and make my family and friends proud.

Her inspiration is her Nan, a head strong woman with great passion and influence. Hodge recalls that at age 5 she was obsessed with Peter Pan. When she told people she could fly like Peter they laughed at her. But not her Nan. Nan would say, “Okay dear, you go show them not to laugh at you. You go fly!" She believed in everything I did and as long as I was happy. She made me believe the sky was the limit.

When recalling combat in Iraq, Hodge says she had little fear. “I could walk out tomorrow and get hit by a bus,” she said. “I just live each day, try to enjoy life, and make my life worthwhile.” At only 22, Hodge looks back on a couple of life-changing events with pride. “I am proud to have represented my country on two different levels. Walking on stage at Miss World was most definitely an amazing and very proud moment.” She would argue that lots of young girls dream of being a beauty queen, including her, but she never imagined that dream coming true. “To know I was the only girl from my country on the stage was amazing and I am so thankful for the amazing experience I had at Miss World.”

Being a self proclaimed “girly girl”, she is also very proud of the first time she completed an assault course—it just seemed impossible. Now, looking back with a laugh she says, “I thought the fitness was going to kill me!”

In the end, Hodge knows it is much more than looks that got her to where she is and she hopes to share that with girls. “I know I am not the best looking girl in England—but being Miss England is so much more than just looks. I want to show girls how to be happy with and proud of who they are.” Furthermore, she hopes that she has had a positive influence on the recruitment of women in the military. Hodges says, “I think women are going into what used to be male jobs... Why not? If a woman can do a job to the standard required—of course she should do it!”

Even though she didn’t win Miss World, Hodge plans to continue her service in the Army and continue modeling for lingerie maker, La Senza in the UK. She is also the new face for England’s premier dating site – Uniform Dating. "I like coming to work with no makeup on and rolling around in mud," Hodge said. "But I like being glamorous and girlie as well."

She goes on, “I was very proud to win a commendation for my work, but I think it’s time to salute other heroes out there and the fantastic jobs they have done!”

By the way, don’t dare her to do anything!

Colorado’s Heroines Enrich Lives

By:Triche Guenin Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Collaborator Profile

For those who saw the recently released movie “Alice in Wonderland”, you’ll not be swayed by all the odd characters, but you’ll recognize the plot to be one of a curious little girl who grows up to be a strong-willed and powerful woman. She was not intentionally rebellious, but rather followed her passions, even though they weren’t popular or aligned with present day social norms. This was my takeaway as I left the theater.

And then it hit me. I’d recently had this same feeling walking away from the 25th anniversary induction ceremony of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame (CWHF). This was a celebration of women who had followed their hearts in an area they had an interest in. They weren’t trying to be recognized as heroes or pioneers in their field, but they took the risks and made the associated sacrifices to follow their personal passion. These are the women of consequence who have helped shape Colorado’s heritage.

In order to share the vision, foresight, and power of accomplishment of Colorado’s women, CWHF inducts ten women into its organization every other year. Those who are chosen are a mix of contemporary and historical (deceased) ladies that comprise a multitude of backgrounds, accomplishments, and represent all geographical areas of the state. These women have made significant and enduring contributions to their fields of endeavor, elevated the status of women, helped open new frontiers for women and society, and inspired others by their example. There are now 122 such recognized women.

When speaking with current and past inductees it is obvious that many of these women have the adjective “FIRST” (or a variation thereof) describing their achievements. For those inducted this year, a minor snapshot of their accomplishments includes the following:

Historical:

•Hattie McDaniel (Actress, 1895-1952) First African American to win an Oscar (supporting role as Mammy in ’39 film Gone with the Wind); however segregation laws prevented her from attending the film’s premier in Atlanta. •Susan Jean O’Brien (Journalist, 1939-2003) Denver’s first female television news director and first woman editor of The Denver Post’s editorial page. •Bartly Marie Scott (Rancher/Conservationist, 1896-1979) One of the Western slope’s first ranchers to diversify into grazing cattle with sheep, to plant native grasses for erosion prevention, and to lease pasture/cropland. •Alice Bemis Taylor (Philanthropist, 1877-1942) First woman trustee of Colorado College and lead female founder/benefactor of cultural and social institutions in Colorado Springs’ early days.

Contemporary:

•Madeline K. Albright (Diplomat) First woman Secretary of State of the United States and founder/chair/leader of numerous educational, political, and foundation organizations. •Elinor Greenberg (Education Innovator) One of the first to create learner-centered educational programs, heading University Without Walls, creating the first BSN weekend college for rural nurses, developing degree programs for Native American mental health workers, to name a few. •Maria Guajardo (Clinical Psychologist, Early Childhood Development) An international advocate for children, as Executive Director of LARASA established a public policy center which publishes national research concerning Latino issues related to education, health, and labor force. •Philippa Marrack (Medical Researcher) Groundbreaking work on T-cells which has shaped medicine’s current understanding of the human immune system, vaccines, HIV, and other immune disorders. •Ramona Martinez (Politician) First Latina elected to Denver City Council and ongoing activist for women/minorities at all levels. •Jill Tietjen (Engineer) Advocate for women in technology, author of technical papers, expert witness, and top historian on scientific/technical women. These women have made significant and enduring contributions to their fields of endeavor, elevated the status of women, helped open new frontiers for women and society, and inspired others by their example.

The CWHF was founded in 1985 in response to a realization that there was no recognition of the lofty contributions that Colorado women have made to enrich the local community. ML Hanson, founder, reflected that “by acknowledging the lives of these women, we’ve provided both girls and boys the inspiration to achieve their own goals, regardless of the era or the tough times they’ll go through to do it. We’ve opened the door….”

Their talents, skills, struggles, and contributions form a legacy that the CWHF is dedicated to protecting. For today’s youth, Jill Tietjen, a new inductee, advises, “Follow your dream. It will take passion, determination, and persistence. There will be obstacles along the way, but keep your eyes open for opportunities. Your life’s path will not be as you imagine it will be.” Marilyn Van Derbur Atler, Emcee for the ceremony and prior CWHF inductee herself, introduced each recipient and shared their stories and accomplishments. She stressed their courage, leadership, intelligence, expertise, and creativity. Kristy Schloss, President of Schloss Engineered Equipment and an induction attendee, commented “Each of the recipients is renowned in their field. They serve as role models to all exemplifying that you can pursue your passion and impact the world.”

Several other positive comments were heard during the 25th anniversary CWHF Induction Ceremony, such as:

“All are quintessential women. Some are well known and some aren’t, but all of their accomplishments are worthy,” Sandra Shreve, past BOD Chair 2004. “I was a pilot (actually a “secret” astronaut program – Mercury 13, the men’s program was the Mercury 7) when women were supposed to be nurses and teachers, so quite an exciting time,” Dr Rhea Woltman, 2008 CWHF inductee (Astronaut, Parliamentarian). “It’s great to see so many people that helped me along the way (e.g. raising kids) – it’s a communal effort,” Dr Pippa Marrack, 2010 CWHF inductee “It feels like a family gathering, but also a humbling experience,” Stephie Allen, 2006 CWHF inductee (Business/Civic Leader), who accepted Madeline Albright’s award in her absence, since they were childhood friends. “The work (first woman and American to serve as Secretary General of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics) has been incredibly rewarding and I enjoyed it so much,” Dr. Jo Ann Cram Joselyn 2002 CWHF inductee (space scientist) “It’s an elating experience, but it’s unfortunate more women can’t be recognized that are so deserving,” Evie Dennis, 2008 CWHF inductee (School Superintendent, U.S. Olympic Committee Member) “We extend our congratulations to these women, who exemplify the best qualities of the people who have built and sustained Colorado. These are women who are making a contribution, who are inspiring, who didn’t take the easy way out, and who gave in extraordinary ways” said Dr. Christine Johnson, current Chair of the CWHF’s Board of Directors.

So, like Alice in her Wonderland experiences, these Colorado women drew from their strengths, overcame odds, denied societal norms, and focused on what was important to them, ultimately becoming the fabric and part of the foundation of Colorado’s rich heritage.

For more information on the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and/or the biographies of the past/current recipients please visit www.cogreatwomen.org.

Triche Guenin is President of Denver-based Partners Through Change, Inc., a process improvement firm that facilitates organizations in becoming more efficient/effective in everyday operations. www.partnersthroughchange.com.

An Interview with The Honorable Susmita Gongulee Thomas

By:Luke Wyckoff Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Collaborator Profile Q: What is the earliest business transaction that you can remember conducting?

A: I used to trade my younger sister stamps for chocolates. It was a kind of a barter deal, but business none the less. She wasn’t keen to hand over her chocolates and I had to keep increasing the number of stamps I would give her because I wanted the chocolates.

Q: When you look back, what were some of the big decisions that helped you get where you are today?

A: The biggest decision I made was to change my profession. I was studying medicine and decided to move into diplomacy. My father pointed out that there were a huge number of doctors in India and that I had a better chance of succeeding at something else. That really put things into perspective for me. Even though there have been hard times, I have enjoyed every second of my profession. I have learned a tremendous amount and have really enjoyed it.

Q: What are some of the major curves that have been thrown at you? What did you learn from them?

A: Well I used to be a very shy person. I was an only child so essentially, I had grown up alone so I didn’t really enjoy going out and meeting people. When I joined the Foreign Service (the Service) I realized that sitting there quietly and being a wall-flower just wasn’t going to cut it. I learned that you have to work the room. So it took me all of six months to force myself to learn the techniques of how to work a room, make contacts, and converse with different types of people.

In college I was a science major. But when I entered the Service I realized that they needed me to focus on politics and economics. So since science really had nothing to do with my job I had to teach myself about politics and economics. I had to teach myself new languages because I worked in places like Japan and Spain and I needed to know the languages in order to be able to communicate with people. The government then decided to post me in a country that spoke French and I didn’t know a word of French. Right before I got to Côte d’Ivoire’s in 2002, the country became engaged in a coup. In a French speaking country, with no radio or television, I had to force myself to pick up bits of French very quickly so that I could know what was going on by listening to passers-by or from those that worked in my house.

Another curve was learning how to handle myself and help people when I was living in an economy and place that was undergoing a coup and had a curfew for eleven months. There were huge evacuations of the Indian population either to the neighboring country or back to India due to the war conditions. So these were all part of the learning curve in the past 20 years, but as I look back I can say that I enjoyed them and wouldn’t change them for anything.

Q: Where have you been placed throughout your career? How long did you stay in these places?

A: My first assignment was in Madrid, then Tokyo, then Washington DC. I then took a study leave and went to Chicago to pursue my research in the U.S. foreign policy process. After that, I went to my first ambassadorial assignment in the Ivory Coast. After that I served in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. I then moved to Chile to serve as an ambassador and now I am in San Francisco. I have been at these posts for a minimum of three years except in war stations – which are two year assignments.

Q: Who were some of the major influences in your life that helped you get where you are today?

A: Definitely my parents. I grew up in a family where I got a lot of support in doing whatever it was that I wanted to do. In India, women were not granted the same liberties as men. My parents always taught me to be who I was regardless of gender. A number of my teachers were also great influences. They taught me that I could not be held back by the ideas and stereotypes of women in India. They taught me that I had to start breaking the mold. We also had a few senior officers in the Service who helped in invisible ways that I didn’t realize at the time. I had many significant influences and I am grateful for all of them.

I realized that if I wanted to get married, I would need permission from the government to do so. If they denied my request to get married, I would have the option of losing my job or remaining single.

Q: Which of those senior officers really stand out?

A: The most influential was the first Joint-Secretary that I was attached to in the Service as a probationer. He was the one that taught me that being a wall-flower wasn’t going to get me anywhere. He told me to use the “tongue that God had given me.” In the Service, you cannot go into a room quietly, sit there quietly, and come out quietly. By the time you leave an event you need to know at least 50% of the people who were in that room. If you haven’t connected with that many people, then you haven’t done your job. He was definitely the biggest influence outside of my family.

Q: What motivates you?

A: To see how much I can bring for India and how much I can bring people together. I love connecting with people and giving them counsel in terms of economics and politics. In the Service, you cannot go into a room quietly, sit there quietly, and come out quietly.

Q: What deal that you have put together between the United States and India are you the most proud of today?

A: I cannot really talk about it specifically because we have confidentiality agreements. I moved one of the biggest U.S. companies to consider India and got it to start to manufacture and supply the H1N1 vaccine in India. It was extremely satisfying because not only did I help this company, but I also did something that would help India. It was great to help my own people get the timely medication that they deserved.

Q: What are some of the major challenges that you have had to overcome in your lifetime?

A: A lot of the challenges come from the fact that I am a woman. When I first joined the Service in India there were very few women in that sector. It was unusual for women to join the Foreign Service at the time. I realized that if I wanted to get married, I would need permission from the government to do so. If they denied my request to get married, I would have the option of losing my job or remaining single. So, one of the first challenges was getting the Service to acknowledge that men and women should have the same rules. We also had issues with disparity of pay within the Service. Fortunately our constitution guarantees equal pay so we were able to successfully fight it. I also joined the Service very young. I was hit on very often. I had to deal with that and learned how to carry myself and deflect such advances.

Q: What advice would you give to young women in India and in the United States?

A: For women in India, things have changed a lot – we have it easier now. We now have a tribunal where women can go and complain about sexual harassment. Nevertheless, I would advise women to think about how difficult it would be to have a career in the Service and coordinate it with their husband’s career. I have been lucky enough to have a husband who has given me full support, even to the detriment of his own career at times. He has taken time off and even quit jobs in order to be with me. But this doesn’t happen for everybody. Men in India are more inclined to put their career first. Women in India need to consider that it is difficult to join the Service, support their husband’s career, and be a mother. For women abroad, I would say that diplomacy is one of the most challenging fields of work. Being a female diplomat is not easy.

Q: How would you define your leadership style?

A: I don’t really have a style. I enjoy connecting with people. I like to reach out to people, listen to them, and see how I can help them. I have always been myself.

Q: How do you balance your work and personal life?

A: It has been easy for me because I married a man who has given me outstanding support all along. We have been married 23 years and have a son and a daughter. We do fight and have disagreements. We either agree to disagree or agree to agree and then move on.

Q: Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

A: I see myself as a Senior Ambassador somewhere. I want a challenging position where I can contribute to facilitating a relationship between India and the country I’m in. I can also see myself in some sort of challenging position in India itself; maybe working with the Election Commission or the Union Public Service Commission that recruits people into the services. I want to be somewhere I can make a meaningful contribution and change the way things are getting done in India.

Q: Why should American female entrepreneurs do business in India?

A: Two reasons. One... India has always looked up to America as a country that greatly supports women’s rights. I would urge women to move to India and show women there that it is possible to own a business and be successful. It would also be good for American women to show Indian women that they do not have to play second fiddle to their husband and his career. Two... American women would bring in a lot of equalization to the attitude of men toward women. Men need to realize that they have to speak to women as equals. I think that American women in Indian business culture would help to level the playing field.

Ambassador Thomas holds a Masters Degree in Organic Chemistry. She has also successfully completed a Ford Foundation Scholarship program on US Foreign Policy Process from University of Maryland, USA. She is an ardent supporter of utilizing the best practices of new management fields like Project Management and is today recognized by the Project Management Institute USA as an influential diplomat who has contributed substantially to spreading the message about the importance of Project Management especially for developing countries. She has helped to create the discipline of Project Management in the University of Santo Tomas and in the University of Desarollo, Santiago. To learn more about the Consulate General of India in San Francisco visit www.cgisf.org.

Luke Wyckoff is the Chief Visionary Officer for Social Media Energy. He can be reached at [email protected].

Donna Evans

By:Donna Evans Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Opinion During hard times, creativity, innovation and collaboration flourish. When traditional business strategies are no longer effective, business leaders are forced to deviate from the tried and true to think more broadly about creative and innovative solutions. The organizations that I’ve seen sustain and even flourish during this economic downturn are those that redesigned their marketing and customer service plans to be more relationship driven, those that evaluated and refocused their organizations on the relevant needs of customers and those that sought out partners with complementary niches and worked collaboratively together.

So, what is collaboration? Collaboration is exchanging information, altering activities, sharing resources, and enhancing the capacity of another individual or organization, for mutual benefit, and to achieve a common purpose.

Many women understood the value of collaboration long before it became a business necessity. Women tend to be relationship driven and it has served them well, especially in the last year. It is harder for a customer to stop doing business with someone with whom she/he has a positive relationship and women are more likely to do business with someone they, their friends or colleagues recommend. Given the fact that women make 80% of all buying decisions, these relationships are critical.

Examples of successful collaborations include non-profit organizations that partner with business leaders and the community to build houses, send medical supplies to third world countries or employ hard-to-place workers; foundations that see the benefit for two organizations to work together and award a collaborative grant; businesses with similar customers joining together for shared programs and events and higher education working with the business community to develop curriculum and place interns. Each of these collaborations provides a larger benefit to all the participating entities.

A creative way that organizations can develop beneficial collaborations is to have community advisory boards. These boards act as the eyes and ears in the community bringing back valuable information to assist the organization in meeting its goals. One of the advisory boards on which I serve is the President’s Advisory Board for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS). One of their key goals is to become the community’s museum, accessible and inviting to all. Our task on the advisory board is to bring our experiences to the table to help guide the organization toward reaching this goal. It is rewarding to the DMNS, they gain valuable information, and to the board members who have the opportunity to make a difference in their community.

Another fulfilling opportunity to collaborate is to serve on the board of a non-profit. I served as a board member for many community-based organizations before becoming the president of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. I saw first-hand the difference individuals can make when they share their knowledge and expertise for the betterment of a worthy cause. The board provides expertise in areas such as finance, law, marketing and human resources, all necessary functions for a non-profit to thrive.

Additional opportunities for collaboration have arisen as companies have reduced their workforces. There have been many occasions for women to serve as mentors and job coaches for those who have been laid-off. I and many of my colleagues have done numerous informational interviews, connected job seekers to individuals in our networks and invited them to programs and events. Not only does it feel good to give, we understand that there is no such thing as true job security and if the tables were turned, we would need and appreciate the same support being given.

Technology has made collaboration easier. Social media sites provide easy access to a broad base of people and fan pages create an opportunity for a company to both market itself and to gain critical customer feedback. These businesses are using social media with customers in order to build better products, create improved customer service and determine market trends. Skype also provides an inexpensive way for entities to connect “face to face” around the world.

Women are making a significant difference in the U.S. and third world countries by collaboratively funding programs supporting women. Women are half the population of the world but are disproportionately affected by many of the world’s most serious problems. According to the Women’s Funding Network, investments in women ultimately re-shape the prospects of whole communities and nations. Their research shows that the empowerment of women is smart economics. In fact studies show that investments in women yield large social and economic returns. Economically empowered women create healthier and more productive societies. The history of women’s philanthropy clearly demonstrates that these investments produce dramatic improvements in the lives of women and girls as well as significant change in broader social, political, and institutional landscapes.

As the economy improves, my hope is that valuing and seeking out innovation and collaboration will be lessons we have learned for the long-term. Businesses, communities and individuals all benefit when people innovate and work together.

Donna Evans has a broad range of experience in higher education, private and non-profit sectors. She is the President of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, visit www.cwcc.org.

Tape and Bum Bum Bees

By:Gayle Dendinger Issue: Collaborative Women Section:Inspiration As a businessman I have the opportunity to meet successful and spirited women regularly. So, it is without a doubt that I am humbled by the stories and the ingenuity of the women within the pages of this issue. It is my hope that by telling the stories of their achievements and accomplishments we can inspire others and show how will and determination plays a big role in business and social endeavors.

When I envisioned what this issue would look like I thought immediately of my granddaughter Nikka. Unlike the women chronicled within, Nikka has been unexposed to the world. Her face and smile are representative of a child who is still a pure and unblemished soul—that has not experienced sadness or tribulation. She will one day have the power to create change and see it through. Already, at the age of two, she is the world’s best sales person.

Like most parents and grandparents, I can’t help but be amazed at how she used sign language as a baby to communicate with her parents, can now recite all of her A, B, C’s and can accurately point out and describe a vast amount of products. I am even more amazed at her uncanny ability to assert herself in situations where she likes and dislikes the outcome.

Recently, Nikka has become fascinated with anything that sticks; stickers, tape, post-its, produce stickers, labels. She takes whatever it may be and sticks it right on her mouth. She searches for anything and everything sticky and she is relentless in her quest. One evening Nikka was requesting tape from her mom. Because it was getting late, she told Nikka they were out of tape. Defeated but still hopeful, Nikka responded, “Get some from store?” More than a day later on their way to Montessori school, my daughter told Nikka that she was headed to the store and asked if she would like anything. Nikka sat quietly, thought to herself, turned to her mother and with clear recollection and a matter of fact tone she said, “Umm, tape.”

I am already astounded at her memory and her determination. Both of her parents are extremely articulate, smart, driven and encourage her to think and respond to clearly illustrate her position in a situation. During my last visit with Nikka she was adamant she was not going to go down her slide because what she thought was lying there on it was a “bum bum bee”. “No slide, no bum bum bee.” And although she communicates with minimum words it is clear what she is trying to say.

She is constantly surrounded by family who support, instruct, and enjoy her. She is not only part of our future she will become part of yours. She is the next generation of children that we can inspire through our ICOSA topics and the connections and collaborations we’ve forged. The path we start for children like her can help to make their futures bigger, better and brighter.

We connect and collaborate because we can, to set a precedent and leave a legacy for the generations of the future. We want our neighbors of today and our neighbors of tomorrow to acquire a mentality that desires to create good and be responsible while sharing the stories of those who came before them—which will ensure these children’s eventual success.

So, while Nikka is only two years old she epitomizes the up and coming generation of children who will take the stage and build on the work that we’ve already established for them. ICOSA, along with all of our contributors, believe that if we all work together collaboratively and share key connections, we can make the world a better place for ourselves and our children.