Many networking event organizers in the Spokane area are shifting focus to personal and professional growth from sales and lead generation.

A cohort of networking programs and platforms in Eastern Washington and North Idaho are providing space for professionals to hear from diverse speakers and participate in workshops in an effort to make gender parity a reality in the workplace through self-advocacy, some networking organizers here say.

"Women do better when they're in a community with others, and they really crave that connection," says Sherri Lynch, co-founder of Women Lead and assistant dean at Gonzaga University's School of Leadership Studies. Lynch, who holds a doctorate of philosophy in leadership, adds, "If we can offer events and opportunities for women to connect, it helps them to show up better and more themselves in the workplace."

Mercedes Leahy, owner of Spokane-based networking platform She Is Vested LLC, which does business as Vested, helps female-identifying entrepreneurs build community and develop skills through collaboration and networking. 

Vested hosts monthly networking events and educational workshops that cover topics ranging from stress management to social media strategy. About 20 people attend Vested's workshops and about 60 people attend the bigger networking events, she says. 

"For women business owners, we're tired of doing things the traditional male way of showing up with a business card and trying to sell our services to each other," Leahy says. "It's more about delving deeper and figuring out your common struggles ... because it's all tied in with your business."

Lynch, of Women Lead, says that women constitute 50% of workers, but their work environments weren't always created with women in mind. Before launching Women Lead, Lynch found that many networking events also were structured with male communication styles in mind and only a few opportunities outside of the nonprofit realm were available for women to network together.

"Even at the School of Leadership Studies, we didn't really have any specialties for women specifically," she says. 

Women Lead was first created to educate women about gender dynamics in the workplace and to teach women the skills to overcome them, Lynch says.

"What we're really trying to do is create workplaces that have more gender equity," says Lynch. "We're trying to create workplaces that are welcoming of all genders and recognizing that genders have different needs."

After Women Lead's first conference, Lynch says she recognized the impact of the gathering.

"When women come together in a conference environment, there's a lot of empowerment that comes from that. Then it fuels more (engagement)," she explains.

The program has evolved beyond an environment of empowerment with the creation of Gonzaga's Certificate in Women's Leadership. About 160 people have earned the certificate since the program started six years ago, she says.

"It's really an answer to all of those folks who would come to the conference but then leave wanting more," Lynch adds.

Cyndi Donahue, co-founder of Spokane-based marketing and event production company Vin & Yin LLC, created a professional development series, dubbed Amplifying Women's Voices, after wanting more from a conversation at a networking event.

Amplifying Women's Voices was founded in 2021 after a conversation between Donahue and Spokane-based Spiceology CEO Darby McLean while at an event hosted by Ignite Northwest, she says.

"(McLean) had said something about work-life balance being a myth and in that conversation I thought I really want to explore that topic more. So the first Amplifying event was because of that and the topic was the myth of life, work, and work-life balance," Donahue explains. "We cover specific topics and a lot of times they come out of other conversations I have personally or from another women's leadership event."

The series has been received well due to growing demand for women-centered communities that provide space to learn, share experiences, and help guide other women into leadership roles.

"My events sell out almost every time," Donahue says. "There's a desire to connect and have these deeper conversations about what's going on in people's professional or personal lives. It's all about the connections."

Helping women into leadership positions at their workplace is important, Donahue says.

"The more voices you have in an organization, especially in the leadership positions, the more creative solutions there are ... and companies and communities thrive," she contends.

Attending a women-centric networking event sometimes can lead to career advancement, she says.

"Sometimes people meet, and they form business partnerships, or employment opportunities come up," says Donahue. "There are also opportunities to learn about how you can be better in your life or better in your job."

Some organizers agree that more can be done to increase access and diversity, and to accommodate women who are interested in networking with others, but who don't have the flexibility to attend any networking events.

Women's networking consultant, Jamie Green, founded Otis Orchards-based Creative Input LLC four years ago, to help women find the confidence to advocate for themselves professionally.

Some of Green's events have recurring themes, including work-life balance, imposter syndrome, and a lack of confidence, but new and creative topics are helping to spur meaningful action.

One of Green's workshops previously focused on menopause in the workplace. She says it's critical to discuss menopause and how to respond to different needs in the workplace.

"(Menopause) is the most undiscussed topic and yet it is vital to understand how menopause affects us in the workplace," Green says. "I think it's critical that we discuss it more."

The topic left an impression for some in attendance, including Ann Long, founder of Burbity Workspaces LLC.

Long says both men and women need to be in the room for change to happen; especially regarding conversations that are focused on women's health in the workplace.

"(Menopause) is real, and it's happening, and it's a part of our life, and we have to understand it, just like we have to understand how men work and communicate," Long says. "It helps everybody to hear the experiences that some women professionals have. If anything's going to change for women ... we need to have men in the room."

Leahy, who acquired Vested in October from Anna Abel, a Spokane-based graphic designer who opened the business in 2018, says she's working to increase access to established community resources through speakers from business associations such as the Spokane Independent Metro Business Alliance, StartUp Spokane, Greater Spokane Incorporated, and the Small Business Administration. She's also interested in growing the presence of women in science, technology, engineering and math-related careers that network at Vested.

Networking shouldn't be scary for women

Some networking groups are reshaping the traditional networking format to cater to women's preferences.

Networking can be awkward for many people, so Leahy says she finds creative ways to keep people engaged. A typical networking night begins similar to other networking events, "where you're all kind of out there trying to meet new people or maybe talking to the people you already know," Leahy says. 

The second-half of the night, people form smaller breakout groups, some of which are based on industry, others are formed based on career lengths or number of employees, and many people are uncomfortable at first, Leahy says, laughing.

"Everyone kind of dreads it at the beginning ... but then it ends up being (emotional) and people love the camaraderie," Leahy says.

Attendance has increased steadily in the last 18 months for networking events hosted at Burbity's Sullivan Valley Commons facility, at 2818 N. Sullivan Road, in Spokane Valley. While attendance mostly has recovered from pandemic-related stay-at-home orders that canceled events and limited social interactions, Long says she's noticed many participants are still waiting on the sidelines at networking events.

One tip to push through the discomfort is to have a goal in mind for the event, Long suggests.

"It can be uncomfortable, but practice. Don't just go on a spiel about who you are and what you do, but make a decision about what you want to get out of this event," Long says. "Make a goal before you walk into that event and see it through and then each time it's going to get easier and easier."

Upcoming networking opportunities for women in the Spokane area include a June workshop about living in sync, a July retreat, and a leadership cohort event in August.

In September, Creative Input will hold an event in partnership with Hannah Talbot, of Spokane-based Anam Cara The Healing Center LLC, that will focus on workplace toxicity.

"I want (attendees) to come out with a skillset that helps them recover from toxic work environments and burnout and to recognize how to avoid that in the future, and to connect with other people," says Green. "Because sharing our stories, sharing our experiences, and sharing our knowledge with each other, that's how we grow and learn."

"Women are struggling with and limiting their career advancement," Green adds. "Networking is part of what this event is about. Connection happens through networking, and we have a number of opportunities for people to network and share their stories."

Leahy says she's excited to contribute to building a community where women professionals can go beyond competition to thrive through connections.

"Spokane is a great place to connect in general as a small business owner, just because everyone is so eager to introduce you to someone who can help you," Leahy says. "There's enough to go around for everyone."

Long, of Burbity, adds, "For anyone who's reluctant, you need to go out and network. Connection is on Maslow's hierarchy of needs for a reason and it's not going to happen if you're sitting at home."