Mass Conference for Women: Empowerment 2018

The 14^th Annual Massachusetts Conference for Women took place in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Hailed as the largest women’s conference in the United States, the annual event brought a record breaking 17,000 individuals together. Opening night took place on December 5^th, 2018. Opening night featured a workplace summit. Within the summit, key topics discussed included gender partnership and collaboration. The full day conference took place on December 6^th and within it participants took part in countless workshops and seminars and had opportunities to network.

Since the conference’s inception in 2005, the annual event has continued to promote professional development as well as personal growth for women and men. Keynote speakers included human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, happiness researcher Shawn Achor, and disability advocate Maysoon Zayid. Olympic gold medalist, Aly Raisman was another conference speaker. Raisman moved the audience in sharing, “I saw a quote that said, ‘Everyone should take at least five minutes for themselves every single day.' If you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have time to take five minutes for myself because I’m too busy,’ then you need a full hour every single day.'" Raisman's words echoed the words of many other speakers in that she shared a message of empowerment. Participants of all ages were able to learn from speakers and network with fellow conference attendees.

The conference also included a program for women in high school. This program highlighted such topics as coping with anxiety. The conference is sponsored by companies which include State Street, Dell, Cisco, Target, and Wayfair.

For more information, visit: https://www.maconferenceforwomen.org/

Massachusetts Conference for Women 2018

Amal Clooney, Jesmyn Ward and Elizabeth Gilbert Address Key Women’s Issues

Nation’s Largest Professional Women’s Conference Returns to Boston—Attracting a Record 17,000 Women

BOSTON – During a pivotal time for women in the workplace and just one month after women played a key role in the 2018 midterm elections, a record 17,000 women gathered in Boston for the 14^th annual Massachusetts Conference for Women, a two-day event headlined by Amal Clooney, Jesmyn Ward and Elizabeth Gilbert.

Human rights attorney Amal Clooney addressed the need for more accountability through our legal systems to prevent abuse of women.

“It is true that the #MeToo movement has changed the rules at work,” said Clooney. “We are living through a moment of reckoning – and a rebalancing of power. But there’s a long way from ‘me too’ to ‘never again’. So #MeToo should…mean not only that women can come forward and talk, but also that those in power are listening; and that where there has been a crime there will be accountability.”

Jesmyn Ward, a MacArthur “Genius” and two-time National Book Award winner, emphasized the value of persistence for obtaining success. “Hold on to your dream tightly and do everything you can to realize it, within reason, even if it appears there is no promise on the horizon,” she said.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the international bestseller Eat Pray Love, discussed the importance of working well and living well. “As women, we can be so hard on ourselves. We need to recognize all the amazing things we do accomplish, and understand that the other things will be there the next day. Self-forgiveness is huge,” she said.

Other keynote speakers included Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker; Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh; Shawn Achor, bestselling author and one of world’s leading experts on the relationship between happiness and success; and Maysoon Zayid, an actress, comedienne and disability advocate.

The nonpartisan, nonprofit event is part of the largest network of women’s conferences in the country. The events attract an estimated 40,000 women a year in Texas, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California. Themed “The Power of Us: Amplify Your Voice,” they offer access to some of the most successful women in America and more than 100 experts who share practical skills and strategies related to business, philanthropy, health, finance, media and professional development.

 The Conference’s fourth annual Workplace Summit, designed to promote effective gender partnerships and advance equity within workplaces, featured Shawn Achor; former editor of USA Today, Joanne Lipman; and author and former public radio host Celeste Headlee. The fourth annual Opening Night featuredElizabeth Gilbert; gold medal-winning gymnast and activist Aly Raisman; and comedian, activist and YouTube star Franchesca “Chescaleigh” Ramsey of MTV. 

This year’s conference also featured a new initiative called the Viola Davis Challenge—inspired by Viola Davis’s 2017 observation that she sees fewer women of color than she would expect to at women’s conferences nationwide. As part of this effort, Massachusetts Conference for Women has been and will continue to work toward increasing its diversity numbers through sponsor engagement, target audience outreach and various year-round communication and education initiatives.

“Women’s workplace issues are getting more attention than ever, and the Massachusetts Conference for Women is one of the pre-eminent places addressing them—and advancing women’s professional development and personal growth,” said Gloria Cordes Larson, President of the Massachusetts Conference for Women Board of Directors. “We are incredibly proud to host the country’s largest gathering of women in Boston, and to continue supporting this dynamic community through our year-round resources.”

The Massachusetts Conference for Women is presented by State Street Corporation and generously sponsored by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany; Target;Cisco; Bose Corporation; Boston Scientific; Dell; Ernst & Young; Fidelity Investments; Fresenius Medical Care; General Electric; Hologic, Inc.; Johnson & Johnson;Johnson Controls International; Juniper Networks; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Oracle; Raytheon; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Wayfair; Wells Fargo; AkamaiTechnologies; AMAG Pharmaceuticals; Bentley University; BJ’s; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; Converse; Harvard Business School Executive Education; MFS Investment Management; National Grid; Ocean Spray; Pfizer; Rapid7; Reebok; Salesforce; ThermoFisher Scientific; TripAdvisor; Keds; Bain Capital Community Partnership and Crimson Lion Lavine Family Foundation; Applied Materials; Bank of America; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Koya Leadership Partners; Merck & Company; OSRAM; Sanofi; Suffolk Construction; United Airlines; Vertex; Weber Shandwick; and media sponsors AMP Radio 103.3; Magic 106.7; Mix 104.1; The Boston Globe and WCVB-TV Boston.

“We're proud to once again be supporting this important event that provides women the opportunity to make new connections, and debate how meaningful and lasting change for women in the workforce can be achieved,” said Kathy Horgan, executive vice president, chief human resources and citizenship officer for State Street Corporation. “The mission of the Massachusetts Conference for Women to support and strengthen the influence of all women is very much in line with State Street’s broader principles.”

Perks Convention 2017

The Red Balloon presents an exclusive interview with Alexa Baggio, the Co-founder of the Perks Convention. Here is what you need to know about the upcoming 4th Annual Perks Convention.

• Can you talk about the history behind the Perks Convention?

​Perks started as a simple meet up group for like minded businesses.  We had the founders of New England-based in-office service providers coming together on a regular basis to share strategy, make introductions to clients, and generally just help each other out.  We were all selling the HR managers at the same offices, so it makes sense to have a network.  The concept grew legs from there when we realized HR teams were looking for an easy way to discover our services without the hassle of organic discovery.  

The second phase of the organization came in the form of an annual convention that attracts HR managers from innovative offices all around New England.  We originally expected about 75 sign ups and were pleasantly surprised when we saw 600 plus attendees sign up.  

The last phase of the organization will be to continue developing out our online portal for the convention to then live on-line all year round.  

• Now in its fourth year, what can participants expect to be different from past years? What has stayed the same?

​We are excited to be hosting at Hatch Fenway this year.  The layout is amazing and the vibe is exactly what we look for - fun and non-traditional.  We have a ton of new vendors this year, but it will be the same atmosphere of fun music, drinks flowing and ​unforced networking.  We often call ourselves the 'unconference' of the HR world, hoping that attendees will feel more like they are at a party then a professional event. We commit to being #unconventional.  

• Can you give us an idea of what goes on behind-the-scenes of the Perks Convention?

​We are acting as connectors in the B2B services world.  We really feel like it's our duty to connect forward thinking companies with amazing on-site services that range from yoga to on-site haircuts.  Behind the scenes you'll see a lot of introductions happening and a lot of prep work for what tends to be a rather large event with a lot of moving parts. ​

• What are your goals for this year's Perks Convention? What do you hope the convention can accomplish?

​Our goal of the event is always pretty simple.  We want to add value to companies looking to explore ways to enhance culture and we want to help innovative start ups find great clients.  We also want to make sure that everyone has fun in the process. ​

• How do you envision the convention will grow and change in the future?

​We see this growing market over market.  What we are building here in New England can and will be replicating in every major market.  We hope we can spend the next few years developing the road map for a nation-wide expansion of the platform and the convention itself. ​

For more information and for ticket information:

http://www.awesomeemployeeperks.com/

Esmeralda: Inside Look

The Red Balloon was recently invited to a special inside look at Esmeralda's in Cambridge. The shop Esmeralda is the hidden gem of Harvard Square. Conveniently located at 54 Church St., the store offers an array of jewelry, accessories, and more.

The talented designer and owner of the Harvard Square shop is Esmeralda Lambert. Esmeralda hails from a family of entrepreneurs and knew that she too wanted to follow in her family's footsteps. Esmeralda grew up in the Dominican Republic. Esmeralda's first step toward entrepreneurship began when she enrolled at Babson College to complete her MBA. It was there that she met her husband, who is also a major part of the business. Esmeralda's business is very family focused and she credits her family for being supportive and enabling her dream to become a reality. However, making her own dream a reality was not enough for Esmeralda, for she also wanted to help women back in her home country of the Dominican Republic.

Esmeralda employs women from the Dominican Republic to create all of her designs. She provides opportunity for these women to be employed from the comfort of their own home and earn an income. See below one design which Esmeralda calls her, "Oscar piece." This beautiful necklace is one that Esmeralda hopes Sofia Vergara may one day wear to an award ceremony.

Esmeralda's store has a wide array of designs, including more casual pieces. Whether looking for jewelry for a glamorous night out of the town or a piece for daytime wear, Esmeralda's is the place to find it. See more of Esmeralda's designs below.

Esmeralda also features artists, some of which are new and others who have been designing jewelry for many years. She showcases many artists and provides them with opportunities within her shop. In addition, she provides new artists with mentoring and knows first hand that starting out in business is not easy. She shares many of the tips and tools that she has learned first-hand, having been there herself. 

Esmeralda's shop is a unique and beautiful store. Below is one more photo from another artist featured in Esmeralda's in Cambridge. See Esmeralda's first-hand for yourself at 54 Church St. in the heart of Harvard Square.