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Our Mission Statement:
Women Inspire connects and empowers women. We do this through education, mentoring, collaboration, community outreach, and a spirit of respect and friendship. Women Inspire values… - Diversity
- Education
- Collaboration
- Creating and serving community
- Ideas and innovation
- Open, compassionate communication
- Personal and professional integrity
- The pursuit and fulfillment of goals
__________________________________________________________________ What does Women Inspire DO?
We gather several times each month in Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana, and soon in Geneseo, NY and Springfield, IL. See our homepage, Calendar, and News! for information about dates, times and locations in these communities. At each gathering, we feature one or two presenters and their professions or areas of interest. In addition, Women Inspire connects women so they can help each other achieve their personal and professional best. Such connections happen when we... - attend our monthly gatherings and other Women Inspire events
- host and attend Women Inspire workshops on various and unlimited topics
- learn about and contact each other via this website
- support each others’ events and initiatives
- provide discounts and special offers to fellow Members (women) and Associate Members (men)
- mentor other women within and outside the organization
- praise each others' businesses and talents to others
- tell each other about valuable community resources
- encourage friendship and build community!
How did Women Inspire get started?
Women Inspire was founded in Bloomington, Indiana in May 2005 by Loni Dishong, an educator with a vision of bringing diverse women together for the purposes of learning about each others' professional and personal journeys, celebrating and contributing toward each others' successes, and creating a sense of connectedness in an otherwise transient community. This vision was embraced by one of Loni's dearest friends, Sacha, and together they began compiling the email addresses of all the women they knew in Bloomington. On May 17th, 2005, after making arrangements with Tutto Bene Wine Cafe in Bloomington and sending out an online invitation, Sacha, Loni and ten other women found themselves at the first Women Inspire gathering. Barbara Leininger, Owner of Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Bloomington, and Breshaun Joyner, Education Director of the Bloomington Playwrights Project, were that evening's presenters. During her presentation, each one shared the personal experiences that led her into her career and then taught those present a little bit about what she does. Barbara taught Merengue dance movements and Breshaun showed some impromptu acting techniques. It was a great evening!
Now, almost 4 years later and thanks to the support of friends like Sacha, its Members and Associates, and many others, Women Inspire has become a dynamic organization and an invaluable resource for women in an increasing number of communities throughout the United States.
We have come a long way already! - May 17th, 2005: Women Inspire begins in Bloomington, IN
- Fall of 2005: The Women Inspire website is created.
- December 2005: 1st Annual Women Inspire Holiday Celebration
- May 2006: An Executive Advisory Board is established.
- November 2006: We become an official non-profit organization.
- December 9th, 2006: Women Inspire celebrates its 2nd Annual Holiday Bash.
- June 2007: Loni is interviewed in Spanish about Women Inspire on Hola Bloomington program, WFHB Radio
- June 2007: An article about Women Inspire appears in Bloom Magazine!
- July 17th, 2007: Johnson County Women Inspire holds its first gathering.
- December 8th, 2007: 3rd Annual Women Inspire Holiday Bash
- March 5th, 2008: Loni is interviewed about Women Inspire and the Luna Festival events on Where Your Art is program, WGCL AM Radio.
- March 22nd, 2008: 1st Annual Luna Music Festival, Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, Bloomington
- March 29th, 2008: 1st Annual Luna Women's Arts and Crafts Festival, Showers Plaza, Bloomington, IN
- December 2008: Women Inspire celebrates its new website designed by Dale Staton of BloomingtonOnline.Net!
- March 1st, 2009: Women Inspire goes to Indianapolis to open a north side and a south side chapter!
- March 28th, 2009: Women Inspire goes to Springfield, Illinois to open its first Illinois chapter!
- April 26th, 2009: The 2nd Annual Luna Festival: A Celebration of Women In Business & the Arts at Showers Plaza in Bloomington, IN
For membership information, please click on Join Us!
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