The BIMA Summer Sizzler is the must-attend networking event for marketing and media professionals.
08/11/2022
5:30pm - 8:30pm
Museum of Science
The Fierce Urgency of Now Festival brings Boston’s diverse young professionals together with business leaders, organizations and their peers to build connection, advance careers and ignite positive change.
This is an opportunity to meet the Chamber staff as you learn how to leverage your Chamber benefits effectively to meet your goals through our offerings.
09/29/2022
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.
We are now recruiting for our 2022 fall DEI cohort! We hope you’ll join us in our mission to increase DEI fluency and change in the Boston business community – starting with you.
Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.
Our Economic Inclusion Committee provides strategic support around research, policies, and programs that are focused on building equal opportunity.
We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).
City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.
BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.
For more than 25 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.
Through MITX (the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange), we’re building valuable connections between the people and ideas behind technology and its impact on the future of customer experiences, all to create a community that’s finding tomorrow’s solutions together.
We support small business through public policy initiatives, events designed to connect small businesses in Greater Boston to their peers and established business leaders, professional development offerings, and free small business advising.
Explore our mission and values to better understand how we are leading the business community forward.
Our member directory is your resource to discover, connect, and engage with Boston’s businesses from every industry and sector.
International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrates the social, economic, and cultural achievements of women around the world. As part of IWD, women entrepreneurs should be celebrated as embodiments of resilience and grit – pillars in our communities who sustain our economies every day. This past year is especially noteworthy as women entrepreneurs lived and worked through the pandemic, racial reckoning, and the road to economic recovery, while simultaneously pivoting their businesses. Today and every day, we must continue to support and advocate for women entrepreneurs – as the competitiveness of our communities, our neighborhoods, and our region depend on a strong presence of women-owned businesses.
Recognizing that women-owned businesses face significant and unique challenges to survive amidst the pandemic, business leaders created a lifeline, Small Business Strong (SBS), a pro bono technical assistance program for women-owned and minority-owned businesses during the pandemic and beyond. Founded by State Street, the Chamber, and other corporate partners, SBS continues to help women-owned businesses survive and thrive. Championing and strengthening small businesses, SBS has served over 1,200 small businesses since its launch in May of 2020, and over 70% of businesses served are owned by women and/or people of color. The free assistance and business expertise provided includes legal services, operational evaluations, financial and capital analysis, marketing consultations, and IT expertise. During this moment, the need for pro bono resources cannot be disregarded, and SBS is meeting the need –providing women-owned businesses with the critical resources and information to survive, grow, or pivot their business operations, further sustaining neighborhoods and local economies that depend on them.
Women Entrepreneurs of SBS: A Closer Look
Suzanne Biscotti, owner of Botanical Cryo Skincare, used the expertise of SBS business advisors to quickly pivot her business operations. “We had to shift our whole business plan, [which was to] originally work with aestheticians and spas, and build our marketing plan online,” said Biscotti. The free SBS business analysis and support from experts helped Botanical Cryo Skincare to reach new customers online, successfully harnessing the pivot to survive the changes encountered by the pandemic.
Veronica Robles, the leader of Boston’s first all-female Mariachi band, also utilized SBS to bring her business pivot to fruition. Robles is a well-known performer, and it was imperative to quickly figure out a way forward despite her inability to perform in person. SBS was the resource to help Robles realize the power of virtual performances and other necessary operational changes: “My Business Advisor really helped me rethink how I can still provide my services to the community by thinking of different tools and ways to reach my community. Now more than ever, our youth need us and it is very important for that I still have access to them. Thank you, Small Business Strong,” said Veronica Robles.
Supporting women in our industries, neighborhoods, and regions is a call to action for all of us. Buying from women-owned businesses and supporting the future of women-owned businesses are actions that everyone can take to celebrate IWD. Moving beyond IWD, we must continue to celebrate girls and women – including their strength and perseverance.
Throughout the next year, I invite you to join me in amplifying and supporting programs like SBS, the Chamber’s Women’s Network, and the Center for Women & Enterprise as keys to sustaining our community and ourselves.
Our past Women’s Network virtual panels are another resource for women entrepreneurs and allies. Watch the entire virtual event “How Entrepreneurs are Pivoting” here, and the Women’s Network Annual Pinnacle awards here. Join us virtually at the Chamber’s upcoming Women’s Networks events.
The Chamber’s Women’s Network event series is a place where everyone belongs. The Women’s Network includes a diverse group of 3,000 women and male allies from all sectors, industries, and professions, all committed to ensuring that Greater Boston becomes the best place for professional women to thrive. All identities welcomed and encouraged to attend.
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