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          Maximize Your Membership 2022

          This is an opportunity to meet the Chamber staff as you learn how to leverage your Chamber benefits to meet your goals through our offerings.

          06/02/2022

          2:00pm - 3:30pm

          Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

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          2022 Government Affairs Forum: Attorney General Maura Healey, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

          Attorney General Maura Healey, the People's Lawyer, joins us for her annual address to the Chamber membership.

          06/07/2022

          7:45am - 9:00am

          Seaport Hotel

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          Events
          MITX: Networking Event

          Join us for the fist in-person MITX event of the year! Come and network with people in the tech and innovation industry.

          06/08/2022

          5:00pm - 8:00pm

          Sam Adams Taproom

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        • Boston’s Future Leaders

          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.

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          Inclusive Managers

          This four-part leadership development series, presented in partnership with Bentley University, equips participants with the essential skills and competencies to lead diverse teams in inclusive and equitable ways.

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          Transformational DEI Certificate

          We are now recruiting for our 2022 Spring 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.

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          Women’s Leadership Program

          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.

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          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

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          Events
          2022 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

          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.

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          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

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          BIMA

          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.

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          Women’s Network

          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.

          Read More
          MITX

          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.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
          Small Business

          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.

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Bostonchamber
Bostonchamber
  • Events
        • Events

          • Overview
          • Events Calendar
          • Chamber Awards
        • ...
          Events
          Maximize Your Membership 2022

          This is an opportunity to meet the Chamber staff as you learn how to leverage your Chamber benefits to meet your goals through our offerings.

          06/02/2022

          2:00pm - 3:30pm

          Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Events
          2022 Government Affairs Forum: Attorney General Maura Healey, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

          Attorney General Maura Healey, the People's Lawyer, joins us for her annual address to the Chamber membership.

          06/07/2022

          7:45am - 9:00am

          Seaport Hotel

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Events
          MITX: Networking Event

          Join us for the fist in-person MITX event of the year! Come and network with people in the tech and innovation industry.

          06/08/2022

          5:00pm - 8:00pm

          Sam Adams Taproom

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Learning & Development
        • Learning & Development

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Resources
        • Boston’s Future Leaders

          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.

          Read More
          Inclusive Managers

          This four-part leadership development series, presented in partnership with Bentley University, equips participants with the essential skills and competencies to lead diverse teams in inclusive and equitable ways.

          Read More
          Transformational DEI Certificate

          We are now recruiting for our 2022 Spring 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.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          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.

          Read More
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Economic Inclusion Committee
          • Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Page
          Economic Inclusion

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Network
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Events
          2022 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

          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.

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Policy & Impact
        • Policy & Impact

          • Overview
          • Leadership Councils
          • Amicus Advisory Board
        • GET INVOLVED IN OUR POLICY FOCUS AREAS

          Business Climate

          Read More
          Climate & Energy

          Read More
          Health Care

          Read More
          Housing & Development

          Read More
          Talent

          Read More
          Transportation

          Read More
  • Our Networks
        • GBCC’s Networks

          • Overview
        • OUR NETWORKS

          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          Read More
          BIMA

          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.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          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.

          Read More
          MITX

          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.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
          Small Business

          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.

          Read More
  • Membership
        • Membership

          • Overview
          • Membership Benefits
          • Membership Levels
          • Member Stories
          • Request a Meeting
          • Join Today
        • Our Impact
        • About Us
          Our Impact

          Explore our mission and values to better understand how we are leading the business community forward.

        • Membership Directory
        • Membership Directory
          Not sure if you’re a member?

          Our member directory is your resource to discover, connect, and engage with Boston’s businesses from every industry and sector.

        • For our members

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A Lesson in Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

July 13, 2021

Hello everyone and congratulations to my fellow cohort members and cohort B for successfully completing the 2020-2021 Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Simmons University Women’s Leadership Program which we call WLP. A few weeks ago, I learned that I was selected by my cohort members to speak at our graduation. This is truly an honor and I greatly appreciate it. 

When I think back on my WLP experience it starts with my EVP, Deirdre Evens presenting the opportunity to me. I felt honored and overwhelmed at the same time. All of the But’s came to mind. But we’re in a pandemic! But what about my day job? But what about me swearing off never going back to school? My thoughts quickly shifted to yes, I’m applying for this program. I have a great team, and this is the perfect way for me to get out of my comfort zone. I was so happy when a couple of months later, I received the acceptance email. I was instantly hooked after session one, Your Leadership Identity. This continued throughout the eight-month program.

This has been an invaluable experience. I will continue to apply the lessons learned throughout the remainder of my career. I hope to continue the relationships I’ve built with my cohort members and peer mentor group members Kaitlyn, Melanie, Heather, Nicole and Erica. 

A big thank you goes to Rachel Benjamin and Alyson Weiss of the Chamber’s leadership and talent development team for leading us on this journey.

And in conclusion, I challenge all of the graduates to expand yourselves and grow so much that you can’t find your way back to your comfort zone. 

Let’s all go out and put what we learned in WLP into action to make an impact on our companies, communities and all those we come in contact with.

ABOUT THE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Women’s Leadership Program empowers women leaders with the skills and network they need to excel in their careers and to create the conditions for other women to thrive. In partnership with Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership, participants learn to identify and maximize their leadership style, build a strategic network, manage teams and perceptions, and negotiate. Nominations for the Class of 2022 are now open! You may submit a nomination here.

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