This month Barnard College, my alma mater, is launching the Athena Leadership Lab www.barnard.edu/athenacenter/lab – professional development programs for women in all stages of their careers. Last week, I caught up with Kathryn Kolbert, director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies, who is offering 85 Broads members a 15% discount on courses, priced at $229 for an evening workshop to $799 for a weekend seminar before the discount (for instructions on how to receive the 85 Broads discount, see below). Their distinguished group of instructors includes a number of our very own members! 85 Broads members teaching Leadership Lab courses include: Adelaide Lancaster, Hannah Seligson, Vanessa Wilson, Andrea Davila, and Catherine Orenstein.

These types of courses are usually only taught in business schools on a limited basis, but the Athena Leadership Lab courses are open to everyone. “These skills aren’t just needed by someone with an MBA or someone who wants an MBA. These skills are vital to success in many different careers and at all stages – whether you are just starting out, or in the middle of your career looking for a change,” says Kolbert, who has been recognized by The National Law Journal as one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America,” and by The American Lawyer as one of 45 public- interest lawyers “whose vision and commitment are changing lives."

The Leadership Labs span 6 different areas and are “designed to teach the practical elements of leadership – from the art of negotiation to developing gravitas to presenting a powerful argument.” The Entrepreneurial Skills courses, some of the center’s most popular labs, are designed to help women learn the basics, covering everything from writing a business plan to finding financing to establishing an exit strategy. “Today, more than half of all small businesses are started by women. Our position as entrepreneurs is equal to that of men – if not better – at the start, but further down the line our businesses are not as successful as men’s businesses,” says Kolbert.

Kolbert, who plans to one day make the Athena Center the premier model of leadership programs for women across the country, believes Barnard College is the prime starting point. “This is the perfect setting for these courses because Barnard is a liberal arts school and it knows how to teach women.” In addition to teaching valuable leadership skills, every Leadership Lab session includes opportunities to connect with other leaders in an informal setting and after taking a Leadership Lab course you become a part of the Athena Network.

When asked why now is the time for these labs, Kolbert, referring to the percentage of women in top leadership positions responded, “This is so important because we are really stuck. We are stuck in this 16 to 22 percent plateau.” The Athena Center believes that the Leadership Lab will give women leaders the tools and training they need to push those numbers higher. “It’s like climbing Mt. Everest without a Sherpa,” says Kolbert, “We know we want to make it to the top of the mountain, but we need the training and equipment to do it.”


??To register for a Leadership Lab course and receive the 85 Broads 15% discount, enter the following information as you complete the online registration form found at www.barnard.edu/athenacenter/lab:??

At Step 2, Personal Information: when prompted, identify **85 Broads** as the organization from which you received a discount code.

At Step 3, as you choose your workshop(s), enter discount code *Athena15* when prompted.