All my life, I have been surrounded by strong women. Although each inspiring female has had a diverse story, her impact on me has been the same. They have all passed down their words of wisdom to me, united in their belief of the power of collaboration. My mother, a Burmese immigrant, made a courageous pilgrimage to the United States to flee a land of brutal politics and totalitarian rule with nothing but a newborn child and the advice of her older sisters, who promised that America was the land of opportunity. Like many other stories, my mother’s journey is a true testament of the importance of a support network. Each relationship that I have built in my personal and professional life have been a positive influence throughout my years and each lesson learned from a mentor marks a triumph in my life, which were rarely a solo effort.
I can honestly say that discovering 85 Broads has been a blessing. I’m lucky to have found a group of people who genuinely have opened their experiences to share with me, and offered their invaluable advice at absolutely no cost to themselves. The women in this network are motivated by their ardent desire to share knowledge so that each member can contribute towards making 85 Broads a truly global powerhouse. It is because this network is defined by their passion for giving opportunities to others. 85 Broads has repeatedly played a hand in the cultivation of my success. I was afforded the opportunity to participate in Broad Advantage twice on a scholarship in the summer of 2006 and 2008. I was amazed to meet amazingly talented and ambitious speakers, all whom were enthusiastic to establish connections and made themselves available for further contact.
The network has introduced me to a plethora of many other accomplished women; women like Jill DiLosa, a true “superstar” as Janet would say, who openly offers her investment advice to those who outreach to her on her Facebook profile. In my experience, I can’t say I’ve received an equally warm welcome from any other professionals in this industry! There is no one member that is untouchable; even our fearless leader Janet is one of the most sincere, enthusiastic people I ever have met. Her passion to guide other women stems from a devotion that mirrors a likewise sentiment from every other woman in the network, despite her experience, industry or even geographic location. The flat hierarchy of this network that makes it so special because its openness allows it to truly form not only a cohesive online community, but adds value by passing on this culture to form a global brand.
Throughout my undergraduate years at Tufts University, I was very involved with our collegiate chapter, ultimately serving as the club president during my senior year. I experienced a great deal of difficulty increasing campus visibility due to the lackluster interest in business at Tufts and the sheer disadvantage we faced in comparison to organizations that had a longer history and stronger infrastructure. Despite the challenges, the culture of the 85 Broads network permeated me and I was motivated by my entrepreneurial spirit to make our mission known to help young women with their career needs. Again, it was the power of collaboration with other groups, a fantastic executive board team, and other enthusiastic members that allowed our club to gain recognition. The network’s progression of one woman’s idea for one firm into a worldwide phenomenon with over 20,000 users truly resonated with me and motivated me to think that anything was possible. I strongly identified with the mission of 85 Broads because I was, and always will be, passionate about mentoring young women. And my passion for mentoring became an asset for the club—we implemented our 85 Broads at Tufts Mentoring Program in the fall of 2008, which increasingly received positive feedback as we continue to grow and cultivate this program for many academic years to come.
There is so much more that I owe the 85 Broads network aside from the obvious things I could have hoped to get out of a career network. Of course, it is no coincidence that I did actually visit my employer for the first time on behalf of 85 Broads, but I also owe the network for becoming furthermore enlightened about philanthropy, and most importantly, for a handful of great girlfriends. 85 Broads has provided with me a fantastic group of ladies than I could have imagined from going Greek in college. Janet Hanson’s legacy has a great deal to offer every kind of woman, in every place around the world, making it a formidable tool for a girl in pursuit of her dreams.