CWIB Role Model: Jessica Becker, ’14

Jessica Becker, ’14, is an outstanding CWIB member. She’s very involved in the Columbia Business School community through her work with the school’s events committee, Follies and, most importantly to us, her role as AVP of Conference for CWIB. In addition, Jess is also a Forte Fellow, a member of a select group of women picked by the Forte Foundation who represent the mission and goals of the foundation and its community of successful female business leaders.

Jess was recently picked as a Fellow of the Month and spoke to Forte about her MBA journey and life at CBS:

What advice do you have for women who are considering business school?
Applying to business school can be an overwhelming process and requires a lot of introspection. Make sure that this is the right decision for you, and know why going back to business school makes sense at this juncture in your life. But most importantly, make sure that you pick the best school for you. Sometimes a program that seems great on paper may not be the right fit. A large part of business school centers around the connections you create and the community you are a part of, so pick a program that best meets your needs, regardless of rankings or anything else.

What’s the most surprising you learned about business school during the application process?
Unlike college, where people apply to 10+ schools “just in case”, business school is a much more individualized and intense process. Pick the top 3 programs that you dream of being at, and do what it takes to make that dream a reality. Visit campus, speak with current students- learn about what each program has to offer. The business schools really are committed to making sure that each student is the correct fit from their end (it is so much more than just GMAT scores and GPA- people really do read your essays!), so honing in on which particular programs are best for you will be instrumental during the application and interview process. Just like you will know which program feels “right”, the business schools want to feel that way about you too, so be honest and do your research to find a community that will best enable to you reach your goals.

To read Jess’s entire interview, click here.

Video: Why Women Make Better Business Leaders

In its interesting, entertaining, two-minute video, “Why Women Make Better Business Leaders,” One Minute MBA shares new research explaining the benefits of having women in leadership roles. Firms with more women on their boards have 42% higher sales returns, 66% higher Return on Invested Capital, and 53% higher return on Equity. So what is it that makes women such good leaders?

• Communication: Women speak fewer words during the day but are better at getting their point across clearly.
• Initiative: Women are rated 11.58 percentile points above their male peers at taking initiative in the workplace.
• Emotional Intelligence: Women are better at sensing peoples’ feelings in the moment and actively listening to colleagues.

For more information on the video, check out One Minute MBA’s blog post here.

Diane von Furstenberg Headlines CWiB’s 20th Annual Conference ‘Beyond The Glass Ceiling’

Continued success after breaking through the glass ceiling was the theme of Columbia Women in Business’ 20th Annual Conference held at the Marriott Marquis on February 1. The highlight of the sold-out event was undoubtedly an engaging presentation by fashion icon and entrepreneur Diane von Furstenberg who spoke candidly about her life, her rise to the top and her company motto, “Celebrating freedom, empowering women and selling confidence.” CEO of Physique 57, Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi (EMBA ‘00), gave an inspirational speech and was honored as the recipient of CWiB’s Distinguished Alumna Award for her record of leadership, professional accomplishment and demonstrated passion. Several other panels and workshops, with topics ranging from negotiation skills to women in technology to transitioning from Specialist to Manager, made for a rewarding and educational day, topped off by a cocktail reception where attendees talked business over champagne.

The 400 attendees included current and admitted CBS students and CWiB members, as well as alumni and members of the business community, including representatives from companies like American Express, Barclays and Hukkster. But the draw of the event went beyond CBS’s campus and even the tri-state area – 38 undergrads from Saint Vincent College near Pittsburgh made the trek to New York City to attend the conference.

The day’s program began with the presentation of the 17th Annual Distinguished Alumna Award to Maanavi (pictured right), who co-founded innovative gym chain Physique 57 in 2006. She spoke openly about her decision to leave Wall Street to become an entrepreneur, admitting that the lifestyle is not for everyone. She also cautioned women in the audience against flextime. “Women end up working a little bit all the time,” she said, revealing she prefers to put in her time at the office then leave her work behind to focus on her three kids after hours.

Attendees then broke out in to three different panel presentations, including the “Social Impact Investing: Doing Well by Doing Good” panel, moderated by Courtney Quick ’14. This panel included five female speakers representing several different asset classes within the social impacting investing universe: Farha-Joyce Haboucha of Rockefeller & Co., Baily Blair Kempner of Endeavor Global, Mary Jane McQuillen (EMBA ’07) of ClearBridge Advisors, Amy O’Brien of TIAA-CREF and Jennifer Pryce (CBS ’00) of Calvert Investments. The discussion kicked off with the panelists providing their definitions of social impact investing and then explaining how each of their firms makes such investments. A common theme that emerged was that social impacting investing is often misclassified as ‘new’ and as a distinct asset class. Instead, the panelists emphasized that social impact investing has in fact been around since the 1980′s and can take many different investment forms across asset classes – ranging from highly liquid fixed income products to more illiquid instruments such as microloans. An engaging discussion around emerging measurement techniques and opportunities to scale up followed and the panel concluded with the panelists sharing their advice on how interested students should pursue a career in the space.

After the hour-long panel session, attendees gathered for lunch and the main event: von Furstenburg’s self-deprecating and engaging presentation about her life juggling children and career. “When I was young, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew the woman I wanted to be,” she said, explaining how she single-handedly launched the wrap dress craze decades ago through hard work, perseverance and a little dumb luck and good connections. “There are no shortcuts,” she added. Audience members laughed, cried and gave von Furstenberg (pictured above) a standing ovation when she was through in appreciation of her unique and enlightening take on the world.

After lunch, the conference spun quickly through two more rounds of panels and ended on a celebratory note: cocktails, champagne and hors d’oeuvres, the perfect ending to a day of professional and personal development.

CWIB Volunteers Serve Dinner in West Harlem

By Dawn Janukowicz, ’13

On February 6th, nine CWIB volunteers served hot dinners, including fried chicken and mac & cheese, to over 200 residents in our West Harlem neighborhood!  The 3 hours flew by as we plated, served, restocked, and cleaned, and the countless warm smiles and gratitude we received from the recipients kept us energized throughout.  Big thanks to our volunteers and to Food Bank NYC and the Community Kitchen and Pantry for enabling us to participate!

 

Introducing Physique 57 Founder Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi: Rethinking The Glass Ceiling Through Entrepreneurship

Just in time for those “New Year, New You” fitness goals, we are delighted to highlight Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi, Owner, Co-Founder, and CEO of Physique 57 and CWIB’s Seventeenth Annual Distinguished Alumna Award Recipient. Jennifer launched Physique 57’s innovative workout program after facing similar challenges that we all encounter on the path to fitness – how can we design a plan to achieve health, energy, confidence, and our perfect shape?

Jennifer found her ideal program in the Lotte Berk Method, developed by core-focused techniques from a former ballet dancer. Upon the sudden closing of the studio, Jennifer took her management skills from a strong Wall Street background and her Columbia MBA, teamed up with Tanya Becker, one of the foremost instructors of The Lotte Berk Method for over a decade, and launched Physique 57. Growing Physique 57 from the original followers of Lotte Berk and the West 57th Street studio offering the signature 57 minute class, the team has expanded to five studios and offers a variety of Physique 57 fitness solutions to international clients through DVDs, online workouts, international consulting, and a book.

Jennifer’s success story in combining her passion for dance with management prowess inspired her selection as Columbia Women in Business’ Distinguished Alumna. Entrepreneurship has become a popular choice for many female business leaders, who are foregoing the climb-the-ladder structure of enterprise companies. According to the March 2012 State of Women-Owned Business Report by American Express Open, there are now over 8.3 million women-owned businesses in the US; they generate nearly $1.3 trillion dollars in revenue and employ nearly 7.7 million people. While the growth rate for women-owned business exceeds the national average, only 1.8% of women-owned firms achieve over $1 million in revenues. Growth and employment rates at this “Heartbreak Hill” slow significantly when compared to peer firms.

We asked Jennifer to share her perspective on women, entrepreneurship, and the glass ceiling, and she discusses the topic below:

Entrepreneurship is the best way to create your own path to professional and personal success. Entrepreneurship allows you to design your priorities, create a unique corporate culture and set your own schedule. These opportunities are quite different than what women encounter in male-orientated companies, yet are critical for those who want to achieve long-term professional success while they juggle careers and family.

Too many women have to remove themselves from the upward trajectory to break the glass ceiling because the sacrifices are too great for the potential financial and personal rewards. The better way to reach your goals is to rethink the glass ceiling. Rather than try to break it, go around it. Get to the “top” your own way and define the “top” as you grow.

Your goal may be to run a large global corporation or to lead talented individuals and deliver a world class product. Through different stages of an entrepreneurial career, you can have both of these ambitions. For example, if your goal is to deliver and maintain the highest quality product and customer experience in the marketplace, you can decide (and control) how and when growth is right for you and your company.

We look forward to celebrating Jennifer’s achievements during the upcoming CWIB conference, Beyond the Glass Ceiling, held at the Marriott Marquis New York on February 1st, 2013. Click here to register and join the discussion with Jennifer and other top female entrepreneurs and leaders.

CWIB Conference 2013: We’re Breaking Glass

By Hannah Stern, ’13

Back in 2008 Hillary Clinton wrapped up her presidential campaign with the words, “Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it.” But that was 4 years ago.

So where do successful and striving women stand today? This year’s CWIB Conference seeks to address that question from many angles and we couldn’t be more excited about the way our programming for the event is coming together. With a keynote from Diane von Furstenberg, one of the most successful designers and brand builders in the world, we know the day is going to be a success. We are also lining up great panelists to speak and engage with attendees on today’s most relevant topics including:

• Women in Technology
• Social Impact Investing
• Effective Negotiations
• Managing Your Finances

At last year’s event we had over 400 attendees and we expect an even stronger showing this year. If you are looking for an event where you can network with women in a broad range of industries and various phases of career growth, we strongly encourage you to learn more about our event! Just to remind you, the CWIB conference will be taking place on Feb. 1, 2013 and you can register here to attend. To find out more, please check out our website. We can’t wait to see you in February!

Hannah Stern is the Director of Website and Social Media for CWIB Conference

CWIB Volunteers Share College Advice with NYC High School Girls

By Dawn Janukowicz, ’13

This past Thursday, Girls Inc members from Central Park East High School joined CWIB members for pizza lunch and to talk about the often daunting subject of going to college. Using a “speed-mentoring” format, Girls Inc asked questions and CWIB shared stories and insights related to academics, college life, commuting vs. on-campus living, and the overall college experience. We concluded by sharing key takeaways and final pieces of advice including the importance of getting actively involved on campus, maintaining courage and confidence during the transition into a new environment, and having fun! Thanks to everyone who participated!!

Dawn Janokowicz is the VP of Community Service for CWIB