July 13-17, 2020
Every weekday evening the week of July 13th from 5:00-6:00 PM ET
Members-Only
Celebrate with like-minded women and build your network during virtual happy hours with members from across the country during the first WOC Connections Week. Facilitated by WOC members and supporters, participants will have the opportunity to meet one another to talk about topics important to them (registrants will also receive the recipe for a signature mocktail created exclusively for WOC!). Join us to share your stories and get advice from other women of color to help you thrive.
Upon registration, members will be assigned to a group. Details for the event will be provided in advance of your group meeting. We look forward to connecting!
Members can RSVP by logging into your accounts.
Due to high demand for this event, registration will end at Noon EDT on Thursday, July 9th.
RSVP is now closed.
Thank you for your interest in WOC Connections Week.
You will receive your group information shortly!
Facilitators
Zena Lum, Senior Advisor, Diversity, Equity,and Inclusion, Lindauer
Zena Lum joined Lindauer in 2011, bringing over 17 years of nonprofit and development experience. She began her career at the New England Aquarium in successive roles and was eventually recruited by Boston’s Museum of Science. Zena held leadership positions at WGBH, Boston’s public broadcasting affiliate and a national producer of programs for both PBS and NPR, and also as the inaugural Director of Institutional Advancement for Boston Public Schools.
Her placements include top nonprofit and development leaders for Jacob’s Pillow; the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra; Cincinnati Museum Center; and the League of American Orchestras. Zena has closed multiple searches with Colby College, including their Director of Museum Development. She has also completed a combined twelve searches for Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School and Harvard Medical School.
Zena is an alumna of LeadBoston and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University.
Aarti Mallya, Founder and CEO of the Mind & Body Route LLC
Aarti Mallya, founder and CEO of the Mind & Body Route LLC earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University, has 20+ years of experience in science and health education, is a certified wellness coach, yoga and meditation instructor and is the proud mother of 9-year-old twins. Having overcome her own struggles juggling professional goals, family life and well-being, Aarti is passionate about empowering women to optimize their health and unleash their full potentials. She is known for the fun-loving approach and compassion-centered philosophy she brings to enable clients to discover new possibilities in their personal and professional lives.
Shaunda McDill, Program Officer, Arts & Culture, The Heinz Endowments
Photo credit is: Lindsay B. Garvin
Shaunda McDill joined The Heinz Endowments in October 2017 as the Creativity Strategic Area’s Arts & Culture program officer, after more than a decade of nonprofit executive and arts management experience. Most recently, she was a publicist for Blake Zidell and Associates, a Brooklyn-based public relations firm representing artists, arts institutions and festivals. Shaunda also served as vice president of programming and cultivation at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture and as the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s director of public relations.
Shaunda has extensive professional experience with theater companies across the country including The Goodman Theatre of Chicago, Second Stage Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse and Cornerstone Theater Company. She also founded demaskus, a nonprofit, service-oriented collective of artists and administrators who produce theatrical projects sharing stories of the marginalized.
Shaunda has an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, where she studied under Pulitzer winner August Wilson, and an MFA in theater management from Yale University’s School of Drama.
Brenda Asare, President and CEO, The Alford Group; Vice-Chair of The Giving Institute
Brenda Asare, as President & CEO of The Alford Group, has led the way to work with clients in taking their organizations to the next level by building their capacity, strengthening their boards, creating donor-centered relationships and elevating the culture of generosity to support bold visions to impact communities in more meaningful ways. She has partnered with clients in her decade at Alford to raise over $2 billion to create game-changing results to fuel their visions, including the $1billion campaign for the Chicago CommunityTrust.
Brenda brings over 30 years of not-for-profit management and resource development experience. Prior to joining The Alford Group, she was Chief Development Officer with the American Red Cross in Chicago where she spearheaded their campaign to build the country's first Disaster Operations Center. She also headed up various disaster fundraising efforts raising over $100 million. There she recruited and mentored talented development professionals who have gone on to work as leaders in the non-profit sector.
Brenda is a national leader in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work in the non-profit sector, serving on the Association of Fundraising Professionals IDEA Board and has conducted numerous national webinars and presented at conferences across the country.
Brenda is a Vice Chair for The Giving Institute, an association and its members dedicated to promoting the core values of ethics, excellence and thought leadership in advancing philanthropy for the sector. The Giving Institute is the primary sponsor of the Giving USA publication. She was recognized as a Notable Minority in Consulting by Chicago Crain’s Business.
Birgit Smith Burton, Founder, AADO, African American Development Officers Network
Birgit Smith Burton is a respected leader in the fundraising profession having raised more than $500 million during her 30-year career. As the executive director of foundation relations at Georgia Tech, she led her team in raising $309 million toward the institute’s most recent successful $1.8 billion capital campaign.
Birgit is a well-regarded speaker on the topics of fundraising and diversity. She has authored articles on diversity in the fundraising profession, co-authored the book, The Philanthropic Covenant with Black America and contributed to the book Five Minutes for Fundraising, A Collection of Expert Advice. She was proud to be selected by Georgia Tech leadership to participate in the first cohort of Leading Women @ Tech, which identified the next community of leaders who will guide the Institution in the 21st century.
Birgit serves on the global board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and is Vice Chair for Membership. She chairs the A.E. Lowe Grice Scholarship Fund, Hosea Helps board of directors and is an advisor for the Aspen Leadership Group. Birgit founded AADO, the African American Development Officers Network, which for 22 years has provided professional development, education, employment support, mentorship and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Birgit earned a bachelor's degree in media communications from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York.