The hottest evening event for women in business took place this week, hosted by Dreamtek and held at The Hoxton.
On Monday evening we were thrilled to host a group of talented and inspiring women in business for our second Power Women event, this time held in a private room at The Hoxton.
Following our first hugely successful Power Women event back in the summer, we were once again joined by female leaders from global organisations such as Mars, Google, Facebook and BP.
The theme of this event was how to be authentic in the workplace and whether we take our true identity to work. With networking opportunities and discussions around how to build a culture within the workplace that makes women feel empowered, trusted and heard, it was a brilliant night.
Hosts for the evening were Hannah, our UK VP, and Arfa Butt, Music and Talent Director and Consultant to MTV and Viacom, who shared their own thoughts on our subjects, creating a personable and relaxed atmosphere.
Hannah and Arfa guided a discussion that generated a great deal of participation from the audience. We got stuck into discussing why there are so few women leaders in business and the potential reasons for this. The interesting question of; are you yourself at work was raised, driving some insightful discussion, with the audience sharing some personal experiences.
We also chatted about whether we check out potential hires on social media and if this impacts hiring choices, an especially relevant point in the digital age.
Our speakers, Anika Chiaventone, EMEA Event Production Program Manager at Google and Alexa Seller, Brand Director of M&M’s with Mars joined Hannah and Arfa for an enlightening panel discussion.
Alexa and Anika shared some of their own experiences, including their personal work progression and how creating a culture to support the success of women is approached in their organisations and the initiatives they run to support women in business.
Both highly successful in their personal work achievements, Anika and Alexa shared how they have got to their current positions and how they have developed their own ‘business’ identity. They are both involved in initiatives to develop future women leaders, Anika is passionate about empowering women and for the past 3 years has acted as a mentor for Media Trust Hidden Talents program, as well as London Metropolitan University Mentorship Program, helping young women gain insights into the media industry. As an avid boxer Anika works closely with WeBox, a female led company offering workshops to empower women, using the principles of boxing to create the mindset of a champion.
Grateful for the development support that she’s had and the time that many mentors have invested in her, Alexa co-founded a women’s network called Working Girls two years ago. They run talks and workshops focused on breaking down silos between industries and helping women on their way up to grow and make the most of their careers. She runs this alongside her full time job at Mars, with their full backing.
Our second Power Women event was another inspiring and hugely successful event, we heard what our audience thought about creating a more inspiring culture for women in the workplace and we came away with a fresh view on how we can drive a culture that celebrates the successes and achievements of women in business, without compromising our true personal identity.
