MIAMI—May 22, 2015— The International Women’s Forum will host a two-day Executive Development Roundtable in Miami to provide leadership, training and professional development to women entrepreneurs, with $104,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The event will be held July 14-15, 2014.

The two-day intensive training aims to help women innovators scale their work, strengthen their professional acumen, and accelerate their careers. The approach focuses on improving leadership skills, self-efficacy and goal setting through training sessions, one-on-one coaching and networking in a supportive environment. The event will also promote connections between participants and the wider community as a way to help increase professional access and opportunities.

“We are proud to be able to deliver this vital program to women leaders in Miami,” said Marilyn Johnson, the International Women’s Forum CEO. “Training women-owned businesses, especially high-growth startups, is critical. Research shows that startups are the key to American job creation and leadership in new industries. We are in Miami to support these women business-owners as they grow.”

“Investing in women entrepreneurs means investing in the growth of Miami’s startup community and its wider success,” said Matt Haggman, Knight Foundation program director for Miami. “This program provides women innovators access to a global network of high-power leaders, as well as the chance to learn more and scale their ideas.”

The International Women’s Forum is the largest global membership organization for women in senior leadership positions. The organization has over 6,000 members, and operates in 33 countries and six continents around the world. Members include the world’s leading architects, advocates, catalysts and pioneers of change and include such notable women as Rosalind Brewer CEO, Sam’s Club; Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court justice; and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director, UN Women, South Africa.

A 2015 snapshot from the Department of Labor Bureau of Statistics shows women have surpassed men in post-secondary degree attainment as well as labor force participation at a rate of 57 percent. Despite these gains, persistent barriers remain for women, creating impediments to their success. A recent Small Business Administration and Kaufman Foundation study found that women-run firms were generating half of the total revenue of their male counterparts. In addition, women are still less likely to achieve career advancement than men; according to the International Business Report almost one third of businesses worldwide do not have any women in their senior management departments. They are also less likely to take advantage of lateral career moves and entrepreneurship opportunities that can help them expand their skill sets and grow.

“It is important as a member of the International Women’s Forum to ensure rising women leaders have access to the tools they need to succeed,” said Janice McDonald, International Women’s Forum member, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of CD Warehouse and apparel retailer, iStyle Originals. McDonald will be presenting at the Executive Development Roundtable in Miami. Janice is widely recognized as one of the most powerful women in Canada.

McDonald continued, “As women share their successes with each other, they can learn to push further and not fear setbacks, but instead, embrace challenges. We have to aim for something much more than just professional survival. We want women to thrive in all their endeavors and to be a catalyst for the change that is needed.”

Support for the International Women’s Forum is one part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to invest in Miami’s emerging innovators and entrepreneurs as a tool to build community, while fostering talent and expanding economic opportunity. Over the past two years Knight has made more than 100 investments in entrepreneurship in South Florida. 

The Executive Development Roundtable in Miami is an invite-only event. It will be held from July 14-15, 2015 at the Conrad Hotel in downtown Miami.

For more information on the International Women’s Forum, visit www.iwforum.org.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit KnightFoundation.org.

About The International Women’s Forum

The International Women’s Forum is a singularly unique organization comprised of more than 6,000 of the world’s most dynamic, accomplished and visionary women who are dedicated to advancing better leadership around the world. These women of significant and diverse achievement span 33 nations, six continents, many careers and many cultures, and yet are wholly aligned in a commitment to change the face of global leadership. The IWF, a 365-day-a-year membership organization, shapes global conferences and programs around the mission to build better leadership through training, mentoring and connectivity. Programs include the Executive Development Roundtable, the Leadership Foundation Fellows program, and the EY Women Athletes Business Network. Visit http://iwforum.org for more information or follow IWF on Twitter @IWFGlobal

About The Executive Development Roundtable

EDR Faculty is comprised of members of the IWF, like Janice McDonald, who will be participating in the IWF EDR supported by the Knight Foundation. The IWF has delivered the program for corporations, foundations and governments in numerous locations around the world. IWF has created the EDR program for companies like Walmart, State Farm, FedEx and BAE Systems in South America, Asia, Europe Canada, Mexico, South Africa and across the United States.

CONTACTS:

Crosby Cromwell, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs, 202-387-1010, [email protected]

Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]