It started with a question. When Gurpreet Misra considered how many women graduated at the top of their class and yet how few went on to employment as high-level executives, she had to ask: Where is the gap?
Clearly, there is a need for greater support, so that intelligent, educated women can better achieve their career goals.
As co-founder of the link, an innovation center in Nocatee, Misra wanted to help professional women find that support. When she proposed a new means for them to associate, share their dreams and challenges and help one another, the response was strong.
The result is Circle of Creation: The Expansion Project, named both for the creativity of women across the various stages of life and a goal of expanding their horizons. It revolves around the ideas of continuous growth, transformation and the collective power of women supporting one another.
Group members will benefit from a diversity of perspectives and experiences, shared wisdom, connections and personal and professional development.
They will meet in seven sessions on the second Wednesday of each month, from April through October, leading up to EnterCircle Women’s Day in November where they will share lessons learned during their journey.
Each two-hour meeting will have a different theme. The theme for April 10 will be finances.
Sessions will be divided into two parts. Some of the group will hear from an expert on that month’s theme, while the rest will engage in a kind of social game where they will create greater self-awareness and understanding of each other.
Then, the groups will switch.
But the social side should not be confused with traditional networking.
“We want it to go beyond networking,” said Keeli Scarlett, storyteller/communications manager at the link. “So many times, people come in, give their business cards to each other and go home. We want it to be like: What are your needs? … How can we be a support group for each other?”
And Misra wants to avoid the kind of meetings where participants become greatly inspired only to go home and see that inspiration fade. To that end, members will have access to an online journal where they can anonymously share what they got from the meeting.
“Once you’re out of the room, you are still connected,” Misra said.
In November, members will be encouraged to speak about their experiences with Circle of Creation during EnterCircle. The summit’s theme this year will be “serendipity.”
“We want to open up the space for serendipitous things to happen,” said Scarlett. “You never know who you’re going to meet. You never know what’s going to get started.”
“If you can get to a place where you can exchange your thoughts, share your visions, share your dreams and see other people who have come across these challenges and are successful, then you’ll find a way,” said Misra.
After completion of seven meetings, members will receive a certificate of completion.
To learn more and to purchase tickets, go to https://bit.ly/Circle-Of-Creation.
