We moved to Kelowna from Manitoba in the fall of 2014, not knowing a single person or business contact. After establishing a few roots and joining several networking groups within the city, I attended a KWIB event at the end of 2016 and immediately realized I wanted to get more involved with the organization. The caliber of speakers, topics, and Members was exactly what I had been searching for, and knew there existed a terrific platform for growing my networks and professional affiliations.

KWIB is about collaboration, mentorship, women supporting women, and giving back to the community; the philanthropic legacy the organization has created for supporting women in the community speaks to the dedication and vision of the group, and allows me to be a part of something much greater than myself.

 

I have been aware of the organization Kelowna Women In Business for over 15 years, but had not considered joining until recently. In August 2014 I reached out to the executive to inquire about the organization, member turnout, benefits, costs and opportunities. I was immediately engaged by the membership co-ordinator, president, sponsorship co-ordinator and speaker director to answer all of my questions. I decided to join. A last minute cancellation opened up a sponsorship opportunity which I enthusiastically accepted. One of the benefits of event sponsorship is the ability to speak to the event attendees for 10 minutes. After the meeting I had a number of women in the group come up and introduce themselves, discuss the items presented, ask questions and compliment me on the presentation of our company. Someone within KWIB mentioned our company and presentation to a Professor at Okanagan College. We were contacted and ask to speak to 45 first year marketing students. What a wonderful experience that was. In a very short period of time, Kelowna Women In Business has helped me to get out and meet a number of amazing women within our community, has exposed me to great speakers, and has opened opportunities for me to make meaningful connections with supportive women both from a business standpoint but also from a personal level. Thanks KWIB. Looking forward to many years of "belonging".