Page 62 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2015

mississippi gulf coast chamber of commerce
WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS
I’ve had the honor of leading the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc. for more than a decade. We have nine boards of directors, nearly 900 members and serve over 50,000 employees. I’ve attended thousands of meetings with hundreds of people and not once have I encountered a father
bringing his child to a meeting. Mothers on the other hand are a completely different story. Many mothers over the years have sat a child in the corner with a book and got to work. To me this illustrates the need for Women Entrepreneurs (WE) and simplifies the day-to-day challenge women face that men, traditionally, do not.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc. adopted WE after recognizing a gap in resources for female business owners. The chamber partnered with an established group of female business owners who were meeting, sharing ideas, frustrations, best practices and how to survive and balance a business with a family.
From its inception, WE sought input through an annual survey collecting feedback and developing programing according to women’s issues. Benefits of the lunch forums include networking, a share table to promote services or products and probably most coveted, a leads sheet which lists contact information of all pre-registered attendees.
If that isn’t reason enough to attend, the one-minute introduction of each attendee creates a buzz as women put
names with faces.
Nikki Johns, business development manager, AGJ Systems
and Networks, has attended WE for several years. When asked why, she said. “It’s a great opportunity to develop relationships with like-minded women and learn how we can better help one another with our businesses. There is no
story and photo courtesy of Kimberly Nastasi
62 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2015
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Kimberly Nastasi
pressure and it simply allows us to be women in business.”
Several networking elements make WE a success but equally important
is the content. This year’s topics have included: Managing Your Time: The Art of Delegation, Women in STEM, and Learning to Network for Better Business. Speakers have included
Pam Meinzinger, Nancy Wilson, Adele Lyons and Leonie Johnston.
Laurie Johnson, coach/owner of 4 Elements Coaching, stated, “Women Entrepreneurs is by far my favorite program offered by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce because it combines an opportunity for networking with a presentation by entrepreneurs and business women
who understand the unique challenges and opportunities for women. I feel like I’m with my ‘tribe’ and I learn something valuable every time we meet.”
Kimberly Nastasi, IOM, is the CEO of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc. For more information on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce visit www.mscoastchamber.com or call 228.604.0014.
2015