CWIB started the semester with a brand new twist on our annual kick-off celebration – a wine tasting at the Wally Findlay Galleries. This exciting event was one of the first opportunities for new CWIB members to interact with second-year members. With the support of one of our CWIB alumna, Anu Karwa, and her wine-tasting business, Swirl Events, more than 100 of our members had the chance to mingle, drink great wine, and enjoy beautiful art.

The excitement continues in the spring semester with more networking events, skills workshops, interactions with Girls, Inc., and, of course, our spotlight event. We are working diligently to prepare for our 16^th Annual CWIB Conference on February 20^th. Be sure to watch your e-mail or check the CWIB website often to make sure you get tickets to this always sell-out event.

It has truly been an honor to work with the many VP’s and newly-elected AVP’s who give countless hours of their time to make CWIB the stellar organization that it is. Without their help, the group would be unable to offer all of the amazing opportunities that make CWIB such a vital part of the CBS community.

On behalf of the entire CWIB Executive Board, I hope you enjoy this semester’s newsletter and encourage you to contact us or to visit our website, www.cwib.org, to learn more about getting involved with our organization. Best wishes for 2009!

Sincerely,

Brooke Reinders
Columbia Business School, Class of 2009
President, Columbia Women In Business

This year’s CWIB kick-off event was an elegant affair. The event, sponsored by Lehman Brothers, was held in midtown at the Wally Findlay art gallery (www.wallyfindlay.com ), run by Stephanie Borynack. Another new twist this year, the kick-off was a wine tasting event, presented by Swirl Events (www.SwirlEvents.com), a company founded by Anu Karwa, a CBS alumna. Not only was this a good opportunity for the returning class to meet the incoming class, but the second-year students were able to catch up on their exciting summer internships and traveling adventures, while the first-year students were able to take a break from their intense schedule. Over 100 women had the opportunity to view the art at Wally Findlay, which specializes in French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masters as well as contemporary art, as well as sample several white wines from women-run vineyards.  

All in all, everyone had a great time networking, appreciating the art, and enjoying wine. It was a great way to kickoff the semester and welcome the class of 2010!

From brainstorming over the summer, to creating a fabulous conference committee, to progressing in our planning and creative processes, preparations for the 16th Annual CWIB Conference are well underway! Please mark your calendars and Save-the-Date: The 16th Annual CWIB Conference will take place on February 20, 2009 in Lerner Hall.

While we are still working on many of the details, we are excited to reveal this year’s conference theme: “Connect. Grow. Achieve.”  This year’s CWIB conference will look at what it means to build a strong, 360 degree network and explore the personal and professional connections that lie at the heart of successful career progression. Regardless of their career stage, women can use their business community to make important connections, foster personal growth, and drive towards greater achievements. Our panelists will look at three facets of how this community impacts a woman’s career: from within the workplace, as a part of current business trends, and through the changing stages of a woman’s career. Through the discussion, participants will have the opportunity to explore how they can leverage their own business communities and the resources they provide to maximize their personal success.
 

There has been an increasing trend at Columbia Business School over the last few years for women students to enter with children or to choose to have children during their enrollment in the MBA program.　 Although rising, the number of current and expectant student moms is still very small (less than 15 in MBA’09 and MBA ’10 out of a student body of almost 1500 students).

MIB was originally founded in the fall of 2005 by Michelle Fertig (’06), Aliza Goldgewert (’06) and Rebecca Williams (’07); however, it was only last spring when the initiative was officially incorporated into the CWIB Executive Board with the election of a Vice President of Mothers in Business. The fall semester of the 2008-2009 academic year has already yielded great success for MIB. In September there was a Mother-to-Mother Kickoff event which provided a forum for CBS moms to meet each other. Veteran student moms offered advice to incoming current and expectant moms on how to be successful as they balance rigorous life at CBS and motherhood.

Please contact Katrina Simon-Agolory (ksimonagolory09@gsb.columbia.edu), VP of Mothers in Business for more information.

It is no secret that a large amount of business takes place on the golf course, and too often people miss out on these relationship-building opportunities because they do not know how to play and find the game too overwhelming to learn. The goal of this event was to demystify the game so participants could start to use golf to their business advantage.

To kick off the evening, a golf pro spoke to the group about the rules of the game and general course etiquette. Topics covered included terminology, scoring and the difference between clubs types. Immediately following, the group went out to the golf range to turn theory into practice. We divided into groups based on experience. Those who had never played before worked with a golf pro on the basics, such as how to grip the club, position set up, swing and follow-through. The more experienced players stepped right up to the tee and pros came around to offer customized pointers based on the skill level of each individual player. 

All in all, everyone had a great time hitting balls, learning about the game and chatting with friends.  Many thanks to Goldman Sachs for their participation and support in making the event possible.

Laura describes herself as a “retail gal with a knack for cross-channel branding and a passion for ethical, sustainable apparel and textile production best practices.” Prior to and after business school, Laura has held the following positions: Director, Brand Strategy at Victoria’s Secret’s PINK, Director of Customer Experience at Keynote, and Director at Gap Inc Direct. As you can see, she is an extremely accomplished woman in the for-profit sector, but is also very active in the non-profit realm with experience serving on the Sierra Club Executive Committee, San Francisco Department of the Environment’s Sustainability Plan, Earth Island Institute, Music in Schools Today, EMILY’s List, Oakland Youth Employment Partnership and the League of Conservation Voters in San Francisco.

A 2004 graduate of Columbia Business School, Anu Karwa is one of the school’s leading, New York-based young entrepreneurs.  The wine tasting company, Swirl Events, Anu founded and runs as CEO is well-known in New York and beyond for customized, private and corporate wine tastings with a fresh, hip spin.

Anu created Swirl Events to combine her passion for wine and memorable times with friends. After earning Advanced Certification from the internationally recognized Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), Anu realized wine did not have to be complicated or stuffy.  As a result, Swirl’s vibrant tastings are distinguished by detailed full-service combined with a fun, intimate ambiance perfect for vinophiles and happy attendees alike.   Swirl’s unique and fresh approach has resonated, resulting in widespread press in leading media outlets, including New York, Martha Stewart Weddings, Fine Living, The Knot, and Brides.com.

Columbia Women in Business (CWIB) is a professional networking organization with over 400 student members and thousands of alumnae. Each year, CWIB strives to provide programming that enhances the MBA experience by connecting current students with alumnae and companies that have paved the way for professional women and contributed to the growth of today’s business leaders. For more information about CWIB, please visit our website at www.cwib.org.