WBEC-West Lunar New Year Strategy Power Breakfast

To celebrate the Lunar New Year and provide WBEs opportunities to connect and learn, WBEC-West Lunar New Year Strategy Power Breakfast was held on February 22nd at Ocean Seafood Restaurant. While enjoying delicious dim sum and the Lunar New Year atmosphere in Chinatown, the WBEs exchanged ideas with each other on how women owned businesses could utilize their advantages and overcome challenges. Corporate members from CBS, Disney, Metropolitan Water District also joined the breakfast event.

WBEC-West Chinese New Year Strategy Power Breakfast (Photo Credit: Andrew Chenault)

In the business environment, it is important for business owners or CEOs to perfect their elevator pitch that clearly delivers the “what” and “why” of their businesses. The audience needs to be able to immediately capture what the business is about in 10 seconds, otherwise they will lose interest. Therefore, ten WBEs had the opportunity to kick off the breakfast by attempting to pitch their business to the audience in 10-seconds, which turned out to be much harder than everyone thought!

New Year Red Pocket (Photo Credit: Andrew Chenault)

Since it was Lunar New Year, attendees were organized into the twelve Chinese Zodiac animals that matched their tables to increase engagement. As one of Lunar New Year’s traditions, each attendee was gifted a red pocket, which symbolizes good luck and fortune in the new year.

Attendees brought questions or topics they would like to discuss with their tables. During the breakfast, the questions were drawn randomly, and the others answered or provided advice in response to the table questions. Questions included “How do you engage and stay connected with fellow WBEs?” and “What is the most insightful book you have read?”, WBEs shared their challenges on their entrepreneur paths and heard insights from fellow WBEs and corporate members.

(Photo Credit: Andrew Chenault)

President of WBEC-West, Dr. Pamela Williamson, thanked everyone for attending and sent her Lunar New Year greetings. Dr. Williamson has been dedicated to providing an environment for WBEs to connect and eventually partner with each other. She spoke of the importance of partnerships, especially among women entrepreneurs and professionals, and encouraged WBEs to get certified by WBENC to enjoy benefits such as improved access to other WBE’s to partner with for joint ventures.

President of WBEC-West, Dr. Pamela Williamson (Photo Credit: Andrew Chenault)

The raffle winners were drawn towards the end of the event. Patricia Bustos of Air Management Industries Inc. luckily won a complimentary showcase table valued at $150 for the WBE Connect Showcase & BBQ in August 2018. Rashmi Chaturvedi of KAYGEN and OC Forum Leadership, Michelle Perkins of Limit Free Life and Susannah D’Arcy of D’Arcy Media Worldwide, LLC. won Coffee with a Corporate. Michele Polendey of CE Supply was the lucky winner of the surprise raffle prize from Disney for a studio tour!

WBEC-West LA Forum Leadership Athena Chiera (Athena Engineering, Inc.), Caron Ng (NU-SET), Lindy Huang Werges (Integritas Resources, Inc. & Zen Yoga Strap, Inc.), and Ronda Jackson (Décor Interior Design, Inc.), reviewed the upcoming events for 2018, such as the Matchmaking & Networking Strategies Happy Hour on April 5, 2018 (location TBD), and the ongoing Women on Course Golf Series in Orange County (OC). The San Diego and Orange County Forum Leadership, Robin Richter (Wearable Imaging, Inc.) and Michelle Davidson (FTS Lighting Services, Inc.), also attended and shared exciting events in their regions.

WBEC-West LA Forum Leadership: (from left to right) Athena Chiera, Lindy Huang Werges, Ronda Jackson and Caron Ng. (Photo Credit: Andrew Chenault)

To browse the event gallery, please click here.