The team at Boston Women in Finance wanted to take a moment and say thank you.

Thank you for continuing to choose to be a part of this community. Thank you for showing up, even when the pressure of the year might have been a bit too great. And thank you for making this group the truly remarkable community that it is.

Like anyone else, Boston Women in Finance saw its share of challenges this year. But thankfully, with the leadership of the best board members around, we were able to continue to serve this community to the best of our ability, including:

We Took a Leap Into The Digital Age

It took our team less than 30 days to transition to virtual-only events. While we missed seeing each and every one of you live, there was a silver lining – we could offer helpful content faster. Since March 2020, we’ve talked about Collaborating with Remote Teams, Navigating the CARES Act, Leading in COVID, How Career Progression is Changing, Managing Anxiety in the Workplace, Building Diversity & Inclusion Programs, and more.

In 2021, we plan to continue this virtual series – you’ll see invitations shortly to join us for the State of the Economy, Cyber Security Concerns in a Remote Workforce, Master Classes in Entrepreneurship, and more.

We Made Our Events Available To Anyone Who Needed Them

We made a purposeful decision in early 2020 to open up our virtual events for members and non-members. The reasoning was simple – we’re all in this together. Critical and helpful content didn’t belong behind paywalls. It belonged in the hands of the people who could use it the most – you.

Going into 2021, we will commit to continuing to keeping the doors open to our virtual events for members and non-members alike. Our mission is to empower, engage, and inspire this amazing community, and that means keeping the doors open to whomever needs them.

We Found New Ways To Elevate Future Leadership

We opened our very first scholarship in the late spring, The BWF Inspire Scholarship, committed to providing minority women the opportunity to succeed in the business world. Our goal – to inspire, motivate, and elevate these women in the pursuit of a career in the financial industry.

While applications are now closed, we fully plan on re-opening this scholarship again in 2021, as well as expanding it to reach even more women throughout the Greater Boston area.

We also shared dozens of new job postings on our website and through our social media accounts, and personally connected members of our community to the opportunities we saw coming.

We Found New Ways to Come Together

Going totally virtual in 2020 meant that the BWF team had to find new ways to connect with our members and friends. We launched our Member’s Only online portal, which includes recordings of our past programs, a members-only email group, a searchable member’s directory, and more.

The BWF Board also undertook a new member mentorship program, personally outreaching to the dozens of new members that joined our community this year to ensure they were plugged into our network and community and received the resources they needed.

And while they certainly don’t replace the joy of being live with others, we hosted members-only virtual events, which offer a chance to connect directly with other BWF members. In my opinion, these have truly been the best conversations that we’ve had this year. We celebrate new jobs, we advise those looking for resources, we have comforted those who are struggling, and more. It’s been that personal, supportive touch that’s been missing this year, and I can’t wait to continue them into 2021.

We Grew Our Community and Welcomed New Friends

On top of welcoming a host of new members to our community this year, our digital community expanded exponentially – we welcomed hundreds of new community followers on LinkedIn, on Twitter, and Instagram.

We also welcomed our first annual sponsor, PNC Bank, to our community. PNC has been an extraordinary partner, and we look forward to more opportunities to connect their resources with you, and vice versa.

Most Importantly, We Found Each Other

Out of everything that’s happened to us and around us this year – the loss, the grief, the anxiety, and the pain – we’ve found a safe spot in one another. Our distance from one another has forced us to find and hold onto our tribe. To lean on those who understand us, who empower us to keep going, and who comfort us when we fall.

More than anything else this year, I hope that we’ve helped you find your tribe, or find ways to celebrate and lift yours up for the gift that they are. Because the gift of laughter, of small moments of joy, of commiseration, and pep talks, are the gift that we need right now.

Again, I thank you for being a part of this community, for giving when you can, and for showing up even when it seemed impossible to do so. The BWF team appreciates you, celebrates you, and hopes that we’ll be able to serve you more in 2021 and beyond.

From our tribe to yours, we wish you a healthy, happy, and joyous holiday season.

All the best,

Becky Blackler
President, Boston Women in Finance
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