NAAAP Boston’s Women In NAAAP (WIN) Initiative hosted a well-attended open house on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at the Cambridge Innovation Center (50 Milk Street, Boston). There were over 60 attendees including many new faces, WIN POD program alumnae, WIN Lean In Circle pilot program participants, and NAAAP Boston leaders/board of directors.
During the first part of the evening, WIN Associate Director, Tiffany Hu, POD program graduates, Kim Wong and Anna Ing, and Lean In Circle pilot program coordinator, Mandy Xu, shared their experiences with the WIN Initiative through powerful personal stories. As she provided an overview of the WIN Initiative, Tiffany Hu emphasized WIN’s strong sisterhood while sharing an inspirational story about Xiaoqing Zhang, now a partner at Ernst & Young, who negotiated her own financial aid package in order to pursue her Master’s degree. This was followed by Kim Wong who told attendees that through the POD program she learned how to better balance her role as a full-time working mother of three with her needs for professional development. For Anna Ing, the POD program allowed her to be a mentor to another POD participant, who started a new chapter of her life in Dubai with the support and encouragement she received from Anna and other POD participants. Finally, Mandy Xu shared how the WIN Initiative has helped her become a more confident Asian-American female professional in corporate America and motivated her to put together the Lean In Circle pilot program to provide a forum for Asian-American women seeking career guidance and support.
Afterwards, two-time Pod program facilitator, Yee Szeto, led a fun and engaging icebreaker. Attendees were asked a series of multiple-choice questions that broke them into smaller groups based on their answers. This icebreaker allowed attendees to quickly connect with those who had similar interests and passions.
The last part of the evening was focused on the WIN Lean In Circle pilot program, which draws its inspiration from the book, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg. Over the last 6 months, the pilot program has brought together a small group of WIN members, who meet regularly to learn and grow together as they discuss topics centered on personal and professional development. These pilot program participants took part in a dynamic Q & A that touched upon all aspects of a Lean In Circle from the structure of a Circle to lessons learned. Many current and prospective WIN members expressed a strong interest in joining the WIN Lean In Circle program, which will launch in 2015 – please stay tuned!
WIN Core Team members, Pod program graduates, WIN Lean In Circle pilot program participants, and NAAAP Boston leaders/directors, thank you for your tremendous efforts and continuous support for WIN’s mission: To build competent and confident Asian-American female leaders.
