Women Lead Change now in 16th year

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell, the CEO of Women Lead Change, is jazzed about the nonprofit’s April conference in Cedar Rapids.

“The Cedar Rapids conference remains the hallmark of what we do, and this year’s lineup is the best year,” O’Donnell said. “Our guidepost is to educate, challenge and inspire women in business, challenge how we think, and this year’s slate of speakers has national and regional leaders.“

Women Lead Change was founded in 2007 -- when it was called Iowa Women’s Leadership Conference -- and made a big splash in its first years with A-list speakers such as Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem and Martha Stewart.

The focus since then has shifted more to education and development, though inspiration still figures in the nonprofit’s conferences, workshops, programs and podcasts in Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, Des Moines and Siouxland.

One of the “sweet spots” that has emerged, O’Donnell said, is “tactical development” for current and emerging women leaders in Iowa and beyond. “They need to know how to communicate clearly in a virtual world, how to negotiate, navigate a company’s culture.”

A selling point is that the training is accessible, meaning a company can “buy a table” for 10 employees at a conference or training session for what it would cost to send one executive out of state for training.

The need for “good leadership” is greater now more than ever, O’Donnell said.

“We’re relying on teams working in a hybrid culture,” she said. “Maintaining the company’s culture takes more time, and good leaders can foster that. If you don’t have that, you’re in trouble. Good leadership will always be in demand.”

WLC growth

Though a nonprofit, Women Lead Change operates more like a startup with a $2 million to $3 million budget, O’Donnell said.

The organization’s revenue comes from corporate sponsorships, partnerships and conferences and programs.

“We need to be nimble,” O’Donnell said. “We need to be responsive to partner companies but also lead the partner companies by letting them know where the workforce is going.

“Our companies benefit from the leadership development we provide,” O’Donnell said, noting some of the training is free and directed toward women just entering the workforce and girls still in elementary and middle school.

Women Lead Change also has become more intentional about inclusion and diversity.

“We’ve been working in those spaces for 15 years, but the last five years has seen more stability in those roles, allowing us to measure advancement in those communities,” O’Donnell said.

The organization also reached out to “our male allies” during the #MeToo movement, “letting them know we wanted to help,” O’Donnell said. A CEO forum was added, as was more programming for advocates and allies on “how we can support each other.”

“We can put a bunch of women in a room where it’s important to share challenges and best practices,” O’Donnell said. “If we really want to move the needle, though, we have to have our allies at the table. Most of the people I know aren’t intentionally doing things that hold women back. It requires education, exposure and support.”

The organization also is working with the University of Chicago on research. It supports “girls who code” programs for kindergarten through eighth-grade girls. It added Women Connect, Leadership Labs and Leaders Who Lunch groups. Its annual awards recognize women leaders, Women of Achievement and Girls with Goals.

This year, it’s added a“Speak Tank” competition to its April conference in Cedar Rapids, where businesswomen can gain experience presenting an idea to an audience. The winner will earn a speaking slot at a future Women Lead Change Conference.

“We are,” O’Donnell said, “lifting up women in different and new ways.”