“The Success Summit went beyond my expectations. I believe I will apply something from each workshop into my world, home, work and school.”  -Professional Women’s Group Delegate

Nominated by her Professional Women’s Group coordinator, the delegate chosen to attend the Success Summit will have demonstrated leadership capabilities and be enthusiastic not only about learning but also about guiding her local members on a new journey that benefits her local community.  In addition to participating in workshops on leadership, entrepreneurial skills, mentoring and financial literacy, delegates are given the skills and information they need to lead their fellow Professional Women’s Group (PWG) members, mobilize additional resources in their city or town and bring awareness to a local community initiative.  This Community Action Project allows the delegate to immediately put into practice the leadership skills she learned at the Success Summit while giving back to her community. The Success Summit also offers delegates the opportunity to meet other PWG members from Dress for Success affiliates around the country and world and to share experiences.  For some attendees, this conference will be their first time leaving their hometowns, flying or traveling to another community.

Professional Women’s Group coordinators from each of our affiliates also attend the Success Summit.  Our PWG coordinators are dedicated full- and part-time staff and volunteers who serve as trainers, role models, counselors and mentors to the women we serve.  They are responsible for marketing, recruitment, strategic planning and program evaluation.  As an organization, Dress for Success is dedicated to ensuring PWG coordinators receive the most up to-date research on workforce development, and the resources, support and guidance that they need in order to continue running effective employment retention programs.  The Success Summit also offers these participants the chance to share best practices and their common experiences.

 “I learned many things from the presenters but I learned even more from fellow coordinators and delegates. I know I can use many of these ideas to add to our PWG.” -Professional Women’s Group Coordinator

The Success Summit works with industry leaders and trainers in human resources, leadership and diversity training, workforce development and financial literacy to present on topics relevant to the conference themes.  Speakers—men and women—donate their time and expertise to ensure the curriculum is high caliber and meets the needs of the participants.  Often the speakers also share personal journeys of how they came to be successful, which adds to the inspirational quality of the Success Summit—everyone who participates in the conference is committed to inspiring a new generation of leaders and making a profound and lasting difference in communities around the world.

“Listening to the speakers and all of the things that they have overcome and what they have accomplished allows one to believe and dream again.”  -Professional Women’s Group Delegate

By the end of the conference, the Success Summit’s short- and long-term impact will be seen in the following ways:

• Through the workshops and networking opportunities, delegates and coordinators will develop hard skills such as project management, networking, public speaking, mobilizing resources and goal setting.
• The aim of the Community Action Project is to increase the self-esteem of conference participants so that they can impart this same confidence to their fellow Professional Women’s Group members—and benefit their community in a very tangible way. This initiative will instill in each woman a sense of responsibility and competency.