Prohibited from joining the men-only Detroit Economic Club, a group of 23 women eager to connect with likeminded professionals outside the walls of their male-dominated offices founded the city's Women's Economic Club in 1962. Nearly 50 years later, the group has grown to more than 1,800 members across four statewide regions.
Renamed
Inforum in 2005 to reflect its changing membership base and mission of serving as a forum for influential, informed and in-the-know leaders, the group also launched a West Michigan chapter that same year.
"More than 700 women attended our first event and we raised over $80,000 in corporate investments within the first two months," Judy Welch, VP of Inforum West Michigan, says of the chapter's beginnings.
Welch, who previously worked as a manager of administration services for
National Heritage Academies, has led the West Michigan chapter since it was established in 2005.
Today, Inforum serves as a network of professionals who come together to help each other succeed, creating new leaders and advancing the position of women in the workplace.
The group's next major event,
Fostering Innovation, will be held March 24 at
Noto's in Grand Rapids. The two-hour learning and networking event and will include speakers from
GRid70, the innovation and design co-working space at 70 Ionia.
By promoting open communication among employees from
Amway,
Meijer,
Steelcase and
Wolverine World Wide, GRid70 encourages collaboration among creative talent.
"We talk about reinvention and innovation, and how women entrepreneurs can get off the ground," says Holly Higginson, Inforum West Michigan's marketing and events coordinator. "GRid70 is an example of an innovative idea that shows how collaboration can help companies get ahead."
The GRid70 lunch program is open to the public, and will feature a panel moderated by GRid70 program manager Amanda Sievers and featuring John Malnor, VP of growth initiatives at Steelcase; Seth Starner, business innovations manager at Amway; and Jan Powell, director of human resources at Wolverine World Wide.
"Lots of companies work in silos," says Welch. "But the people behind GRid70 understand the power of sharing information and ideas."
Welch compares GRid70 to Inforum's Executive Leadership Program, a four-month training program that includes women from as many as 32 different companies. "No one is worried about stealing ideas," says Welch. "They're discussing challenges and expanding their mind to think about what can be done to deal with issues on a broader level."
With a more purposeful approach to its events, Inforum assigns seats for the hundreds of attendees at their events, also seating a facilitator at each table.
"It's about promoting engagement among attendees, so they get out of their comfort zone rather than sticking to someone they already know," says Welch.
Welch and Higginson are the only full-time employees of the organization, which relies on a statewide board, regional councils and a network of volunteers to produce four annual events and a host of special interest breakout groups. Affinity groups are available for many situations: women transitioning to new careers, young professionals, mid-level managers, experienced executives interested in building skills to serve on for-profit boards and more.
?"Each time these groups meet, they discuss personal and professional growth," says Welch. "It's all about building deeper connections."
Higginson is a member of the young professionals affinity group, and says that group's members discuss issues common to those who are new to the workplace or are in entry-level management roles. "We talk about balancing everything, and learning from problems and situations," she says. "It's about being with people who you can connect with on a personal level."
Though the group skews toward middle-aged professionals, Higginson says more young professionals are realizing the benefit of networking with other women who have been in their shoes, and have experience and advice to offer their younger counterparts.
Members or their employers pay an annual fee of $75 to $500, based on the membership level, to become an active Inforum member. Women (and a few men) from a range of industries are involved, including service, manufacturing, education, healthcare and entrepreneurs.
After conducting preliminary focus groups to discover what West Michigan women wanted out of a professional development organization, researchers discovered that women were looking for a group that would allow them to build real relationships and learn leadership skills while also maintaining their personal life.
"Inforum is non-threatening and there's no pressure," says Welch. "It's an opportunity to talk and find solutions in a way that helps maintain the work-life balance."
What makes Inforum stand out in West Michigan is that it not only spans generations and industries, but also promotes activities beyond seminars, luncheons and happy hours to encourage networking. Groups surrounding wine tastings, professional and leisure book clubs and cultural interests engage and entertain members.
"While I can't always guarantee you'll get business out of it, you'll sure have fun trying," says Welch. "Although they may be having fun, they're still there to network and talk business. Once you've met on a human level and can trust others, that's where the real business comes in."
Kelly Quintanilla is a Michigan-based freelance writer who also writes for Rapid Growth's sister publications Metromode and Concentrate, and lives the dream as the microbrew editor for Revue, among other assorted journalistic pursuits.Photographs by Brendan Quinn - All Rights Reserved