While 51% of the U.S. population is female, women make up only 18% of the U.S. Congress. So, the question becomes: How can we get qualified women to say “YES, I want to run for office.”? Diana Cihak, founder of WE PAC, will discuss coaching on the unique skills required of candidates for elected office. Her political action committee focuses on fundraising, public speaking, image development, press/media relations, and leadership development.

Our panel will discuss the ups (and downs) that face young women in today's ever-changing workplace. You landed that dream job; great! What now? Perhaps you're working up the corporate ladder: do you need a mentor? A sponsor? Is harassment still a thing? (Yes!) Our panelists include Caitlin Carlucci, Rates and Regulatory Affairs Department at National Fuel Distribution Company, Emily Nuding, Engineering Department at National Fuel Supply Corporation, and Cecily Rodriguez, principal and founder of HR company, ShiftHappens.

Our networking meetup gives you the opportunity to make connections with area professional women and discover just what the Buffalo Niagara Chapter of NYS Women, Inc. is all about. We're offering a "tapas pizza buffet" with veggie platter, Italian baked chicken wings, and an array of wood-fired pizzas. Cash bar. Join us for Women in Business Month: the Buffalo Niagara Chapter wants to meet YOU!

Location: Giancarlo's

The October Board of Directors Meeting will be held on Friday & Saturday October 13 - 15, 2017 in Geneva, NY.

Melodie Baker is the director of education at the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, where she designs, implements and secures funding for evidence-based education programs. In 2014, she co-founded the Charter School of Inquiry, where she is also chair of community engagement and a member of the board of trustees.

Alma Carrillo’s wide-ranging journey to Buffalo – where she is executive director of the Buffalo Arts Studio – started in Mexico and then on to Texas; Notre Dame, where she graduated with a government international studies degree; a stint as office manager for the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Austin; Brown University, where she met her now-husband; and the Providence, Rhode Island-based Steel Yard, an industrial arts center and manufacturer of public art which fosters creative and economic opportunities, by providing workspace, tools, training and education, while forging lasting links to a local tradition of craftsmanship.

Berardi Immigration Law is a business immigration law firm that helps individuals and corporations obtain work permits, green cards and citizenship.

The Mission of the National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW) is to sustain, strengthen and advocate for women’s commissions in their work to promote equality and justice for all women and girls and ensure they are represented and empowered in their communities.

Berardi Immigration Law is a business immigration law firm that helps individuals and corporations obtain work permits, green cards and citizenship.

Our NYS Women, Inc. Legislative Platform specifically includes pay equity and economic self-sufficiency for all working women.

That advocacy goes back to our origins as the former Business and Professional Women: our umbrella organization, BPW/USA, was a leader in passing landmark civil and women’s rights legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Women’s Business Ownership Act, and the Equal Pay Act.