WEST Wisdom Blog

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 10.2% of households in the US were food insecure at some point during 2021. That means approximately 33 million people, in the US alone, were unsure of where their next meal would come from at least once during the year. The UN reports estimates that between 691 and 783 million people were food insecure, internationally, at least once during 2022. What can we do to decrease those numbers and render food insecurity a problem of the past? What kind of work would it take to address food insecurity on a global scale?

Topics: STEM, Career, Community, Interview, Culture, Leader, #MemberSpotlight, Member Spotlight, Industry, Inspiration, Role Models, Board of Directors, Grow, Strong Women, Strong World

In July, WEST said a heartfelt thank you to the previous leadership and welcomed several new faces. Elena Spencer moved from Vice President to President, Karin von Hodenberg stepped into the Vice President role, Kristen Lorentz joined the leadership team as the Treasurer, and Jen Reilly is returning to the Clerk role. With all these new faces, WEST wants to allow our community to get to know your leadership a little better. Read our conversations with the new WEST leadership members below.

Topics: Leadership, Team, Community, Leader, Women in STEM, Annual Theme, Board of Directors, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Strong Women

For many summer is a great time to start a great new book. From poolside summer reads, to midflight professional development, there's a summer read out there for everyone. If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself standing in a bookstore somewhere fully intent on picking out a great book to take on your next trip and wind up either not knowing what you want to read and spending an hour perusing books only to leave empty handed hoping to read reviews on Google later, or you'll leave with 4 or more books debating which to start first. 

Topics: Board of Directors, Book Club, Career Development, Holiday, Summer Reads, Grit

Being part of a Board of Directors can seem like an exclusive, illusive position. It can seem like no matter how much you would really love to be part of an organization’s success, how much you’d like to support a nonprofit’s goal, being on the Board of Directors can feel out of reach. For many, it’s not that it’s out of reach, it’s that there isn’t always a clear path or easy to find information on requirements, process, support, or even general guidance on where to begin. 

WEST knows the true value that each Board Member brings to an organization. We are always grateful for the insight, excitement, and endless pursuit of our mission that our Board Members and Advisory Board Members bring to WEST. Knowing how important Board Members are to an organization, WEST is thrilled to be bringing the event “Get on Board: Inside the Board of Directors” to our community.

Topics: Community, Giving Back, Panel, Networking, Industry, Business, Influence, Developing Your Skills, Board of Directors, Career Development, Empowerment, New Opportunities, #WESTevent

There are many reasons why women should sit on a board, as this experience is highly beneficial to both the organization and the member. I had the pleasure of interviewing the three panelists for the upcoming “Get on Board Event” at WEST and I found some common themes I would like to share with you. In this blog, you will get a peek into the wisdom of women who have had the experience of sitting on important non-profit, private, and public boards, and hopefully, it will entice you to come to the event to learn more about how you too can get on board. The 12/15 panel discussion is free to WEST members.

Topics: Best Practices, Leadership, Women, Career, Community, Resilience, Mentoring, Success, Women in STEM, Professional, Resources, Tools, Board of Directors, Values, Support, Leaders, Impact, Career Development, Learn, #WESTorg, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Experience

Celebrating WEST's 20th Anniversary with 20 stories of impact.

Topics: Events, STEM, Women, Transitions, Career, Awards, Community, Giving Back, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Entrepreneurship, Network, Giving, Job, negotiation, Leader, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Connect, Balance, Inspiration, Role Models, Delegation, Developing Your Skills, Volunteer, Board of Directors, Confidence, Leaders, Book Club, Impact, Career Development, New Opportunities, Mentor, Inclusion, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, 20th Anniversary, Grow

Celebrating WEST's 20th Anniversary with 20 stories of impact. This week's stories are from Chesley Chen, Maria Lalioti, Joseph Lehar, Anna Li, Enith Morillo, Makeda M, Liz O'Day, and Elizabeth Wu.

Topics: Events, Leadership, Women, Transitions, Career, Awards, Community, Giving Back, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Entrepreneurship, Network, Giving, Job, negotiation, Leader, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Connect, Balance, Inspiration, Role Models, Delegation, Developing Your Skills, Volunteer, Board of Directors, Confidence, Leaders, Book Club, Impact, Career Development, New Opportunities, Mentor, Inclusion, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, 20th Anniversary, Grow

Katherine Andersen serves as Head of Life Science & Healthcare Relationship Banking at SVB, which covers growth companies from Series A investment all the way up to Middle Market. She also sits on the Board of Directors for SVB's Joint Venture in China, SPD Silicon Valley Bank. Her team spans the U.S. and focuses on providing advice and delivering specialized solutions in the areas of biotech, tools, diagnostics, healthcare services and IT, medical devices and digital health. 

Topics: Leadership, Science, Career, Interview, Women in STEM, Member Spotlight, Rockstars, Inspiration, Role Models, Board of Directors, Leaders, Career Development, Advocate, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave

Mariana Nacht, Ph.D., is the Chief Scientific Officer at Cereius, a Biotech startup in North Carolina. She has been a WEST board member for 5 years. Mariana works with scientific personnel on science strategy to meet goals, get funding, and build a successful company.

Topics: Leadership, Science, Career, Interview, Women in STEM, Member Spotlight, Rockstars, Inspiration, Role Models, Board of Directors, Leaders, Career Development, Advocate, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave

Innovation and all the benefits that stem from it, are correlated to board diversity. Regardless of whether you’re planning to join a board, you should be aware of where organizations that impact your life sit on the spectrum of board diversity. 

Check out some of the best infographics in the Missing Pieces Report: The 2018 Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards. Download the complete report, a multiyear collaboration by the Alliance for Board Diversity and Deloitte here.

Topics: Events, Women, Science, Career, Community, Panel, Cambridge, Network, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Innovation, Professional, Biotech, Connect, Board of Directors, Leaders, Impact, Own It, Diversity