Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Women in Business club at the University of Oregon is continuing its work to help empower women in new and socially unique ways. 

The Women in Business club at UO was established in 2004 with a mission to help women excel in their fields, regardless of their major. WIB aims to help its members gain a sense of empowerment, make long-lasting professional and personal connections, identify their passions and gain exposure to a variety of career options.

“Aside from invaluable professional experience, networking opportunities and industry insight, WIB has been a source of inspiration in my personal life and in pursuing my professional aspirations,” Rowan Avery, a member, said. “Surrounding myself with strong, motivated female leaders has been a truly empowering experience that will continue to impact my life for years to come.”

The WIB Executive Board has classically done this through a variety of professional speakers, skill-building workshops, panels and site visits so its members can see professionals in their desired fields in action.

Malia Sprague, the vice president of membership on the executive board, is one of the people who organizes the many activities WIB provided to its members. While site visits aren’t an option this term because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sprague said she and her team worked very hard this summer to plan new virtual events and keep the value of the WIB member experience. 

WIB has been able to host a variety of speakers from across the country now that meetings are virtual, Including Shannon Emmerson from Southern California who works in global ad operations for Disney-owned channels like National Geographic and ESPN, and Blue Stiley, an author from Seattle.

The annual Mentor/Mentee Program is another WIB experience that’s gone virtual this year. The program matches an upperclassman in WIB to an underclassman based on their general interests and fields of study. Sprague said the club went deeper in their pairings this year, hoping they would “create lasting relationships and friendships, not just business connections.” 

WIB announced their pairings last week and have already heard from members that they’re ecstatic about the people they have been paired with. The mentors and mentees will meet via Zoom around week 10 to replace WIB’s annual stress relief activity, which the club canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Typically, WIB would host a gala with 100 professionals as a networking event once a year. However, they’ve also had to cancel the gala this year because of the coronavirus.

In addition to the virtual mentoring program, Sprague and the WIB Executive team have organized virtual study groups, virtual book clubs, a journalism committee and the Ambassador Team to adjust to the changes and regulations that come with COVID-19 and social distancing measures. 

The Ambassador Team is a group of women from WIB who encourage new memberships and strengthen the club’s community by connecting members with each other.

Sprague, who has been a member of WIB for two years, said she feels the club has been a beneficial experience that shaped the person she has become, as well as the direction she‘s going in professionally. She said she also feels she’s gained a lot of exposure to a variety of professionals and careers during her time with the club.

WIB holds bi-weekly meetings via Zoom on Tuesdays of even weeks. WIB is still accepting new members who can join here.