Aspen: Women of Influence Luncheon

I like to attend the Aspen Business Luncheon whenever I can. It’s hosted every week with a different speaker and covers any topic you could think of—from joint replacements to entrepreneurship, with speakers from former Secretaries of State to Directors of Important Things In Aspen. Yesterday’s, however, was one I couldn’t miss: Aspen Women of Influence: Women Seeking Impact. 

The email promised: “Join these four women as they discuss their passions and experience, and hear how they are creating change in Aspen and beyond.” The players:

• Kitty Boone, Vice President, Public Programs, The Aspen Institute
• Catherine Anne Provine, Executive Director, The Buddy Program
• Nancy Spears, Chief Executive Officer,  genConnect
• Laura Welch, Chief Development Officer, Foundation For Social Change
• Moderator: Carolyne Heldman, Producer of CrossCurrents, the weekly public affairs show, Aspen Public Radio

I was lucky enough to be late enough to sit at the lunch table with the panelists, which started things right off. Once they began speaking, the women fearlessly delved into discrimination, passion, connection, family life, working, expectations, and more. They were very different with different backgrounds but had several things in common: they all loved their work, they all appeared to take no bullshit from anyone, and they all respected and genuinely liked each other.

The Aspen Business Luncheon was, up until a mere two years ago, only open to men. It was only fitting then that the panel address discrimination. I loved Catherine Anne Provine’s take on it (what follows is my paraphrasing, not direct quotes): discrimination opens your mind. Women are better at connecting because they don’t judge first, they allow a person to show what they bring to the table. Audience members asked how we can get women to not discriminate against or judge other women and the panel agreed with Laura Welch: it starts inside. You can’t join, you have to shift the energy.

All four women had stories to tell about being discriminated against, but most impressive about the whole panel was the independent, no-bullshit attitude. Kitty Boone said: “Do we really approach our jobs as women? No. I just do my job because I love it.” And then later offered this advice to young women starting out their careers: “It doesn’t matter what you choose to do with your life, just do it. Do what you love.” You have to have the guts to do anything. “Make it happen.” She then laughed and said, “We have more fun than men.”

Moderator Carolyne Heldman even jumped in when an audience member asked how to address the salary gap (women still earn 30% less than men for the same job), saying: “Go in like a warrior.” She reiterated that a salary negotiation isn’t emotional, it’s business, and we have to expect to be paid highly, no apologies.

Much of the rest of the discussion centered on passion and how important it is to work. The passion can be for a cause, for people, or for money, but passion is just really important, all the panelist concluded. They also cited connecting people as being a primary inspiration in their work. At the end of the luncheon, I couldn’t agree more with another audience member, a young woman like me but who owns two businesses in Aspen, who asked, “How can we have breakfast with you guys?” It’s inspiring to hear women talk about their own adventures in business, but as they all stressed connections in there work, it comes down to connecting with other women, across generations.

As I get ready to launch my new business (teaser!), my passion, I can’t wait to get more involved with other women in business and CONNECT.