By Suzanne Davis, Baker Tilly
June 15, 2018

“What if we did something to get the women attendees together?”

 Years ago, there weren’t many women in government contracting, so there weren’t many women at the PSC Annual Conference. That was my first year at PSC. By the next year, the idea of gathering GovCon women executives at the Conference morphed from a question of “what if” into reality. This year, we celebrated our 14^th annual Women’s Networking Breakfast at PSC with about 70 women attending!

 The breakfast has become a vibrant mainstay of PSC, mirroring the growth and evolution of women leaders in government contracting. Here are six insights on the Women’s Networking Breakfast at PSC, touching on how it started, what’s changed and where it is today.

1. Our Small but Enthusiastic Start. The first year, there were about 25 women at the Breakfast. From the start, we knew we’d hit on something very special. Our vision was to create a place where women leaders could get to know each other. We hoped the conversations would build beyond the breakfast table, extending into our professional and personal lives. And that’s exactly what happened. Many Breakfast introductions have become lasting friendships and business relationships.

    

2. A Mix of Structure and Informal Networking. Early on, each woman stood up and introduced herself to the group. When attendance got too large (about 10 years ago), we shifted the focus to table discussions. Facilitation provided enough structure to ensure that everyone walks away knowing 8 to 10 women, not just those seated to her left and right.

    

3. Every Year is Different. Sometimes, we select a topical article for discussion. For example, one year we had an article on “leaning in.” Other years, we prepare conversation-starter questions on personal and professional topics. This year, we collected ideas and feedback about developing a women’s forum within PSC and found out what people would want to see and in what format.

    

4. Our Mission is Unchanged. One thing that hasn’t changed is the goal of getting women in a male-dominated industry to know each other better, help one another and form relationships that benefit their personal and business lives. Every year, we have a mix of women from across large, midsized and small contractors as well as some service providers (attorneys, bankers and accountants).

    

5. Collaboration is Key. When the Women’s Networking Breakfast started to become a reality, I knew the event would be stronger if we had multiple planning sponsors. I’ve always had fantastic co-sponsors at my side. This year, Maria Josephs from TD Ameritrade and Kristen Ittig from Arnold & Porter co-sponsored the event with me and my employer, Baker Tilly. Together, we planned, organized and hosted the breakfast – pulling in others from the PSC planning committee to host and facilitate the tables with us. It works! Pooling ideas and resources while dividing the work allows us to plan great events and to fully enjoy each Breakfast as it happens.

    

6. It’s About Coming Together More Easily as Women. It’s super easy to meet other women when you’re at a dedicated women’s breakfast. It’s been rewarding to see how engaged these women are when they meet each other. Talking to each other and helping each other. It’s not about excluding men. It’s really about helping women come together more easily as women.

“The Women’s Networking Breakfast was the highlight of my conference.”

That comment is from one of this year’s Conference surveys. It reminds me of how valuable the event is to so many of us. It’s been rewarding to see the Breakfast grow over the years and, if what we’re seeing in the GovCon industry is any indicator, the Women’s Networking Breakfast is sure to thrive for years to come. I’m looking forward to the 15^th annual Breakfast next year. Hope you can join us!

 Click here to go back to the 2018 Annual Conference recap.

Suzanne Davis is a director with Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP and leads business development for Baker Tilly’s Government Contractor Advisory Services (GCAS) practice. She is the founding sponsor of the Women’s Networking Breakfast at the PSC Annual Conference. Suzanne is also founder of Executive Women in Government Contracting, a quarterly event series featuring notable speakers from government and industry. The mission of the group is to help executive women build their peer group and stay informed about industry trends.