Mieko Ozeki Vermont Womenpreneurs is our guest speaker today. https://vtwomenpreneurs.com/
May 3 CSH Budget Vote.
May 6 RaceVermont event, one more volunteer needed.
May 6 is also Green Up Day. Links are available in 4/18/23 Rotary update.
May 20 is “Spin into Spring” spinathon at The Shelburne Athletic Club. The event will have 7,8,9 am start times. $20 per session. Our social media sites will be out soon.
May 24 is Charlotte parking event, 2:30 – 5:00 pm, volunteers needed.
Dan requested confirmation from the club for Farmer’s Market volunteers. It was agreed that the sign up genius will be used, providing opportunities for members to sign up for specific dates. Dan and John P will manage the sign up genius.
Little Free Pantry in Hinesburg – Lee is leaving the State and the club is is stepping in to stock the pantry. The plan going forward will be shared soon.
Diana introduced Mieko. She currently owns Radiance Studios and is mom to a seven year old daughter. She currently serves on the Governor’s Commission on the Future of Vermont Agriculture and has served on several other councils and commissions.
Mieko founded VTW (for profit) in 2017 after attending a class with Lisa Woods on the topic of being a solopreneur. Lisa suggested the class “get together” and connect. She met her co-founder Bethany Andrews-Nichols and they organized the first Meetup event, for which fifteen women showed up. She did not anticipate the popularity.
Their first “showcase´ (not a pitch for their business) was a TedTalk/The Moth blend and ninety women purchased tickets to attend. From there they started monthly meetings.
The group converted to Zoom during the pandemic, reconvening in 2022 for their first Showcase since the shutdown. Two hundred and thirty women attended. They collaborate with a plethora of non-profits such as Mercy Connections and they assist members with funding, accounting, etc by directing the women to the help that they need within the membership model.
Carrie advised Mieko that a book would be presented very soon in her name to one of the libraries in one of our three towns.