The connections, hard work and mutual support behind the success of women leaders were on display this week at the second annual Women’s Leadership Forum & Reception presented by the California Chamber of Commerce.
The March 3 gathering was punctuated by applause, laughter, hugs and tears as the featured speakers shared their stories of how they reached their positions of leadership and influence.
Women’s Leadership Council Chair Raji K. Brar opened the program with the reminder that CalChamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrera is the first woman to hold that post.
Brar went on to note that in California, the fourth largest economy in the world, 40% of businesses are owned by women, as reported in the University of Southern California study commissioned by the council last year.
“Women are building companies, creating jobs and strengthening communities across our state,” Brar said. “Women — we do more than just raise families. Well-resourced women raise nations.”
Council member Fiona Hutton, founder and CEO of Fiona Hutton & Associates, said that this year marks her company’s 25th anniversary. Knowing that only 15% of businesses survive for 25 years, she said, makes her feel “a little jazzy” as she looks back through “all the trials and tribulations and hardships and the exhilaration” of those years.
Diversity
Cassandra Pye, president of Lucas Public Affairs, moderated a half-hour discussion with panelists whose backgrounds exemplified the diversity of women leaders:
• Raji K. Brar, COO of Countryside Corporation in Bakersfield, and CalChamber Women’s Leadership Council chair. Her first foray into business was 28 years ago with a Subway sandwich shop in Arvin. The family-owned and -operated company has grown to add other franchises (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut), plus farming, shopping centers, and construction in Kern and Tulare counties.
• Jillian Pinney, founder and president, Chix Cabinets Direct, Inc., Roseville. Pinney started out in construction 22 years ago. She founded Chix Construction in Virginia Beach, Virginia before moving to California eight years ago to start Chix Cabinets.
• Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), chair, California Legislative Women’s Caucus. Raised on a small farm — before the Future Farmers of America (FFA) began allowing women to join — Aguiar-Curry ran for student council and played basketball, among other pursuits. She was mayor of Winters before being elected to the Assembly in 2016.
Recurring themes in the panel discussion were the importance of working with people, mentors (women and men), community connections, internships, and networking in growing and developing the pool of women leaders.
Women’s Leadership Council
The California Chamber of Commerce established the Women’s Leadership Council (WLC), a subcommittee of the CalChamber Board of Directors, to elevate the voice of women in business. Chaired by Raji K. Brar, COO of Countryside Corporation, with Ariel Roblin, president and general manager of KCRA-TV, serving as vice chair, the WLC brings together accomplished leaders from across industries to strengthen the presence and impact of California’s women business leaders.
The council fosters connections with key decision makers in state government and highlights the vital contributions of women to the state’s economy. For more information and a full list of council members, visit calchamber.com/wlc.
