April 2024 Board Member Newsletter Article
Breaking Barriers: Women’s Basketball and Women in Business
Christine Fenner
President
Waconia Area Chamber of Commerce
In the parallel arenas of women’s basketball and women in business, team leaders remarkably navigate through challenges with resilience and determination. While attending Winter Institute at the University of Arizona Tucson campus this past January, I attended my first NCAA Women’s Basketball game to witness the Wildcats take on the Colorado Buffaloes. As a casual observer attending with new chamber friends from Kansas and Georgia, I watched fans file into the McKale Memorial Center with excitement and camaraderie. During the tight, high energy game, I experienced the players’ immense athleticism, determination, and drive.
As a new enthusiast of NCAA women’s basketball, I found myself taking notice of the sport with standout players like Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes. I was inspired by what a role model she’d become for young athletes and was in awe of her record-breaking performances (and noticed numerous #22 and Hawkeye shirts, especially when the Big Ten Tournament was in town). To finish out the season, I tuned in to catch the NCAA Women’s College Basketball Championship. No matter the outcome of the final game of the season, I was encouraged by both teams’ determination to show that anything is possible.
As in basketball, I’ve also observed women in business showcase their talents, resilience, and excellence. Over the past few years, there has been a local uptick of women turning their passions into profits by starting their own business. For over a decade, I’ve worked directly in the Waconia community and have experienced women entrepreneurs navigating and overcoming immense challenges. Whether it’s employment issues, funding obstacles, work/life balance struggles, stereotypes, difficult regulations and laws; these trailblazers continue to break barriers and persevere with grace. Last, I’ve proudly watched many pay it forward through mentorship and support showcasing that everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
An example of mentorship and support has been demonstrated through our newly established Women’s Connect initiative; a focused network designed specifically to encourage, support, and create resources for professional women entrepreneurs and leaders. At the inaugural meeting, we began the discussion with an icebreaker question, ‘If you could teach a 1-hour course on any topic, what would it be?’ The discussion was fascinating and I was highly impressed with the undiscovered level of expertise in the room. Some of these newly revealed talent areas lead to a future luncheon topic on ‘How to Unburden your Business and Win Your Day!’ through organizational tools; and also, a Waconia Young Professionals development learning opportunity on the topics of AI and Canva. At each future Women’s Connect roundtable-style meeting, we’ll continue to build connections, foster growth, and dive deeper into specific topics. The theme for the next meeting is on confidence and dreaming big.
In the parallels of women’s basketball and women in business, roadblocks will remain inevitable. Conversely, there continues to be a shared spirit of determination, talent, and strength of women breaking barriers and paving the way. And as chamber leaders, we’ll continue to be cheerleaders and champion supportive environments and opportunities in every arena of life!