By Mary Mares-Awe—THE CHICAGO CHAPTER RECENTLY held a Women’s Empowerment Forum at the University Club of Chicago. The forum focused on women in leadership roles, and examined some of the influences, motivations, and inspirations that helped them achieve top positions in their fields.
The event, which took place on Oct. 5, was organized in partnership with the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago. Vice Consul Veronica Boksova opened the meeting followed by an introduction by Fulbright Chicago President, Dr. Edel Jose, who moderated the forum.
Some 40 participants including the Consul General of the Czech Republic, Jakub Uteseny and Sergejus Tichomirovas, Commercial Attache of the Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania, visiting Fulbright scholars, Fulbright alumni and students attended.
The panel featured Vera Komarova, CEO of Dermacol, a flagship makeup company in the Czech Republic. She traveled to Chicago to participate in the forum. Also part of the panel were Marketa Klicova, a PhD student, and a researcher in nano technology with an internship at Harvard University, and Nicole Robinson, CEO of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago.
The forum coincided with the National Women-Owned Business Day, and also the National Do Something Nice Day. Those two concepts were woven into the topic and discussion of the day. The three panelists shared highlights of their background in the business, science, and community service fields. They related how the influence of mentors, their own experiences, and education lead to their current leadership roles.
Nicole Robinson, who after spending many years at the corporate level, said she felt a strong need to take her experience and knowledge and apply it working with the community. She spoke with great enthusiasm about the many programs at the YWCA designed to empower women. She emphasized the importance of education for girls as she described the science and math focused programs. She relayed her own story of growing up on Chicago’s south side, as a young girl and how her grandmother instilled in her a love of books and learning. “ My grandmother who moved to Chicago from Arkansas worked hard, and she knew the importance of education. She always brought home books for me,” Nicole recalled.
Marketa Klicova, who is currently working on developing new approaches to postoperative intestinal healing using nano technology, credits her parents who were very supportive and influential in her becoming a scientist. She says there is a great future in the application of nano science technology in the medical field. She’s been working as a researcher at Harvard University in the field of nano technology and its application in medicine. She said it’s important for young girls to develop their interests early and focus on STEM studies for their future careers.
Vera Komarova, CEO of Dermacol, a Czech makeup company with a history dating to the early 1960’s when it became an integral part of the Czech movie industry providing make up to film starts of the silver screen and television. She mentioned how growing up, “I was a tomboy, not much interested in make up or dressing up” but all that changed when she grew up. She partly credits men for their advice that led to her becoming a business leader. “My first boyfriend wanted me to study languages, so that I could be a stay-at-home mom to our future six kids and work from home as a translator,” she said with a smile. That relationship did not last, but her interest in language and business studies did. She speaks five languages. While still a student, she obtained an internship at the Ferrero Rocher chocolate company in Italy. The owner of the company noticed her office skills and recommended she move up to the marketing department, where she learned valuable business skills.
As the CEO of Dermacon, Vera has been named for eight consecutive years, one of the most influential women in the Czech Republic by Forbes Magazine. Just as Nicole and Marketa, Vera highly values education. In addition to her CEO role, she founded the Leonardo da Vinci Academy in Prague. “Leonardo da Vinci said, ‘if you live a long life, you have to make yourself useful, ’ ” she said with a bright smile, explaining her reason for starting the international school.
On a more serious note—as for the importance of promoting women in leadership, the panelists agreed that women sometimes are not as supportive of each other as thy ought to be. All acquiesced that women should make more of a consorted effort to help other women get ahead though mentoring, friendship, or just being “nice” in order to help other women get ahead in their careers. Petty jealousy doesn’t help anyone, it just creates problems,” one of the panelists added.
The forum was followed by a reception where the lively discussion continued in small groups.
FULBRIGHT CHICAGO 