Liysa Callsen, the founder of Women Wine and Whiskey, is hosting a networking event on Friday, March 8th to celebrate International Women’s Day. Discussion at the Manitowoc event will center around the International Women’s Day theme: #balanceforbetter. The International Women’s Day website notes it “is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance.” Liysa originally started Women Wine and Whiskey in 2015 based on the foundation of laughter and inspiration. She saw the need for a different type of networking, noting that she had attended numerous events before, but none felt quite right. As a professional speaker, improv performer, standup comic, networking guru, and event planner, Liysa creates networking events based on connection. She shared her belief that “when we share stories, we connect. And when we connect, we learn and grow.” The group’s name came from women sharing their stories of the smooth (Wine) and tough (Whiskey) times. Women Wine and Whiskey took a small hiatus after 2017 when Liysa found herself driving all over the state, trying to host events in numerous different areas to reach the more than 50 members. She relaunched the group in January of this year and is now only focusing on the Lakeshore area. Members do have to pay a fee, but they get access to the newsletter and mixer meetings, a private Facebook page, membership directory on the website, discounted fee to events, surprise little trinkets, and access to Liysa’s network and advice. She has created numerous valuable connections for members and receives a lot of positive feedback on her events. Currently, the majority of members are business owners with less than 10 employees. Others are independent contractors and executive leaders in corporations. Anyone is invited to the International Women’s Day event on Friday, which will be held at Beacon Organizational Consulting on Washington Street. No reservation is required, and guests are free to bring coffee or lunch to the event which begins at 12:00. Liysa guesses the event will last about an hour, with people free to stay longer to continue networking and making connections. How can you help forge a more gender-balanced world? Or raise awareness against bias? How can we best take action for equality? Come to the International Women’s Day event on Friday to engage in genuine conversation around these important topics and to celebrate women’s achievement. You can connect with Liysa to find out more about Women Wine and Whiskey or visit her website at www.womenwinewhiskeynetwork.com.
