The following press release was sent into us today:
Linda McMahon, Partners Launch New Startup Promoting Women in Leadership
Women’s Leadership LIVE Aims to Educate and Inspire Women Toward Leadership Roles
February 03, 2016 11:27 AM Eastern Standard Time
STAMFORD, Conn.—-Linda McMahon, co-founder and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), has partnered with Stacey Schieffelin, founder and president of ybf Beauty; and social media strategist Debbie Saviano to launch a new company aimed at promoting leadership opportunities for women.
“Even in 2016, women are clearly underrepresented in leadership”
“Our goal is to build a world where women obtaining and exercising power is both expected and commonplace,” McMahon said.
Women’s Leadership LIVE, LLC, will organize live events featuring workshops, keynote speakers and panel discussions and will offer ongoing mentorship opportunities. It aims to educate women on how best to launch and grow a business, advance their careers toward leadership roles, and identify and pursue leadership opportunities in public service.
“Even in 2016, women are clearly underrepresented in leadership,” McMahon said. “Women are 51 percent of the population but only 20 percent of Congress. Women earn the majority of college degrees but on average only make 78 cents on the dollar. Women make 80 percent of household spending decisions, but only 5 percent of Fortune 500 companies are led by women. Only 17 percent of corporate board members are women. This is not about setting quotas, but about having a diversity of perspectives and experiences in decision-making roles. We are making progress, but there are still glass ceilings that need to be cracked.”
Each of the three founders has extensive background in entrepreneurship, leadership and reinvention.
McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of WWE. She and her husband, Vince McMahon, grew the company from a 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees in offices worldwide. WWE has fans in more than 150 countries and is a social media powerhouse with more than 27 million followers on Facebook. She was twice nominated to represent the people of Connecticut in the U.S. Senate.
Debbie Saviano is a social media design strategist and expert in online influence. She put herself through college driving a school bus, earned a teaching degree, and later became a school principal, leading five campuses from pre-K to high school. After retiring from education, she launched a new career as a social media expert, helping people and organizations develop and maintain relationships through the power of ROI – Return on Influence via social media.
Stacey Schieffelin is the founder and president of ybf (Your Best Friend) Beauty, a cosmetics company that sells products on TV shopping channels worldwide. She built her entrepreneurial career after 20 years as a model with the Ford Modeling Agency. She rang the New York Stock Exchange’s opening bell on behalf of the non-profit Count Me In to celebrate the power of women-owned businesses. She was named Connecticut’s Female Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012.
The first live event will be in Irving, Texas, May 19-22. Participants will have an opportunity to sign up for deeper training through ongoing mentorships lasting three, six or twelve months.
“There are many organizations that support women in business, but what will set Women’s Leadership Live apart is the community and the follow-up that will emerge after our live events,” McMahon said. “Research has shown that women who had mentors usually have higher rates of success than those who didn’t. Each of WLL’s founders has previously mentored women in business on a more informal basis and know it’s that ongoing support that makes the difference.”
More information can be found online at womensleadershiplive.com.
Contacts
Women’s Leadership LIVE, LLC
Kate Duffy, Communications Director
203-324-2010
kate@womensleadershiplive.com
