In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Radio Milwaukee has been highlighting stories about empowering and inspiring women in Milwaukee. We’ve introduced you to the women of 88Nine and our very own Dori Zori did a DJ takeover playing only music by women.
This week’s community story video introduces you to two local entrepreneurs creating more networking and collaborative spaces for women entrepreneurs in Milwaukee. Meet the women of Boss Ladies MKE.
Watch the video above to meet Justine Sloan and Diana Yusufov, two local entrepreneurs who founded the Boss Ladies MKE organization and presented at this year's Women's Entrepreneurship Week.
When Sloan decided to make the leap into entrepreneurship, she started out by visiting local networking events to meet other local business owners. She found it hard to fit in and relate with older, male-dominated the crowd.
“I was really looking to connect with other women who I can relate to,” said Sloan. “They always say create things you wish existed and that’s exactly what I decided to do… One of the first boss babes that came to mind was Diana.”
Together Sloan and Yusufov formed Boss Ladies MKE – a networking and referral resource group for women entrepreneurs in Milwaukee. The member-based group meets monthly and hosts large events focusing on women in business.
Women in the group are encouraged to network and collaborate with each other, but above all else, they are there to support and uplift each other because entrepreneurship is not easy. Women are encouraged to share experiences of struggle and success in order to encourage mentorship and guidance for women aspiring for entrepreneurship.
This network allows women to work with each other and support each other’s businesses as well.
“I think the biggest thing with us boss ladies is we’re resourceful,” said Yusufov. “Having that tribe, we can really depend on each othereveryone does something different.”
For updates on the next Boss Ladies MKE event, and details on how to become a Boss Lady yourself, follow the group on Instagram and Facebook.