Five Columbia Alumnae Participate in Women in Leadership Workshop

July 29, 2019

In mid-June, five Chilean alumnae, sponsored by the Santiago Center, traveled to New York to participate in an intensive three-day Women in Leadership Workshop, held on campus.

While it has been proven that inclusive leaders and inclusive organizations outperform those that are not, women remain underrepresented in all levels of management. The “Women in Leadership: Expanding Influence and Leading Change” program - taught by Columbia Business School professors, women’s leadership practitioners and business leaders - is designed to help elevate the impact of women leaders, employing online tools, interactive lectures, inspirational talks, and workshop exercises for individuals and groups.

Applications for the scholarship were open to Columbia alumnae living in Chile and working in academia, non-profits (think-tanks, foundations, NGOs), government, international organizations, media outlets and start-ups. The five Chilean women, who were selected by a special committee at the Executive Education Team in New York among 22 applicants, are:

“The Women in Leadership course was a great experience. It allowed me to delve into the challenges that women face in their professional careers and learn about the latest academic studies regarding gender,” said Aninat. “It was especially revealing that the results of these studies were in line with the experiences of our classmates: women from different countries, professions and sectors. This shows that we still have a long way to go in terms of women's professional development. And that the challenges are individual and also for institutions, companies and of society as a whole.”

“Positioning theoretical and empirically studied ideas in the field of public policies is undoubtedly a skill that needs to be exercised,” added Palacios, who highlights her learning in strategic communications, branding and interpersonal relationships during the course.

The Chilean women leaders expressed gratitude in being able to share this experience with women from all over the world and particularly with their Chilean counterparts during three demanding days that required much reflection and analysis. They also expressed optimism in being able to incorporate gender issues into the national discussion.

“Returning to Columbia was already attractive enough. Spending a few summer days in New York, even more so. But without a doubt, the added value was provided by the quality of the course and its exhibitors,” noted Lama.