Women’s Networks Matter
I am a strong believer in the power within every woman to help her fellow woman through any stage of life. While the men of the world compete to do battle on the field, in the workplace, and on the front lines, we women of the world prefer to tend, befriend, encourage and support each other. As our economy and our workforces become increasingly collaborative, reliant on social networks, driven by ‘friending’ behavior and demanding of well-honed listening skills, there’s never been a more exciting time to be a woman in the business world. I believe in and embrace the tenet that women think different and remain a competitive and collaborative advantage to the teams, workplaces and communities where their differences and strengths are fully embraced and welcomed. Here are a few networks to help any woman garner the support and advice she needs to go the distance without feeling alone:

The Levo League – Content and community for young, professional Gen Y women
Women 2.0 – Female founders and women entrepreneurs
BlogHer – What women online are saying, a blogging community for women
85 Broads – 85 broads is a global network of trailblazing women who are inspired, empowered, and connected

Women’s Colleges
I never intended to go to a woman’s college. I thought I was destined for Georgetown to pursue a degree in International Relations until my high school mentor and AP English teacher lamented she was ‘disappointed’ that I had not applied to Smith (her daughter was an alumn and accomplished laywer). I had never even heard of it until that moment, and at her suggestion applied, was accepted, and to my own surprise (and my parents’), I decided to attend Smith. I fell in love with the campus, the collegial community of young women, and the small class sizes, but did not fully realize how being an alumna of a woman’s college would change my life for the better. My life experience holds proof that the women from Smith who were mentors to me along my career path, who helped inspire me to succeed, to take risks and dare to be different, helped shape the course of my life for the better.  From the Smith alumn (now CFO of Accenture) who offered me my first job, to the dozens of women who encouraged me to start my own business, I owe it to other young aspiring women to ‘pay it forward’.

Numbers Don’t Lie – Women Who Believe They Can Succeed, Do
‘Why Women’s Colleges are Needed‘ sheds light that only two percent of women college students choose to attend a single-gender college. However, graduates of women’s colleges have made some remarkable achievements. These are some statistics from the Women’s College Coalition (www.womenscolleges.org):

Of Business Week’s list of the 50 women who are rising stars in corporate America, 30 percent received their baccalaureate degrees from women’s colleges. 33 percent of the women board members of Fortune 1000 companies are women’s college graduates. Of all the women members of Congress, more than 20 percent attended women’s colleges. 20 percent of women identified by Black Enterprise Magazine as the 20 most powerful African-American women in corporate America graduated from women’s colleges. Nearly three-quarters of the women’s college graduates are in the work force. Almost half of the graduates in the work force hold traditionally male-dominated jobs at the higher end of the pay scale such as lawyer, physician or manager. Nearly half of the graduates have earned advanced degrees, and 81 percent have advanced degrees.

Here’s a list of women’s colleges to consider for your daughter, or for yourself:
Smith College
Wellesley College
Mount Holyoke College
Bryn Mawr College
Barnard College

Women and Money
There is absolutely no reason why a woman should not view herself as capable of wealth and power. Men do, and usually ‘overdo’. Women don’t do [this] enough. It’s time to change that mis-perception. Here are some empowering financial sites specifically geared toward women:
LearnVest – financial site for women who want to be money-savvy, founded by a woman
DailyWorth – a community of women who talk money
MsMoney – financial peace of mind for women
Women’s Institute for Financial Education – pardon the bad acronym, W.I.F.E. is a non-profit organization for women seeking financial freedom

Inspiring Content for Women
Here are a few sites that ‘get women’ and provide a more encouraging, inspiring view of the world and women’s power to shape it:
Ms. Magazine – more than a magazine, a movement. for women unafraid of the words ‘feminist’ and ‘feminism’
Jane Nation – a micro-research and social media marketing company that specializes in connecting brands with women
She Takes on the World – blog for career-oriented women and women entrepreneurs
Women Entrepreneur – the ‘woman’s version’ of Entrepreneur.com