We are a community of women who need each other. Your presence matters more than you may realize. The women around you matter more than they may realize.

It is easy to say, “Someone else will volunteer,” or “I will ask my friend how it went,” or “I got home and just didn’t feel like going.” But what if you chose differently? What if you chose to show up?

• Be the woman who goes.

• Be the introvert who is terrified but still walks through the door.

• Be the one who decides that connection is worth the discomfort.

• Be the woman whose experience becomes someone else’s encouragement.

In a world filled with AI, deepfakes, and constant noise, the human touch has never been more essential. We need real conversations, real encouragement, and real presence. We need the compliment that brightens someone’s day, the story that shifts someone’s perspective, and the compassion that reminds someone they are not alone.

Community is not a duty. It is an opportunity and a privilege.

And you never know what might shift when you show up. Our lives are shaped by serendipity. The chance encounters, shared stories, and unexpected moments of support often shape our journeys in ways we could not have planned.

Last year, at a WLC networking event, a woman in the room shared something that stayed with me. She said, “I spoke with a 10, and I am a 1.” How often do we silently rank ourselves or others based on career, confidence, clothing, or assumptions? What if we erased the numbers? What if we showed up with a clean slate, ready to listen, ready to learn, and ready to grow simply by being present?

I want to encourage you and gently challenge you to show up for yourself and for the women who need what only you can offer. If you have been blessed with experience or success, come be a source of encouragement. Be a listener. Be a go‑giver. If your life has not turned out the way you hoped, come as you are. Your story matters. If you are an introvert, come scared. Courage counts even when it is quiet.

If you are struggling or doubting, come anyway. You belong here.

With so much shifting in our world and economy, agency begins with connection.

• Take agency by stepping out of your comfort zone.

• Take agency by choosing community.

• Take agency by meeting the incredible women who are already here, waiting to meet you too.

We need each other. And we need you!

Warmly,

Rebecca Muradyan, Board Member