Sharing Knowledge to Grow Girls Inc. of Greater Madison

GIGM staff had the opportunity to travel to Minnesota to learn more about how other Girls Inc. affiliates operate.

May 13, 2022 |

Goodman Director of Strategic Impact Sara Nowakowski poses with a group of Girls Inc executives from across the U.S. and Canada.

Goodman Director of Mission Impact Sara Nowakowski (left side, second row) had the opportunity to meet with Girls Inc. women leaders from across the U.S. and Canada.

At the end of April, members of our Girls Inc. of Greater Madison (GIGM) team took a trip to Minneapolis to meet with other Girls Inc. leaders, as well as visit Girls Inc. in Minneapolis, which is a project of the YWCA there.

Goodman Director of Mission Impact Sara Nowakowski, whose department oversees GIGM, joined other Girls Inc. affiliate directors at the National Executive Leadership Roundtable event. She had the opportunity to gather with executives from roughly 40 different Girls Inc. affiliates from across the United States and Canada, as well as Girls Inc. National staff.

“Some of the attendees were brand new to Girls Inc., while others have been with girls Inc. for 20+ years!” said Nowakowski. “It was an amazing supportive network of strong, powerful and experienced women leaders.”

Four women stand in front of the YWCA in Minneapolis smiling for the camera.

As part of the trip, Nowakowski and Assistant Director Girls Inc. of Greater Madison Pahoua Vang spent time with leaders from the Minneapolis Girls Inc. affiliate.

Topics covered at the roundtable included creating a consistent, network-wide culture of “brave spaces,” where everyone can share and hear differing opinions and engage in courageous conversations, as well as updates and strategic direction for the Girls Inc. Network.

While they were in Minnesota, Nowakowsi and Pahoua Vang, assistant director of GIGM, took the opportunity to visit the Minneapolis Girls Inc. affiliate, which is under the YWCA in Minneapolis. They met with program leaders there and each team shared how they manage and operate Girls Inc. under the umbrella of a larger organization.

Both women leaders had a great experience and came back energized and ready to apply what they learned to their work with Girls Inc. of Greater Madison!