Earlier this year, WIN hosted its 2019 Educational Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. During the three days, members listened to a variety of speakers that discussed the theme of “Navigating Tomorrow Together.” One of the keynote sessions featured Headbands of Hope founder, Jess Ekstrom. Back in 2012 after an internship with a wish-granting organization, she found that kids loved to wear headbands to express their style and personality after experiencing hair loss with chemotherapy cancer treatment.
After her session, the 200+ WIN members attending the conference participated in creating headbands that were later donated to children with cancer at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital located in Hollywood, FL. Long-time WIN sponsor, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, sponsored the event which provided the headbands and decorations that were used, and to show continued support, they also purchased 50 headbands directly from HeadbandsofHope.com and donated them on behalf of WIN.
“It was amazing to see how 200+ women were all impacted by Jess’s story,” says Amanda Seyler, WIN Conference Committee Member. “There was laughter, tears, and some great key learning points during Jess’s time with us. Everyone had their heartstrings pulled when we got to tell them that the headbands we created were going to be donated to children at the cancer center! It was such a special event.”
WIN is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization. WIN recognizes excellence, promotes leadership, and fosters a network specifically for and among women. WIN drives industry sustainability by developing women through education and connections. For more information go to www.womensindustrynetwork.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.