Networks Work
Professional interest groups assist in climb up the ladder
In an international marketplace, building a diverse workforce to complement a multicultural client base has become a crucial business strategy. This is why Boston’s constellation of special interest networking organizations is so important. These groups offer multicultural professionals more opportunities than ever to build career connections that will help them and the companies they join.
Over the last five years, says Greg Almieda of Global View Communications, there has been “an explosion of recognition of these groups,” as corporate Boston grasps the need to reach a more diverse talent pool and new consumers. Whether based on ethnic identity, gender, sexual orientation, or professional affiliation, these “micro-communities” offer members opportunities for social connection and professional development among people of similar backgrounds and aspirations, says Almieda, who is on the board of the Latino Professional Network (www.lpn.org)
African American groups have historically had a strong presence in Boston, under the aegis of organizations like the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (www.ulem.org), which sponsors the Young Professionals Network (www.ypnboston.org), and The Partnership, which since 1987 has been a major force for promoting the careers of African American executives, and now extends its services to all professionals of color (www.thepartnershipinc.org).
With more than 20 years experience and around 200 members, the Boston Chapter of the National Black MBA Association (www.bostonblackmba.org) offers “great networking, professional development, and educational opportunities,” according to president Renée Malbranche. The group hosts a monthly professional development program open to members and non-members, offers job-matching services, and pioneered a mentoring program for high school students, “Leaders of Tomorrow,” that has been adopted nationally.
The first national Latino professional association in the U.S. was the American Association of Hispanic Certified Accountants, now the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA). President-elect Yvonne Garcia says the Boston chapter (www.alpfaboston.org) has nearly 1,000 members, including students, and more than 25 corporate sponsors. The group’s work in promoting career development for women (the chapter hosted a pioneering “Women of ALPFA” event last July) reflects the fact that women make up nearly half of the local membership.
Boston’s diverse Asian community represents a vast resource in terms of income and education levels, says Almieda, who has worked closely with the Asian American Civic Association (www.aaca-boston.org). But stereotypical views of Asian submissiveness and obedience cramp progress up the corporate ladder for too many talented people, says Sherry Chan, vice president of the Boston chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (www.naaap boston.org.) With a focus on professional development that encourages members to be more assertive and proactive, Chan hopes to boost the current tiny percentage of Asian Americans holding senior management positions.
The Boston area has the sixth largest gay and lesbian community in the country, according to Tony Daniels, chairman of the Greater Boston Business Council (GBBC). Founded in 1990, the GBBC (www.gbbc.org) is the only gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered chamber of commerce in the area, and one of the largest in the state, with more than 1,400 members. “If Bank of America wants to reach out to the gay and lesbian community, we’re a conduit. If members want to shop gay-friendly businesses or services, they’ll find them in our business directory,” says Daniels. A vice president at Sovereign Bank, Daniels also sees GBBC members as role models for young gay people, affirming that they can live successful professional lives without compromising their essential identities.
“It’s not just about career,” says Kae Williams of the Boston Women’s Network (BWN) (www.bostonwomensnetwork.org.) Although BWN is affiliated with the National Association of Female Executives, over the last two years the focus has been “to help women in all aspects of their lives,” says Williams, including health, financial planning, and work-life balance. A traditional approach has worked well for the South Shore Women’s Business Network (www.sswbn.org), which has just celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. “Membership grows when the economy is poor,” says Executive Director Debbie Anders, and she notes that more than 20 percent of the group’s members are savvy male business owners who know that women make over 80 percent of consumer purchasing decisions.
New connections spring up all the time, as the dictates of diversity demand. And that’s good news for Boston’s ambitious job seekers, whatever networks they use. 