2023 has been an exciting year for the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce (riselincoln.org). In addition to launching our Vitality Lincoln strategic plan and partnering with the Nebraska Military Department and the Lincoln Airport Authority to host the Guardians of Freedom Airshow, we also significantly expanded our programming for the women of Lincoln’s business community. Through the support of the JoAnn Martin Leadership Legacy Endowment and the announcement of the Lincoln Chamber taking on RISE as one of our programs, we enthusiastically hosted five unique events as a platform for women to connect, learn and grow.

In January, it became clear that RISE was something special; something the women of Lincoln were passionate about and something our team was honored to offer to the business community. Over 125 women gathered at Ameritas for our first RISE event to learn from each other and elevate their connections. It was the perfect launch for RISE and set the tone for what would be a successful year, which included a RISE & Give event hosted by Lutz and Lincoln Community Foundation, an opportunity to support woman-owned businesses with a market at Haymarket Park hosted by NEBCO and a panel discussion at Duncan Aviation featuring women in traditionally male-dominated industries, presented by the Harriet Petersen Fort Heritage Fund.

We were also excited to grow our complimentary RISE coaching communities, adding new certified coaches and offering women the opportunity to elevate their professional growth through the power of coaching. Throughout the year, 10 coaching communities of 8 – 12 women were led by the RISE certified professional coaches, focused on a variety of topics relevant to professional development. By continuing to add new professional coaches for this program, we were better positioned to meet the growing demand for this unique component of RISE. We extend our gratitude to our RISE coaches, who dedicate their time and expertise to make our coaching communities possible. Learn more at riselincoln.org/coaching.

We were also honored to receive support from the JoAnn Martin Leadership Legacy Endowment for our annual Women in Business event. This endowment was established under the stewardship of the Lincoln Community Foundation in honor of one of Lincoln’s greatest business leaders to support the women of Lincoln in business and leadership roles. This endowment helped to fund our keynote speaker, Change Enthusiasm Global CEO Cassandra Worthy, at our Women in Business event, which we host each year in partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business. We are grateful to the family of JoAnn Martin for their support in honor of JoAnn’s unparalleled leadership.

We are proud to serve the business community of Lincoln; a community with a strong history of remarkable women in leadership roles. Taking on RISE as a new Chamber program and receiving the support of the JoAnn Martin Leadership Legacy Endowment has helped our team to significantly expand our investment in the future of women in our community. We are looking forward to an incredible lineup of RISE events in 2024 and encourage all women who are interested in learning more to visit riselincoln.org.

The Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to improve the lives of Lincoln residents by providing increased economic opportunity and can only be accomplished together. For more information, contact Derek Feyerherm at dfeyerherm@lincoln.org.