Connecting Women in biohealth

Women in Biohealth (WiB) is dedicated to supporting and uplifting women in the biohealth industry.

Who we are

Women in Biohealth (WiB) was started in the fall of 2017 to provide a platform to empower and connect women in the biohealth community. Biohealth encompasses biotech, medical devices, digital health, diagnostics, and medical research. We are currently not a nonprofit organization but are utilizing BioForward, an association representing Wisconsin’s biohealth industry, as our fiscal agent and marketing entity.

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Get Involved

As an inclusive network, WiB provides mentoring, professional development, and an environment for women and allies to connect.  No membership requirements! Just connect with the group in person or online.

Celebrating Connection at the Women in Biohealth Coffee Networking Event

This morning, Women in the Biohealth (WiB) community gathered at Colectivo on the Square in Madison for a delightful and empowering networking event. The event provided a perfect start to the day, offering a relaxed and welcoming environment for professionals to...

Celebrating Wendy Harris: A Milwaukee Business Journal 2024 Woman of Influence

We are thrilled to announce that Wendy Harris, the Regional Innovation Officer at the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, has been honored as one of the Milwaukee Business Journal's 2024 Women of Influence. This prestigious recognition highlights her significant...

WiBxTEMPO Madison – Board Readiness Workshop

In today's landscape, the importance of board diversity and inclusion is increasingly under the spotlight. On Wednesday, March 13, WiB and TEMPO Madison's Project Reach had the privilege of putting together a thought-provoking discussion where TEMPO's experts shared...

Unveiling Career Advancement Secrets: Insights from Women in Biohealth Event

In the dynamic and ever-evolving world of biohealth, career advancement can sometimes feel like navigating through uncharted territory. However, at the recent Women in Biohealth event, titled "Pulling Back the Curtain on Career Advancement & Networking Mastery,"...

Empowering Women in Biohealth: Unveiling The Unwritten Rules of the Workplace

Last week, the Women in Biohealth event, held at Catalent's facilities in Madison, Wisconsin, unfolded as a transformative evening dedicated to empowering women in the workplace. The event, aptly titled "The Unwritten Rules of Being a Woman in the Workplace," aimed to...

Empowering Women to Revolutionize Boardrooms: Insights from the WiBxTEMPO Board Service Info Panel

WiBxTEMPO Board Service Info Panel Recap At Exact Sciences, a powerful and enlightening event unfolded amidst a gathering of 72 incredible women. Women in Biohealth, in collaboration with TEMPO Madison, orchestrated an evening that left attendees with a newfound...

Women in Biohealth (WiB) Hosts a Successful Networking Event with 90+ Attendees

The Wisconsin biohealth community witnessed an empowering and exciting Women in Biohealth (WiB) networking event on Tuesday, July 18th. The event, which took place on the Findorff Patio, brought together 90+ women and advocates for women, creating a vibrant and...

Join us for a celebration of Women’s Equality Day!

THURSDAY - AUGUST 25TH - 6:00 PM Old Sugar Distillery, The Rickhouse 931 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703 Our keynote speaker and expert panel will explore the importance of centering the voices & perspectives of those who experience overlapping and concurrent forms...

Our mission

  • Provide a platform for women in biohealth to connect and uplift one another
  • Deliver opportunities for professional and leadership development
  • Facilitate cross-country and industry career mentoring

Our founding partners

BioForward Wisconsin Logo
BioForward Wisconsin Logo
BioForward Wisconsin Logo

Upcoming Events

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Meet the Steering Committee

Leadership Teams

Following the pandemic, the steering committee recently led sessions to rejuvenate WiB and discover what would bring the most value to the community. Those sessions led to the development of new leadership teams that would be empowered to lead initiatives for the community with the support of the Steering Committee.

Professional Development & Networking

Interested in encouraging professional growth and connection?  The Professional Development / Networking Leadership Team’s focus is on development and execution of seminars, workshops and networking events that focus on career and professional development.


Action steps:

  • Gauge member interest and needs in various professional development topics in order to guide event planning (e.g. résumé tips, leadership, personal development, negotiating, etc.).
  • Identify potential speakers or trainings/workshops.
  • Responsible for managing speakers and/or reference material.
  • Connect and/or partner with outside organizations for event planning, hosting, potential sponsorship, and to foster participation.
  • Publicize upcoming events via social media channels.
  • Secure venues and vendors to suit the needs of upcoming events and manage all logistical details from event setup to take-down.
  • Ensure good communication with the WiB Steering Committee to foster the execution and scheduling of the event.

Estimated Time Commitment:  2-4 hours/month

Steering Committee Lead: Christina Thomas-Virnig, UW-Madison
Margaret Elvekrog, Exact Sciences

Advocacy

The Advocacy Leadership Team will be multi-dimensional. First, this team will strive to advocate for women in executive and leadership roles and on board of directors. Second, we will propose legislation that is important to provide equality to women in the biohealth industry and all industries. 

Action Steps:

  • Board of Directors Resource Directory: Develop a resource directory of women, their bios, for being candidates on board of director positions. Work with marketing team in promoting this resource statewide and posted on WiB webpage.
  • Legislative Activities: Research activities in other states, industries, and develop proposals on how our organization/industry can legislatively advocate for women. Issues impacting them and how can we, collectively as a powerful voting bloc, influence legislators?

Estimated Time Commitment:  3-5 hours/month during the first few months of organization. 1-2 hours/month once advocacy team goals established and tasks assigned.

Steering Committee Lead:
Maci Camara, BioForward

Community Outreach/Education

Women have made huge strides in the biohealth and life sciences fields. Still, we need to keep those accomplishments at the forefront and make sure that we are securing the future for the next generation of female-identifying scientists. The community outreach team will partner with leading companies, universities, hospitals, and other organizations to host highly engaging, educational, and motivational programs for young students interested in biohealth. Join our WiB Community Outreach Leadership Team to participate in the solution and give back to the community. 

Action Steps:

  • Market the opportunity to the community
  • Coordinate schedules when requests come in
  • Make presentations onsite at your employer
  • Travel to make presentations at schools or libraries

Estimated Time Commitment:  2-5 hours/month depending on role within the group

Steering Committee Leads: Grace Maass, URP
Rissa Guffey, BioForward

Mentorship

Do you want to build more meaningful connections in the Women in Biohealth community? Join our WiB mentoring program. Women within the biohealth field wish to grow their networks and learn from someone with more professional experience to get ahead in their careers. Others are looking for opportunities to give back to the biohealth community by offering their knowledge and expertise.

Participate as mentor, mentee or join the WiB mentoring leadership team. 

For mentors and mentees:

  • Mentors and mentees convene for regular one-on-one meetings, either in person or online over a three-month period.

For WiB mentoring leadership team:

  • Follow previously created WiB mentoring material to plan administrative timeline
  • Host WiB mentoring information session
  • Host WiB mentoring end-of-program celebration
  • Match participants
  • Coordinate communication among WiB mentoring leadership team and with program participants
  • Ensure good communication with the WiB Steering Committee to foster the execution and scheduling of events
  • Organize and execute 1 round of WiB mentoring program
  • Coordinate and facilitate new “circles” groups to foster group mentoring

Estimated Time Commitment: ~20 hours/year

Steering Committee Lead: Michele Smith, UW-Madison

Circles

As part of Women in Biohealth’s initiative to build community and support women in biohealth, we are launching our first series of circles! WIB circles will allow you to connect with fellow women in the community and provide the platform to discuss topics, learn from each other, and answer questions on your career.

A WIB circle will consist of fellow WIB women and will meet once a month for 1-2 hours, depending on what circle moderators decide.  Each circle will consist of 8-12 members including 1-2 moderators who will bring topics to the monthly WIB circle meetings. The format for these circles is structured around Lean In Circles applying what has worked well for other professional women.

Today there are more than 33,000 Circles in over 150 countries. Circles meet everywhere from living rooms to company cafeterias—and they are spreading from city to city and country to country by word of mouth. The best part is, they work: 85 percent of members attribute a positive change in their lives to their Circle. Women are asking for more, stepping outside their comfort zones, and leaning in.

More general, regular lean in circles are forming to provide more opportunities to connect. Let us know if you would like to participate.

Wonder-ful Women

Moderated by Christina Thomas-Virnig

In this circle, we will recognize the talented and powerful superhero in all of us.  Discussion will revolve around our expertise, professional expectations, and the challenges we have experienced. Through these reflections hopefully, you will identify your short term and long term stretch goals.  At each session, we will determine topics of discussion for the next circle meeting.

Skill Set Savants

Moderated by Michele Smith

One of the key areas we as professional women find challenging is owning our own value. I would like this circle to be a group that, among other things, encourages us to recognize, acknowledge, and utilize the skills, abilities, and experience we’ve gained in both our personal and professional lives.

Mentoring

Women in Biohealth (WiB) Mentoring is a mentorship program designed to create connections among women within the biohealth field. Mentees benefit from the experience of their mentors to guide them in achieving their professional goals. Mentors can give back to the biohealth community by sharing their knowledge. 

We are currently underway with our 3rd year of mentor matches. We have had 19 successful matches this year. The 2024 program wraps up the week of May 20th, 2024.

Stay tuned for our 4th matching season this fall. 

Mentors and mentees will convene for regular one-on-one meetings, either in person or online. Both parties agree to meet six times within a three-month period as their schedule allows, with a recommendation to meet biweekly. Support is provided by program administrators in the form of kick-off and wrap-up meetings, check-in emails, and guiding worksheets. 

WiB Mentoring is appropriate for professionals at all experience levels who are looking to make connections within the biohealth community.

View the info session PowerPoint