SAIS WOMEN'S ALUMNI NETWORK

Join our esteemed branding experts Lisa Kopp (SAIS MIPP '07) and Dr. Elisse Wright Barnes, and in a hands-on, practical workshop that will offer participants the opportunity to:

• Critically review their digital presence;

• Gain insight into future career and industry trends;

• Identify a “minimum viable content approach to both Influence audience behavior and learn about their needs while advancing their career and/or business goals; and

• Learn practical tips for leveraging their LinkedIn presence to maximize their personal brands.

Participants of all levels of social media familiarity and use are welcomed. Please bring a laptop, tablet, or other mobile device.

Your registration includes a dinner reception that begins at 6 pm.

For more information and to register, click here.

Join the SAIS Women's Alumni Network (SWAN) DC Hub as it kicks off the 2019/2020 year with a joint happy hour with SAIS's Global Women in Leadership group at Ankara Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant. Whether you are a current SWAN member or are interested in joining, we invite you to come meet our team and learn about our exciting plans for this year! We extend a special invitation to the Class of 2019 to join us! For more information or to RSVP, please click here.

Do you ever struggle when someone asks you the dreaded question: "So, what do you do?" In this interactive workshop at SAIS on May 15th, attendees learned all the ingredients needed to create their perfect pitch: what goes into a memorable pitch, how to structure it, tailor your story and leverage your body language for your audience. They had the opportunity to practice their pitches and receive live feedback. At the end of the event, attendees developed a customizable pitch to can apply in the real world. 

This event was open only to SAIS Alumni.

This SWAN Panelist Discussion was held at the Reform Club, 104 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5EW. For more information on this past event, read our blog post here.

Event organized by the SWAN London Hub

Are you a business owner? Wish you could meet and learn from other SAIS Women Alumnae entrepreneurs? On May 7th, SWAN DC hosted its second quarterly SWAN-trepreneur Roundtable at Teaism in Penn Quarter. During this event, attendees learned about each other's businesses and how we can help each other grow.

This event was open to SAIS alumni only.

On Wednesday, April 10, the SAIS Women's Alumni Network New York hub (SWAN NYC) hosted an alumnae panel discussion featuring Daniela Kaisth ('89), Sarah O'Hagan ('86), and Azish Filabi ('05) on professional and personal development through volunteering and extra-curricular activities, such as serving on boards and through philanthropy. The panelists discussed how they had created opportunities for professional development through their extracurricular endeavors, what they had learned – both hard skills and organizational knowledge – and the mentors they had met along their accomplished volunteering paths outside their professional occupations. The panel presentations were followed by a lively discussion with the approximately 30 alumnae in attendance and a reception. The event was held at the New York Film Academy, which generously opened its doors to SWAN NYC.

In celebration of International Women's Day, SWAN and SAIS’s Global Women in Leadership (GWL) student organization screened Wave Goodbye to Dinosaurs and hosted a happy hour-style reception following the film. We partnered with the organization, Peace is Loud, to bring you the story of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition and their role in the historic peace talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement. Carmen Suro-Bredie, '72, who coached the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, shared her insights with us at the film’s conclusion. After her remarks, attendees went to the Beacon Bar and Grill to continue the discussion, including with Carmen herself, meet fellow SWAN members, and celebrate women's successes.

To get the new year started on the right foot, on January 8 SWAN NYC brought together 30 SAIS alums and current students at the New York Film Academy for an evening of interactive conversations. SAIS alumni rotated around the room between six different stations for six rounds of questions on their personal and professional interests, skills, and professional experiences. The program allowed for alums to chat informally about their experience without the pressure of having to initiate the conversation and was followed by a reception where alums were able to continue the conversation and exchange contact information.

On December 3 the successful SAIS Women's Alumni Network (SWAN) networking skills session was rolled out to the SWAN NYC hub with a panel of four powerful SAIS alumnae relationship-builders from the classes of 1994, 2001, 2006 and 2015. Over 25 alums were in attendance and participated in the interactive skills session and panel discussion on building successful networks, which were followed by a reception.

SWAN is very pleased to focus this year's Evening with SAIS Women Leaders on the Asia-Pacific region and is thrilled to be hosted by the Embassy of Australia! Our fourth annual signature event brings together an outstanding cadre of SAIS alumnae experts on the Asia Pacific region, including America's highest diplomat on Asia over the past year and a half, two of Politico's top 10 experts on China, and GE's former team lead on policy and advocacy for the Trans Pacific Partnership! You don't want to miss this opportunity to learn about Asia-Pacific security and trade issues from our SAIS alumnae experts, as well as celebrate the 75th anniversary of SAIS. The panel will also share their experiences and keys to success as prominent women leaders.

A networking reception will be held before and after the panel discussion, so that you can make better connections with fellow SAIS women! The reception will feature primarily Asian-style heavy hors d'oeuvres, as well as Australian wine and beer.

For more information and to register, click here.

The SAIS Women’s Alumni Network (SWAN) allowed participants to strengthen their networking skills at Building Your Network: Transforming Associates Into Trusted Allies. We conducted exercises to practice tactical skills to build and strengthen relationships to grow participants' networks in the short-term and to successfully guide their long-term careers. During the workshop, we learned from a panel of Johns Hopkins SAIS alumni how they successfully build and strengthen their networks.

Around twenty SAIS alumnae, from graduating classes spanning four decades, met in Brussels on the evening of October 3, for an aperitvo to mark a new, active phase in the SWAN Brussels hub. Women working in academia, business, consulting, diplomacy, finance, foreign policy, government, human rights, IT, and law came together - proof that a SAIS education enables a vast number of vocational paths. The evening was a moment out of busy weeks to reflect on how far these SAIS women have come and where they want to go. They talked about their goals for the SWAN Brussels hub: mentorship; substantive discussions about career challenges and international affairs; fun social events; and strong links with global SWAN and SAIS alumni. It was an evening of companionship, conversation, and canapés. And it promised to be just the start, with much more to come.

Join the SWAN DC Hub as it kicks off the 2018/2019 year with a joint happy hour with SAIS's Global Women in Leadership group at City Tap House, 1250 Connecticut Avenue NW. Whether you are a current SWAN member or are interested in joining, we invite you to come meet our team and learn about our exciting plans for this year! We extend a special invitation to the Class of 2018 to join us! For more information, contact swandchub@gmail.com. Please register here.

Join the SAIS London Alumni Network and SWAN London for some end-of-summer drinks! It will take place on Friday, September 7 at Lamb Tavern, 10-12 Leadenhall Market, EC3V1. Register here and feel free to send questions to swanlondonhub@gmail.com.

SWAN NYC kicked off the 2018-2019 year with an end-of-summer, outdoor happy hour for NY-area alumnae on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at the Wheeltapper Pub on E 44th St. Over 15 alumnae from the classes of 1994 to our most recent grads from the class of 2018 dropped in to connect with former classmates and meet new alumnae, discuss recent career developments, and discuss SWAN activities for the upcoming year. It was a great opportunity to connect!

Join SWAN and the SAIS New York Alumni Club for a special evening of cocktails and conversation with students from the SAIS Women Lead and International Law academic programs after their visit to the United Nations. This event will take place at Lily's Bar in the Roger Smith Hotel (501 Lexington Avenue). RSVP here.

The SAIS Women’s Alumni Network (SWAN) held a dynamic Body Language Workshop and Panel with Irvine Nugent, Ph.D. We learned how to master simple body language techniques and become more aware of how we communicate in our personal and professional interactions.

Join SWAN DC with a happy hour in honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day! In addition to networking, catching up with fellow SWAN members, and learning about SWAN DC's upcoming events, we are pleased to offer you the opportunity to expand SWAN's impact across the globe. Syga Thomas, '08, Chairman of the Thomas Foundation, will discuss the foundation's work on girls' education, particularly Education For All Morocco, which provides a secondary education to girls from rural Morocco. Come join us to socialize, network, and celebrate the education of women and girls at home and abroad!

Join SAIS alumni for SWAN's major event of the year. A wine and cheese networking reception will be followed by a panel discussion featuring prominent SAIS women on today's foreign policy challenges, including Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, humanitarian crises, civilian security, and more. Email swandchub@gmail.com with questions and to register.

SWAN DC invites you to a special opportunity to learn about sustainable agricultural practices and experience ECO-City Farm, a thriving urban farm. The event will include a guided tour of the main farm, a hands on vermi (worm) culture demonstration and a catered "zero waste lunch," featuring a panel discussion with food waste policy and composting experts, including PG County Sierra Club Chair, Martha Ainsworth (SAIS '81), moderated by Sarah Colon (SAIS '00). Register here.

Join SWAN and the New York Film Academy for a dynamic evening of cross-sector discussion and a film screening on development in Afghanistan. Sarah Sewall, Speyer Family Foundation Distinguished Scholar at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs and former Undersecretary to the Obama Administration, will provide her expert insights into the country. Beth Murphy, award-winning filmmaker from the Ground Truth Project, will then provide first-hand reflections following a screening from her latest documentary, What Tomorrow Brings. Click here for more information and to register.​

The SAIS Women's Alumni Network (SWAN) in conjunction with the SAIS New York Alumni Club and the alumni of the NYU School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs, are pleased to invite you to a panel discussion analyzing the evolving relationship between the Intelligence Community, the National Security institutions and the new Administration, and its impact on foreign policy decision making. The discussion will feature panelists: John E. McLaughlin B’66, ’66, Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence, Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins SAIS; Yaël Eisenstat ’99, Adjunct Professor, New York University and Founder, Kilele Global; Alexandra Rogan, Senior Vice President, Teneo Intelligence; and Patricia Sabga ’95, Special Correspondent, PBS NewsHour Weekend.