Alumni Network Engagement Award
In 2021, the Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Network (HKSWN) reached nearly 3,000 alumnae through more than a dozen events. The Network’s success relies on its growing footprint around the globe and it now celebrates 50 city chapters with a mission to connect, support, and amplify the efforts of HKS women and gender-nonconforming individuals in authentic, meaningful, and powerful ways. This includes activities such as welcoming new HKS alumnae, meeting with prospective students, and planning informal group gatherings.
“Around the world, our chapters are strengthening the community through meaningful interactions and topic-based discussions—much like we had while we were students at HKS,” says HKSWN co-chair Theodora Skeadas MPP 2016. “For example, the Boston chapter organized successive small group dinners, and our London chapter has been particularly busy, organizing several different panel discussions to engage alumnae on a variety of topics.”
The global footprint now includes many U.S. cities such as Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.; and international networks in Bangalore, Beijing, Bogota, Brussels, Cairo, Copenhagen (Scandinavia), Delhi, Guatemala City (Central America), Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Israel, Johannesburg, Lausanne, London, Madrid, Manila, Mexico City, Mumbai, Nairobi, Paris, Rabat, Seoul, and Singapore.
“The growth of the HKS Women’s Network to 50-plus chapters and 75-plus chapter leads globally has empowered alumnae to connect with others in their cities and regions around the world, and in doing so, fostered relationship-building and impact globally,” Theodora says.
“We are grateful to receive this year’s Network Engagement Award and so proud to be a part of such an incredible group of HKS alumnae.”
HKSWN events have included: the HKSWN mentorship program, gender parity in the maritime sector, a time management workshop, financial literacy for women series, and women and artificial intelligence series.
“We are grateful to receive this year’s Network Engagement Award and so proud to be a part of such an incredible group of HKS alumnae,” says co-chair Andrea Blinkhorn MPP 2016. “The HKS Women’s Network was founded with the mission to connect, amplify, and support the work of HKS alumnae all around the world, and over the past few years, we’ve been able to strengthen our bond with one another as members and help each other through tough challenges. We’re looking forward to continuing to grow and provide meaningful opportunities for alums to connect with each other.”
—
Photographs by Martha Stewart