Happy May! 

As I pen this month’s message, it’s about as gloomy and cold here in Madison, as it was one month ago. This time, there’s no gorgeous view from a St. Martin terrace, only my back sunroom that is trying oh-so-hard to bring in what little light is sneaking in through the gray skyscape.  Whenever spring finally decides to show up, I’ll be sure to head outside and enjoy it while it’s here. 

Today, I am feeling proud.  I am proud that TEMPO Madison continues to prove that it is on course with our mission to help elevate women of diverse backgrounds to their highest professional levels.  We’ve come to be a group of women dedicated to supporting one another.  Allow me to summarize some of the events and activities TEMPO Madison members took part in last month.  These events not only showcased our support of women but also reflected how we can become their advocates and allies.

Who better to discuss the importance of being an ally to women than Missy Mael Co-Executive Director of RCC (the Rape Crisis Center) of Dane County? April was Sexual Assault Awareness month.  We learned some hard truths at our luncheon about the prevalence of women who have been the victims of sexual abuse and assault. It leaves scars both physically and emotionally, robbing women of their self-confidence as so many incidences of abuse go unreported. Later in the month, RCC sponsored a free Chimera self-defense class.  At the class we learned some assertive communication techniques and self-defense moves we can use in situations when we feel we are not being treated as we wish or are not being heard.  It was an eye-opening class for me personally and it left me wanting to learn more and offer these classes to my mostly female staff.

Another example of TEMPO Madison’s commitment to being an advocate and ally to women was our latest Leadership Series Event.  Our Leadership Series, which now has a six-year history, has been providing relevant sessions and events to elevate women leaders. This event’s theme was Building Relationships: How to Make Meaningful Connections.  We heard from a panel of women leaders who have built success by making meaningful connections throughout their lives.  They shared examples of being a mentor, mentee and advocate for themselves and other women. Their personal stories were moving and inspirational to us all.

We also celebrated our very own Executive Administrator, Erin Fabrizius. She was named by BRAVA Magazine as one of their 2022 Women to Watch.  She is part of this year’s group of ten diverse women chosen for their leadership, work championing change and advocating for women, all in the name of building a better future for our community.  After a few pandemic related delays, BRAVA’s soiree was held last month to honor the recipients.  If you get a chance, take a moment at our next event to chat with Erin. She’s a fascinating woman and we are lucky to have her on our leadership team.  

Finally, as an offshoot to our TEMPO Madison Scholarship Program, we ‘soft-launched’ a mentoring initiative last fall, with the initial goal of reconnecting with our former scholarship recipients, now college students.  The TEMPO Madison board is working on a proposal to create an official Mentoring Committee whose charge will be to advocate for and be mentors not only to our scholarship students but also for our newer TEMPO Madison members. Think of it as a support system to help our newest members feel that they are connecting with TEMPO Madison and that they have an ambassador who can help them engage and get the most of out their membership.  On the student side, we are working on building connections between the students and TEMPO Madison members.  We will have more information to share as the initiative gains approval. It is just another example of TEMPO Madison exploring ways in which we can live up to our mission, which at its core is about being allies for women.

Cheers and see you soon!

Elaine Rich, TEMPO Madison President

Project REACH is focused on increasing the number of TEMPO Madison members on business boards. Women are currently underrepresented on public and private business boards in Wisconsin and across the country.

Since its formation in 2019, Project REACH has:

• Launched a Database of Board Candidates, which includes 17 board bios and counting! 
• Held eight workshops aimed at breaking down barriers to attaining board seats and developing corporate board skill sets. 
• 64 TEMPO Madison members have taken at least one Project REACH workshop.
• Members of the TEMPO Madison Project REACH steering committee recently presented as keynote speakers at the Wisconsin Chapter of the ESOP Association's spring conference about the importance of diversity on business boards.
• Project REACH Co-Founder Kim Sponem highlighted the mission of Project REACH in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story

Project REACH is now in its Connections Phase. During this phase, the steering committee members plan to reach out to other groups and individuals to inspire them to serve as advocates for our members in their pursuit of business board positions. 

If you have business board connections to share, please contact Project REACH Co-Chairs Shana Lewis and Patti Epstein. 

Add Your Board Bio to Our Database!

Project REACH has been working closely with ML Wattman, an expert on crafting board bios. She has led two very successful board bio writing workshops for us.  If you are interested in developing a board bio with ML in a one-on-one setting, you can contact her at: mlwattman@1920west.com. She charges $100 to review a draft board bio and $250 to create a bio for you. 

If you already have a board bio, please email it to Patti Epstein or Megan Purtell. 

Dear TEMPO Madison Colleagues,

2020 and 2021 were interesting years for TEMPO Madison!  We've learned how to network, engage, and provide support in a hybrid world. 

At the same time, we have an eye toward the future and are planning a variety of initiatives and events to keep our mission strong: 

To lead, engage, and connect influential women of diverse backgrounds and experience to help them succeed at the highest professional levels in our community, 

All of this takes investment, of course, and your Board and Executive Administrator made several decisions to help members remain connected, retain membership, and continue to attract new members.  Here's a sample from the last 2 years:

• Membership initiation fees were waived for 2020/21 and parts of 2021/22 so as not to create a barrier to entry for potential new members
• We heavily subsidized networking events and Project REACH programming to allow more people to participate or lower registration fees
• We held membership dues to 2014-15 levels
• We significantly upgraded our organization's operations by contracting with Erin Fabrizius (much needed!). Erin is our sole contracted staff and runs all aspects of TEMPO Madison. She has helped lessen the work load for our volunteer Board of Directors and has helped professionalize our organization.  

To provide this much-needed support, and with the Board's approval, we've dipped into our reserves over the last two years to cover operating expenses. 

This is OK - that's what the reserves are there for.

And, we must, with respect and fiduciary responsibility to this organization as well as our future health, begin the 2022-23 fiscal year with a balanced budget. 

What that means to you is:

• We may need to increase dues this year.  Note the last dues increase was a modest $10 increase in 2014-15.  If this proves necessary, we'll give you ample notice and keep that increase to a minimum
• We'll require that networking, Project REACH, Executive Development and committee events break even.  That means the investments that you make here will be covering our costs fully, and we will not be dipping into our remaining reserves to cover expenses.

How you can help!

• New and ongoing members are our lifeblood - 95% of revenue.  Help us identify and recruit women of TEMPO Madison-caliber, and participate fully so you're taking advantage of all the benefits you get with your membership!
• Become a GEM sponsor!
• Sponsor an event that you find particularly inspiring.
• Keep your suggestions coming for events & benefits - your ideas are fantastic and give us both direction and programming for the future!

There are exciting days ahead - let's do this together!

Sincerely, 

Susan Thomson, TEMPO Madison Treasurer 

Happy April! 

When I left Madison last weekend for Spring Break it was 26 degrees outside with a windchill of 6. 

As I write this month’s message from a patio overlooking the Caribbean Sea, it’s hard to imagine that winter still hangs on back home, but I remain hopeful we’ll have a mild month.  For a moment of quiet escape, see attached photo. 

This month marks the start of our board working on next year’s budget.  While our new fiscal year doesn’t begin until July 1, 2022, I have been thinking lately about the value that our membership fee provides us.  For the sake of our newest members, but also for those of you seasoned members who could benefit from an update, here’s a breakdown of some of the benefits your membership provides you.

1)    Monthly luncheons- which have returned to the Madison Club as of last September.  It feels so good to interact with one another in the warm and inviting Madison Club Terrace Room.  The club staff is working diligently to provide us with great service and wonderful food, a not-so-easy task with a pandemic-induced shortage of workers.

2)    Two newsletters per month- We know how you busy women like to stay informed and mark your calendars with upcoming events.  That’s why a while ago we increased our communications frequency to twice monthly so you can always have the latest information on all things TEMPO Madison.  I especially enjoy our members making the news items.

3)    The printed member directory- How many of you noticed the return of our printed directory this year and rejoiced?!  Yes, it’s a low-tech means of accessing fellow-member’s contact information, but I love it nonetheless!  Much work goes into making sure you have the most up-to-date member information and headshots. 

4)    Access to networking events- While the pandemic has given us an opportunity to get creative with networking events, we’ve still managed to provide engaging, relevant and fun events for members.  Look for even more in-person options in the coming months.

5)    Access to TEMPO Madison clubs- We have many, such as our two book clubs, WOWzers group, No Strings Attached, Scholarship program and our newest group, the Kiva Lending Team.

6)    Livestream Options– While it became absolutely necessary during the pandemic to provide a livestreaming option for our luncheons and other events, we’ve decided to keep providing this as an option so that you can continue to have the flexibility to tune in remotely when you prefer it. 

7)    Assistance with securing corporate board seats and access to our board biography database. Through the efforts of our Project Reach program, we now offer you the ability to build your board bio and summary which highlight your amazing qualities, experience and talents.  The goal of posting our board bios and summaries is to get more women to sit on paid corporate board positions.  If you have not yet worked on your board bio and would like some help, please contact our co-chairs Shana Lewis or Patti Epstein.  I’m about to post mine soon and could never have done so without this group’s guidance! 

As I close this month’s message, I am proud of the member programs, events and benefits that TEMPO Madison has built over its 40-year history! I believe that as long as we continue to keep member satisfaction a top priority and strive to provide an environment where every member feels heard and supported, we will stay a strong organization for many years to come and leave it in great shape for the next generation of leading women!  

All my best,
Elaine Rich
TEMPO Madison President

As the international community turns its attention on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I’d like to take a moment to honor the courage of those that are fighting for liberty, working to restore peace or are otherwise caught up in the chaos.  Particularly the women of Ukraine; mothers, daughters, partners and contributors who are experiencing such uncertainty while trying to keep their families and lives together.  They seem to have a light that will not be extinguished.  My heart goes out to them. 

I see March as a transitional month that moves us into spring.  The calendar may tell us that March 20th is the first day of spring but I for one am never ready to shed those winter clothes for at least another two months!  Speaking of transitions, starting today the Dane County mask mandate is being lifted and the CDC just announced that nearly 70% of the country may be able to go without masks as they are considered low risk for high COVID hospitalization rates.  It’s a welcome and refreshing bit of good news. Add to that warmer weather ahead and we may well be able to start spending more time together in person.    

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, which also happens to fall on our luncheon day this year.  This year’s theme is Break the Bias.  Imagine a world where there is gender equality.  A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive.  It’s a theme that resonates with TEMPO Madison.  Our Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee continues its work on developing a strategic plan and programming to create a welcoming place where differences are valued and celebrated.  TEMPO Madison’s Kiva Lending team was recently formed to help underserved women gain access to capital. We’ll also hear the stories of two Madison area female executives of Food Fight Restaurant Group at our luncheon.  I am going to make March a month of taking action to do what I can to elevate and highlight women’s achievements. 

I have been wanting to share the identity of our 40th Anniversary gala keynote speaker but alas our committee is not quite ready to make the official announcement.  Rest assured, you will know just as soon as we can get the word out. Our goal is for you to experience an evening of jubilant celebration of our 40 years as a powerful, leading women’s organization.  Please consider inviting your family, friends, and colleagues to this open to the public event.  We endeavor to raise awareness of and funds for both our TEMPO Madison Foundation and TEMPO Madison proper so that we may stay strong financially and keep providing you valuable experiences for many years to come. Information on sponsorship opportunities will soon be available. 

One last nod to women, March is also Women’s History Month!  There are countless famous women I could mention in this newsletter, household names even but I encourage all of us to think about some of the amazing achievements of our fellow TEMPO members.  We have 40 years’ worth of incredible member stories.  I have not forgotten my pledge to chronicle more member stories as part of our living history project. More on that to come!

Have a terrific month!

 

Elaine Rich

TEMPO Madison President

Greetings TEMPO Madison Members,

Happy February! 

Well, we made it through another brutal (weather & pandemic wise) January. As we turn the page into a new month, hope for longer days of light and less frigid temps seem to be in the air. I just marked my 50th Birthday on January 30th so I find myself feeling reflective but moving along (headfirst and blindly!) into what may be the next half-century of my life.

As we look ahead into all that February brings us, three items come to the top of my mind.  First, it’s National Black History Month.  I read President Biden’s moving proclamation this morning and am reminded that Black History is American History.  Let’s take time this month to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Americans, past and present while also recognizing that we have much work to do yet in addressing the injustices and inequities of our past. 

You know by now that we always try to highlight TEMPO Madison Members' achievements and accolades in our monthly newsletter section “Members in the News” but please allow me this space to make a special note of the Black American females who have lately touched TEMPO Madison personally- first there is member Frances Huntley-Cooper who is, as we speak, being considered to have the Fitchburg City Hall named after her.  Then we have TEMPO Madison member, the Honorable, Judge Nia Trammell who was recently highlighted in the Wisconsin State Journal column “Know your Madisonian” discussing her first year sitting on the bench as Dane County’s first Black female judge and the awesome responsibility she feels to her community.  Finally, although she was not a TEMPO Madison Member, the late poet and civil activist, Maya Angelou, who was in fact our 20th Anniversary keynote speaker was the first Black American female to be featured on our U.S. quarter. I am humbled and honored to be in the presence of such impressive women!

Second, I have financial wellbeing and access to investment capital on my mind.  I’m excited for our upcoming guest speaker, Linda Lepe, Director of the Consumer Finance and Financial Planning program at UW-Madison.  Her program has graduated two of the four financial planners in my firm!  She is going to discuss how one’s financial wellbeing is about much more than our intellect guiding us to make sound choices, we are more often drawn to behave in manners that do not resonate with our financial values. I welcome learning more about this normal and common disconnect and how we can improve our own financial wellbeing. Our guest speaker’s message provides us with a natural link to the launch this month of our new TEMPO Madison Kiva Lending Team!  All TEMPO Madison members are welcome to join this nascent team whose mission is to expand access to financial capital to underserved communities via crowdfunding loans.  The team’s priority will be to give loans to women owned/operated businesses and projects in the local area.  I’m excited to take part in this team.  Their inaugural virtual meeting will be on February 9th at 4:00 PM.  Hope to see you there!

Finally, I have matters of the heart on my mind.  How can we not take a moment of our lives to remember February as a month focused on love?  I do not simply mean love for your family, significant others and friends, which is at the heart of everything I hold true but also self-love.  So as Valentine’s Day draws near, I wish you all a healthy, safe and loved-filled month.  Do take some time to care for yourselves and recognize that you are cherished. 

With great respect,

Elaine Rich

TEMPO Madison President

Greetings TEMPO Madison Members,

Happy New Year!  My recent travels have put me in Puerto Rico for the start of 2022, and I am feeling blessed to be writing this month’s newsletter with the sounds of the ocean waves coming in through our open balcony.

The pandemic refuses to go away, as you are all keenly aware.  It has changed life as we know it in so many ways for most of us.  Our family will be returning home soon and we just learned of our need to return our children to virtual learning.  Hopefully going virtual will be only for a short while as our community gets its arms around the spread of the Omicron variant.  Once again, we are being asked to be patient and flexible.  I am hopeful that you all are finding ways to navigate these newest challenges with creative solutions and a little grace. 

My family and I love to explore the world.  Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we have still managed to travel these past couple years.  We do it less frequently but with more intention.  Chris and I figure if we have to limit our traveling due to safety, then when we do plan an adventure, we want it to be worthwhile.  Unlike our trip to Italy in the summer when we befriended a local family, we’ve not made any special acquaintances in Puerto Rico but have felt very welcomed here, nonetheless.  San Juan, the largest city on the island and its surrounding metro area comprises over 80% of Puerto Rico’s population.  It is a wonderful and interesting mix of Spanish speaking people and Puerto Rican culture mixed in with U.S. commerce, restaurants and infrastructure.  El Yunque National Forest was a highlight where we spent hours taking in the natural beauty and pure air of a rain forest with its beautiful waterfalls and tucked away wading pools.  Dipping in was cool and refreshing. 

I wonder what you, our fellow TEMPO Members, are doing right now as you welcome in the new year? Perhaps you take it as a chance to start anew with a clean slate?  Will you be making any New Year’s resolutions?  I personally hate the idea of a New Year’s resolution. In the past, when I did bother to make them, I’d only keep them for a couple weeks and that’s after I’d delayed their start until I returned home from vacation.  Justifying my procrastination with the protest “how can you really start a new health kick or exercise plan while amazing food and drink were all around you!?” 

Rather than make resolutions I know I cannot keep, I am choosing to be more intentional this year.  That’s it really, just paying attention to my feelings, how they affect my behavior and in turn, the people with whom I engage.  I intend to be a better listener, more accepting and patient.  If I can spend a fraction of this year remembering these intentions and putting them to use, then maybe in a small way, I’ll have helped make the world a better place.  Change starts from within. 

So, I wish you all a Happy New Year!  I am looking forward to connecting with you at an upcoming event this year.  May you spend the rest of this month and indeed year enjoying just being your amazing selves and seeing where the year takes you.  See you soon.

All my best,

Elaine Rich

TEMPO Madison President 

TEMPO Madison is seeking a dynamic event planner to help manage the execution of our 40th Anniversary Gala on October 8, 2022 at the Monona Terrace. 

This community-wide event will feature a National Speaker, to be announced in 2022, and will draw an estimated 600-800 attendees. 

TEMPO Madison members with event planning expertise are invited to respond to this Request for Proposal (RFP) or to share it with their networks. The scope of the project includes concept development, planning, budget management and assistance with sponsorships, overall event management logistics, including the day-of event coordination, programming, implementation, and analysis.

Proposals will be accepted through Wednesday, January 5 at 5:00 pm.

For more detailed information, and to share the RFP with event planners you may know, click here to download.

Inspired by the July luncheon presentation on Kiva loans, members Becky Steinhoff and Leslie Petty set out to launch a TEMPO Madison Kiva Lending Team aimed at supporting women-owned businesses. Starting today, you can contribute to the TEMPO Madison Kiva Loan Fund! 

The Kiva loan program gives small loans to businesses all over the world, including right here in Madison (https://www.kiva.org/team/madison). These loans often go to small start-ups that can't get a loan through traditional lending institutions. These loans are funded by individuals who make small contributions towards the loan. Then as the business owner pays back the loan, the lender also gets paid back so they can make another loan.

Our dollars will get pooled together so we can make loans from TEMPO Madison. Decisions on which loans we fund will be made by a committee of TEMPO Madison members. Loan updates will be regularly shared on the TEMPO Madison newsletter.

In keeping with the TEMPO Madison mission, priority will be given to women-owned businesses, with an emphasis on lending to women of color. 

How You Can Contribute to the TEMPO Madison Kiva Loan Fund:

1. Visit the TEMPO Madison Kiva Lending Team Page at: https://tempomadison.org/kiva

2. Review the TEMPO Madison Kiva Lending Guidelines. 

3. Make a contribution. There is a $50.00 recommended contribution, but all amounts are welcome!

It's that simple to join!

If you would like to join the TEMPO Madison Kiva Lending Committee, email Becky Steinhoff at becky@spllegacy.org. The committee will meet on a monthly basis. The first meeting will be held on February 9th at 4 pm via zoom.

Welcome to December!

The holiday season began last week, and we will soon be marking the end of the year. I’m feeling grateful for hosting a Thanksgiving Day dinner with family members, many of whom I’ve not seen in person since the start of the pandemic.  Our turkey preparation skills were a little rusty but at the end of the day, we put a tasty dinner on the table. One bright spot out of the pandemic that I am experiencing is a letting go of high expectations. Setting beautiful décor, serving handcrafted cocktails and gourmet food is just not that important. What is important is getting a chance to spend time together. Whatever your holiday traditions or how you choose to mark the passing of another year, I do hope you get the chance to spend time this season with the people you love.

Despite the challenges that the pandemic and economy have thrown at us this year, TEMPO Madison and its members have had many successes for which to be thankful. We continue to hold our member luncheons each month, having gone all virtual from the start of the pandemic last year through to this August. Then in September we held our first hybrid luncheon. This format will continue for the foreseeable future.

Our Networking Committee has creatively put on as many small events for members as possible, hosting outdoor events in the warm months and holding indoor events per existing COVID safety protocols. On December 8^th we will be hosting a holiday floral arrangement workshop at Red Square Flowers and come January 5^th a small group will be welcome to a menu tasting at the Thai restaurant, Lao Laan-Xang on Williamson Street.

Dedicated TEMPO Madison members continue their work on our Project REACH Committee whose mission to help more women leaders get appointed to corporate boards of directors.  It is well documented that our nation has a minority of female board representation. This is exactly where women could be using their talents and unique perspectives to help shape the future of American companies and indeed our society. This project is much needed and timely. Please give some consideration to participating in one of our many events designed to educate us on how we can become board ready. Project REACH's next event is this Friday, December 3^rd at the Madison Club.

Our newly formed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is working on a formal mission statement that we will incorporate into our bylaws, and we will make the DEI Committee a standing committee on our board of directors. Their work involves examining and addressing inequities within our programs and policies, expanding and committing to greater diversity within our board and membership, identifying and advocating resources for underrepresented members to ensure an equitable, inclusive and rewarding experience among other initiatives. The board fully supports our DEI Committee and looks forward to embracing and implementing their recommendations.

We have had many new members join our ranks this year. It is a real testament to the energy and commitment that our Membership Committee and members bring to our organization as they seek out and nominate talented women to become potential new members. It is this energy that helps us keep attracting new members. When I joined TEMPO Madison, I soon volunteered on a committee and found it to be the best way to form lasting friendships with fellow members. Consider joining one of our many committees or clubs to get involved. Thank you for joining new members!

Our 40^th anniversary celebration year is now in full swing. The stories that came out of our kickoff event in October amazed us and left us craving more, wanting to hear the personal journeys of all members. To this end, we will be working to incorporate member stories and interviews to build a permanent record of our histories. More on this project will be announced as we have updates. Also, be on the lookout for an early 2022 announcement that will reveal the identity of our special keynote speaker for our 40^th Anniversary Gala next October.

TEMPO Madison Members, we have so much to be grateful for as we close out 2021 and look ahead to what will be a bright 2022 right around the corner.

All my best wishes,

Elaine Rich, TEMPO Madison President