On November 28th, the Young Women’s Alliance invited Sujata Ajmera to speak at our Monthly Speaker Series event. As a nationally recognized immigration attorney, partner at Strasburger & Price LLP, Austin Under 40 “Austinite of the Year,” and active member of the community, Sujata has aimed for and accomplished goals that many of us in YWA aspire towards.
At our Speaker Series, Sujata dug into her past and identified the four elements that had the biggest impact on her success:
- Authenticity
- Mentorship
- Community
- Communication
Speaking on Mentorship, Sujata stressed the importance of having both a Champion and a Sponsor in your network of mentors and knowing how each can help you in different ways. It is the mentees responsibility to schedule recurring meetings, keep in touch with the mentor, and be communicative about their goals. The Mentee needs to own the relationship.
For the Young Women’s Alliance, our value of community is evident through our community outreach opportunities, connections with local organizations, and annual grant to the Girl’s Empowerment Network. Sujata spoke about how being community-focused catapulted her success.
If you want to be on a Board of Directors, she advised serving on a non-profit board first. Join a board of an organization that you are passionate about. Be selective and attend a Board Meeting to see how they interact.
To close the evening, Sujata echoed an important reminder, “As you climb, lift.” As ambitious women, we must lift up and support women doing amazing work.
Thank you so much to Sujata Ajmera for speaking at our last Speaker Series of 2018.
On January 16th, we will kick off 2019 by welcoming Carly Pollack, an accomplished speaker and author. Remember members are free and guests are welcome for only $18. RSVP here!
