Collegiate Women in Business (CWIB) took a break from discussions pertaining to internships, networking, and other typical “business” topics and instead turned their focus to another important subject: philanthropy.
The November meeting last Wednesday opened up with a video call from Bridget Ryan Berman, Chief Experience Officer at ENJOY. She is a proud Virginia Tech alumna who has held multiple prestigious positions with companies such as Ralph Lauren, Apple, and Victoria’s Secret. Despite reaching great successes throughout her career, Bridget has not forgotten the importance of giving back.
Reese, Bridget’s son, was diagnosed with bilateral clubfoot when he was born. He started treatment for it at a very young age and his clubfoot was eventually cured. Today, he is a successful tennis player at his high school. After this painful journey that Bridget and her husband endured, they wanted to help people in other countries with this birth defect who do not have the means to get treatment.
Nearly ten years ago, Bridget and her husband started MiracleFeet, a non-profit 501C that provides organizational, technical, and financial support to public clinics that provide treatment to kids born with clubfoot. Each treatment procedure only costs $250! They started in Brazil and now they have 180 clinics in 24 different countries. As of today, MiracleFeet has treated over 27,000 children! Following Bridget’s testimonial on her career and philanthropic work, CWIB members were invited to ask her questions, where she shared some insightful thoughts on the importance of giving back.
When asked why philanthropy is important to her, Bridget responded with, “Philanthropy is about giving back and helping important causes. It is some of the best work and the most important work.” For Bridget, clubfoot was a cause she wanted to contribute to because her son was diagnosed with it, so she has a personal connection to it and became passionate about helping others with the same ailment.
After Bridget’s segment of the meeting, Cara Yates, Philanthropy Chair of CWIB, talked about the Women’s Resource Center, the organization that the club supports. They work to prevent, educate, and provide resources for people affected by domestic violence and sexual abuse. Their long-term goal is to end sexual assault in the area and empower women.
After the meeting, Cara shared her thoughts on philanthropy in general and the Women’s Shelter. While talking about her passion for giving back, she noted that she “loves the domino effect that giving back can have; there is no telling how far your reach can be if you just help one segment of people. Here in CWIB, we are so fortunate to have the resources we do and we should utilize them to not only empower ourselves, but also to empower others around us.”
In regards to the Women’s Shelter, Cara loves that they practice inclusivity. They practice this through the people they help, their board, and their staff members. Do you want to help out? Check out their website! They have numerous volunteer opportunities as well as information on how to make monetary and tangible donations.
At the end of the meeting, CWIB members composed letters to people who may need to use the services at the Women’s Resources Center. When a woman who is going through a difficult situation receives a positive and thoughtful letter like the ones members wrote, it might make her day more than we can imagine!
Philanthropy is all about connecting. From finding a charity that you are passionate about to potentially meeting the people who benefit from that organization, you are making connections. It is all about finding a healthy balance. It is definitely important to work towards your own goals and worry about yourself, but giving back does so much good and is incredibly rewarding.