Andrea Silbert, Eos Foundation, Harwich Port, Massachusetts
President of this Boston-area foundation investing in community causes that aim to combat poverty, Silbert says political campaigns are one of the best ways to connect with movers and shakers.
A former candidate for lieutenant governor in the 2006 Massachusetts Democratic primary, Silbert has worked on the campaigns of prior Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.
"I met lots of business leaders and people who share my interest in politics and my ideals," she says. "It was great networking and lots of fun. If you do fundraising, you host or co-host events and invite your friends to come."
A partner and specialist in labor and employment law, Ashmus stresses the importance of non-profit boards to his networking efforts. He sits on the boards of the Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Ohio State Bar Association and the National Small Business Administration. He also counts the board of the Westwood Country Club as a client.
"Favorite places to network are generally places where you feel comfortable and want to be for reasons apart from networking," says Ashmus. "If you are doing something you think is important, you demonstrate your integrity, dependability, creativity, etc., to others."
She's the founder and executive director of this Chicago-based women's initiative and has made successful networking her business. A former political fundraiser for Al Gore and other prominent Democrats, she founded POWER Opening Doors for Women in 2004 as a way for professional women to meet and mentor those coming up in the corporate ranks.
The highlight? The group's annual event, which puts the city's established female stars as well as up-and-comers together in one big room where they mix, mingle and later break out to different venues for panel discussions, dinners and - you guessed it - more networking within their specialty areas.
"There's just not enough women in corporate suites," says Smith, who is planning a satellite POWER project in Philadelphia and has designs on Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina and Austin, Texas. "There's still something to be said for people having experience and being able to pass that on."
Senior vice-president, personal financial services for this Midwest financial institution, Biery relies on a host of networking activities to keep in touch.
Along with her involvement on several Chicago-area boards and the Chicago women's networking group POWER, the Smith College graduate is active in the local chapter of her alumni association.
"My alumni network is terrific," she says, noting that she'll periodically get emails from fellow alums requesting a referral or vice versa. "The most effective networking is built on relationships of trust."
