WIB-Seattle: Celebrating Women’s History Month – Spring Networking & Fireside Chat

On March 31, WIB-Seattle gathered for an unforgettable evening at Deloitte's stunning downtown Seattle office, with sweeping views of the Puget Sound and Elliott Bay Harbor as our backdrop. With over 40 professionals from across the life sciences community in attendance, the evening kicked off with a vibrant networking reception, giving attendees the opportunity to connect, share stories, and meet new faces across the industry — a beautiful reminder of why community matters so deeply to our mission.

The fireside chat that followed was nothing short of inspiring. Moderated by WIB-Seattle Chapter Chair Sadie Josephs, speakers Stephanie Collins and Courtney Rutkowski — co-founders of Eido Bio — led a thoughtful, candid ~45-minute conversation that had the audience leaning in and asking bold questions. The dialogue centered on normalizing how we talk about women's health today: from perimenopause to menopause, the historically under-researched conditions that affect hundreds of millions of women worldwide. A powerful theme emerged throughout the evening — that what we are witnessing is no longer just a moment, it is a movement. The speakers reminded us that as female leaders, we must take care of and advocate for ourselves so that we can show up more fully for our communities. They also issued a call to action for the scientists in the room: the momentum is here, the grants are expanding, the culture is shifting — now is the time to pursue women's health research and bring those discoveries to market where they can truly change lives. After the panel, networking continued for another 45–60 minutes, with conversations buzzing well into the evening.

The speakers' reflections after the event said it best. Stephanie shared: "The Seattle community brought a level of thoughtfulness and engagement that you don't always see — it was special." And Courtney added: "Looking around the room, seeing all of the incredible talent, filled my soul and made me hopeful for the future of female leadership in life science." Our heartfelt thanks to Stephanie and Courtney for so generously sharing their stories and wisdom with our community. We also want to thank Deloitte Seattle for providing such a magnificent venue and to every single person who attended, volunteered, and contributed to making this evening such a success. Events like this one are a testament to the power of finding your community — and WIB-Seattle is proud to be that community for so many. We can't wait to see you at our next event. Stay connected. Stay inspired. Stay involved.

Submitted by Sadie Josephs