Women with Purpose: TPB’s leadership initiative

What does it mean to thrive with purpose?

Many women often face this question at pivotal moments in their lives. As they aim to be at their best, at home or at work, they seek both the capabilities and opportunities to grow themselves while navigating the unique challenges that women leaders often face.

To thrive – that is, to purposefully grow in one’s career and personal life – requires empowerment and practical support. Many support formats and materials are out there, with no dearth of books, podcasts, or TED talks about women’s leadership. But finding a platform that caters to very personal needs while still geared toward a group of women’s diverse, collective interests can be difficult, if not limited.

At TPB, our own curiosity with this question, “What do women today need to thrive?”, became an opportunity to learn from our Filipina friends and peers. In September, we invited a small group of women – intentionally cross-industry and intergenerational – to share the morning coffee and have this conversation with us. Turns out: There’s just as much we’re looking for from each other as we’re seeking within ourselves.

**Piloting the Women with Purpose initiative**

We are proud to launch Women with Purpose (WWP): a purposeful exchange for women who live, lead, work, thrive and make an impact. Facilitated by TPB’s team in Manila, it’s an initiative grounded in the needs shared by women themselves, as we listen to one another and understand what truly brings value to our individual and collective journey – at any stage, from various walks of life.

During our pilot session, the diversity of our audience itself proved that women’s leadership has no bounds. As TPB’s founder and director Pat Dwyer reflected on that early morning, whether you are a parent or not, or whether you’re younger or older, women face several issues that we need support on to navigate different relationships and be able to thrive – at home, at work, and so much more.

Through WWP, our aim is to empower and embolden leadership through women by providing targeted support. What do we need to find and grow our unique purpose? What kind of support will enable us to lead in our organisations and communities? This TPB-led platform is one where women can not only develop their abilities but also perspectives, gain further knowledge as well as experiences, and ultimately foster genuine exchange in a trusted, well-curated space.

Purposeful exchange among Filipina leaders

That day, TPB was joined by: Founders of small and medium businesses – from eco-friendly home and personal care products, to locally-grown coffee that champions Philippine heritage. C-suite and senior leaders with years of experience in corporate leadership, from consumer banking to consumer goods. Change-makers who worked to empower disadvantaged communities, including women migrant workers and high schoolers with limited access to quality education. Rock-and-roll millennials who are bringing their creativity to new, at times male-dominated spaces.

As we exchanged our thoughts on what it means to lead as women, we explored the best ways that TPB can facilitate support – true to our promise that only when we truly understand people’s needs do we deliver. Many of the participants shared the need for coaching and mentorship – a call that TPB will heed as we set up a select pool of coaches through our key partnerships. We are developing a curated digital platform for women to exclusively share their insights and personal stories. We will also facilitate quarterly WWP kapihan sessions to further the conversation on specific themes.

The success of our very first session marks the beginning of a purposeful exchange, made for and by women leaders. Still in its pilot stages, WWP is running a second introductory session this November 2017 in the Quezon City area.