More than 100 women gather to connect, encourage, and empower at SWAN Con

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.) More than 100 women from different professions and backgrounds came together on October 13, at the Watermark Country Club for the second annual SWAN Conference. 

The purpose of the conference is for women to connect with others in the community, hear from other women in the community who have overcome challenges personally and professionally, and encourage  and empower one another.

SWAN stands for Strong Women Arise Network and was created by Angela Schalow in 2019. 

In addition to the Grand Rapids Chapter, SWAN also has chapters in Lansing and St. Joseph and women from these groups also attended the conference. 

Connections started before the event with women already involved with SWAN, inviting women who had never been to an event to join the conference.

Sarah Hodges, was one of those women and she said this conference stood out from other networking events that she’s attended. 

“This conference seems to really celebrate effort, the effort collaboratively between women to lift each other up,” said Hodges. “This one is more of how to get to where you want to be as a whole person in a balanced way and still live an enriched life."

It was also the first event for Elaina Stewart, a speech therapist. 

“I found SWAN to be really inclusive and uplifting for women in every stage of business and I wanted to come and connect with others," said Stewart. 

For other women like Elle Ingalls, this was the second SWAN Con she’s attended. Ingalls has also been a part of SWAN since its early days and is thrilled with its growth. 

"When you think about starting with six people in 2019 and now there are over 1500 women, that's really amazing growth for a networking group,” said Ingalls. “To see that happen is just beautiful."

Ingalls is also the founder and CEO of Pressure-Free Living and says events like SWAN Con are so important for making connections. 

"It can be lonely out there, especially if you're an entrepreneur or you run your own business,” said Ingalls. “To have a peer group where you can talk about the kinds of problems that might be coming up in your business, you're looking for people to network, do referrals with, anything like that and just a place to land and come to SWAN Con.”

SWAN Con 2023 was also a place of support for women who are trying to balance their professional lives and their personal lives. 

The support is something Stewart, who brought her second child, a newborn daughter to SWAN Con, appreciated. 

"As moms, it's very hard sometimes to navigate the work life balance, especially being a business owner,” said Stewart. “But we all have some aspect of what that has looked like. There are seasons of slower growth and faster growth and it is helpful to be in contact with other women who have been through similar journeys.” 

Women like Lucky Lee, a Comedian, Actress, and Writer who spoke at SWAN Con said the conference gave every woman attending a chance to stand out and be heard. 

"I felt like they did an excellent job giving everyone a chance to be seen and be heard,” said Lee. “I think it's very easy for an event like this to be all about the speakers or all about the networking and I felt like it was a very good balance of creating a genuine community feel which is rare and difficult to do, especially at such a large event."

Lee said she plans to be at more SWAN events in the future. 

"I would like to check out some of the smaller events just to see what they feel like as well,” said Lee. "I think it has absolutely wonderful value, especially for women looking for those relationships."

The conference also donated money to a good cause. Almost $5,000 raised from ticket sales and purchasing items at the event went to Women at Risk International (WAR), an international organization based in Grand Rapids that helps women and girls impacted by human trafficking. 

While SWAN is currently only in Michigan, Angela Schalow, the founder and leader of SWAN is interested in having women in other cities and states start SWAN Chapters. 

More information about SWAN can be found on their website.