While Colgate University is known for its strong alumni network and vast professional opportunities, many future careers — including those in investment banking, sales and trading — exist in male-dominated fields. Colgate Women in Business (CWiB) is a student-run, women-led club dedicated to breaking these barriers by empowering female students interested in finance.
Senior Ava Comey, co-president of CWiB, spoke about the purpose of the organization, which meets four times a semester.
“The goal is to educate women about various aspects of the business world, opportunities that are available like internships and events at career services, and then, more importantly, to discuss issues that are unique to gender in the workplace,” Comey shared.
Most CWiB meetings are coffee hours, during which a female panelist provides career guidance to club members. These panelists range from current Colgate seniors who talk about their past internship experiences to recent alumni who give insights into their jobs. Additionally, CWiB hosts female CEOs and other businesswomen who have been in the industry for years.
Along with coffee hours, CWiB has a mentorship program where Colgate first-years and sophomores can get paired with upperclassmen within the club.
“Kind of like another big sister type situation where you can ask any and all questions and your mentor should be your resource, and we’ve had a lot of success with that. I don’t think I would be where I am today without my CWiB mentor,” Comey said.
In addition to the mentorship program, CWiB leaders have implemented new programs on building LinkedIn profiles, preparing for interviews and learning networking tips to further build the skillsets of club members.
“We also can tailor it more toward people who are interested in, let’s say, investment banking. We can talk about the interview process for that,” Comey explained. “We also go through and make a big timeline of check-ins of where you should be at if you want to go into investment banking, marketing or what not, and when those applications open.”
Sophomore Grace Dunhill has been attending CWiB meetings for nearly two years and has seen the impact of the club firsthand.
“It has taught me a great deal about career paths and experiences I might not have otherwise encountered. CWiB inspires me to become more career-oriented and provides the guidance and skillset necessary to succeed in a future job,” Dunhill shared.
Senior Louisa Thompson, another co-president, shared why she thinks it’s so important to have a club that specifically caters to women in the business world.
“In high school, I remember learning that girls tend to outperform boys in the classroom, yet men tend to outperform women in the workplace. This discrepancy, I believe, is in large part due to workplaces historically catering to men. Women — for a whole host of reasons — do not receive equal opportunities, or pay, in the workplace. Though I have witnessed, in my lifetime, a decrease in gender discrimination, we often see white men in positions of power — especially in the finance and corporate world,” Thompson explained.
Thompson added how it is imperative to create spaces, such as CWiB, that allow women to connect and learn from other passionate women.
“CWiB provides girls at Colgate with much more than four meetings per semester. I like to think we provide girls the support and confidence needed to not only be brave enough to enter male-dominated fields, but also thrive and reach for even more. As girls, I think we are scared to be ambitious with negative self-talk constantly in our minds. CWiB is here to dismantle those notions.”
By giving female Colgate students guidance and mentorship, CWiB lets them enter the business world with the resources and a supportive network that will help them succeed.
