Networking Group Offers Support for 'Dynamic Professional Women'

A new women's networking group in Burr Ridge offers business professionals a sense of camaraderie and is looking for new members.

The Burr Ridge Chapter of the Dynamic Professional Women’s Network offers businesswomen from Burr Ridge and surrounding suburbs opportunities for personal and professional growth. DPWN also serves as a support network for businesswomen who often juggle families with building successful careers.

Launched in January, the Burr Ridge chapter meets at in Burr Ridge on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. DPWN currently has 30 chapters throughout the Chicago area and Wisconsin.

Leslie Tabor, a health and wellness coach and president of the Burr Ridge chapter, said she became interested in DPWN after attending meetings at a different chapter. Tabor said while she benefited from participating in other networking groups, the DPWN experience offered something special.

“You could sense that camaraderie,” Tabor said. “DPWN is all about women helping women, and I could feel that something was different when I would attend some of these events.” 

Lisa Wenzel, one of 12 members of the Burr Ridge chapter and a residential realtor in Downers Grove, said it’s nice to be able to talk with a group of other women that are facing the same struggles.

“Women know women, and it’s just easier to talk to women about what you’re trying to do on a daily basis and the hurdles each of us have to grow our business,” Wenzel said.

She added that another benefit of DPWN is that members are spread throughout the western suburbs, not just Burr Ridge.

“[This] helps each of the women in [our chapter] get different perspectives of how somebody’s working in Countryside versus how somebody’s working in Downers Grove,” said Wenzel.

Tabor said another aspect that distinguishes this networking group from others is the structure. There are some other networking groups that don’t follow an agenda, have an open room to mingle and it’s more of a social event, she said. DPWN follows a manual and a specific agenda, and meetings start and end promptly.

Being a member is saying that you are going to commit to bringing in qualified referrals and you’re going to receive qualified referrals, Tabor said.

“This is not a chit-chat group,” she added. “Yes, it’s professional, as the name states. But yet, you’re able to be a girl. You can relate to one another without worrying. You can relax more.”

For more information and to attend a meeting, visit the group’s Website.