Would you like to connect with like-minded individuals? You are invited to join the SWE Affinity Groups!
The SWE Affinity Groups are communities of individuals who share the same interests and goals. These groups help build community, provide professional development opportunities and empower and celebrate women from different paths of life. SWE has eight Affinity Groups: Latinos, African-American, Native American, LGBTQ, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, Women in Government and Global Engineers.
The Diversity and Inclusion Affinity Groups align with protected classes under a US Federal anti-discrimination law. This Affinity Group focuses on the needs of social minority populations and develop programs tailored to serve this community. The Business Interests Affinity Groups are grassroots communities focused on a social and networking opportunities around common interests. The focus of these Affinity Groups is loosely centered around the members’ business environment and experiences.
The Affinity Groups are organized as follows:
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Latinos: This active community is focusing on showcasing Latino talent and providing an open forum to discuss Latinos in engineering leadership opportunities.
- African-American: The African-American AG is a growing community focusing on building leadership excellence in African-Americans through professional opportunities and mentorship.
- Native American: This community focuses on leveraging third-party partnerships and further engaging collegiates. With a thriving community focusing on the Native-American experience in the engineering industry provides a place for professional support and resources.
- LGBQT & Allies: This community provides a safe environment to share the LGBTQ experience in the engineering profession and provide professional support and mentorship.
- Business Interests
- Women in Government: Women in Government in Engineering are a strong contingency focusing on supporting and developing women in the engineering profession within the government framework.
- Entrepreneurs: Focuses on creating a community and sharing resources to help support startups in various stages of development.
- Small Business: Small Businesses have their own dynamics and challenges. This group is focusing on building a network and sharing resources to support women in the small company environment.
- Global Engineers: This group is focusing on building the framework to support the Global SWE community outside the United States. Currently is building partnerships with the SWE international ambassadors and building the leadership pipeline in the AG group looking for leads.
The Affinity Groups are a great place to start discussions and ask questions about your collegiate and professional experiences in the engineering profession. It is a place to provide encouragement and support to individuals in the community.
The Affinity Groups have some upcoming activities/events that are related to their areas and they are highlighted below. Some of the WE Locals may have Networking Niches or meetups. Watch the Affinity Group Facebook Groups for announcements. Please check the WE Local schedules for the date/time/location. Want to speak to an Affinity Group member at a WE Local? The Affinity Group members will be wearing pins!
WE Local Baltimore (Event has passed)
- Leading International Teams and Having Fun Too
- Culture Clashes: They make or break your business
WE Local Tampa (Event has passed)
- Can we talk about entrepreneurial “failures” for a change?
- Delegating and outsourcing for entrepreneurs, engineers, and people who just have too much to do
- Parker Solar Probe Lighting Talk
- Engineering Solutions to the Government’s Toughest Challenges
WE Local St Louis
- Global Business in the new norm
- STEM outreach en espanol!
- No Passport Required! Building a Cultural Competent Organization
- Building Diverse and Inclusive Teams
WE Local Bellevue
- Lessons Learned Globally Dispersed Programs
- Building Diverse and Inclusive Teams
Please join and follow the groups on Facebook to learn about other upcoming events/activities and to participate in the conversation:
SWE Latinos AG, SWE African-American AG, SWE Native-American AG, SWE LGBTQ and Allies AG, SWE Small Business AG, SWE Entrepreneurs AG, SWE Women in Government AG and SWE Global Engineers AG.
