VIPLineup - Jackie Thomas

WHO AM I?

Title: Co-Founder, Black Women Inc

Industry: Professional business organization

Officer Since: 1995

Org Website: www.blackwomeninc.com Org Email: blackwomeninc@aol.com

Org Address: P.O. Box 343, Oakland, CA 94604

Org Phone: 510-343-3034 Number of Members: 491

Org Goals: Our goal is to assist women in making strategic contacts to further their personal and professional goals through networking.

Major Events: California Professional Black Women's Networking Brunch - October 23, 2004 (Sacramento). 10th Annual California Professional Black Women's Networking Brunch - March 5, 2005 (San Francisco).

Biggest Org Achievement: Our biggest achievement would be our California Professional Black Women's Networking Brunch - about 1500 attendees annually.

Biggest Org Challenge: Finding new ways to get the word out about our organization.

CAREER

Responsibility: A lot :-) Too many to list

How/why Started: We totally support Networking as a way to economically uplift our community.

Business Philosophy: Our goal is to assist women in making strategic contacts to further their personal and professional goals through networking.

Best way to stay at the forefront: Stay out there letting people know what you do.

Yardstick of Success: By the resposes of the attendees at our events, not the number of attendees.

Like Most About My Job: Meeting new and exciting business professionals.
Biggest Personal Business Achievement: We recently hosted Sistahs At Sea - a 3 day cruise with speakers, workshops, and Sistahs from all over the U.S.

Biggest Risk: I really can't say. We have been in business for 10 years. I guess the biggest risk, was getting started with our business.

Toughest Decision: Deciding whether to let a speaker participate in our conference after some issues came up.

Career Goal: I aspire to be great in all things that I do.
Business Professional Admired: Good question!

Other Boards and Affiliations: I also have my own Graphic Design Company - Bang Graphics.

First Choice for a New Career: Real Estate

LIFESTYLE

One word or phrase that best describes you: Lively
Marital Status: Single
City of Residence: Oakland
Where did you grow up?: East Bay
Personal achievement you are most proud of: Too many to list :-)
Years in the Bay Area: All my life.
What do you love about the Bay Area?: The diverse mix of people.
Favorite Bay Area Restaurant: Lunguni's (Italian) in Alameda
Favorite Saturday Night Activity: Relaxing and listening to music - I am a music lover - over 3000 CD's
Favorite Vacation Spot: Jamaica
Hideaway spot that you go to relax: Jamaica
Three Greatest Passions: Graphic Design, listening to music, hanging at the beach.
Stress Reducer: Hanging at the beach.
Wheels: Convertible
Favorite way to spend free time: Listening to music, planting and gardening, journal writing.
Surprising Activity/Hidden Talent or Experience: Gardening - I don't' know if my friends know how much I love flowers.
If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do?: Build a women and childrens homeless shelter.

INTROSPECTIVE

Primary source of inspiration/motivation: Spiritual Reading and Journal Writing
Person (living) that you would most want to have a conversation with: Good question!
What troubles you the most about the world we live in?: That we have world leaders who support war.
Pet Peeve: People who don't live their lives.

Misperception: A common misconception (probably largly due to the name) is that our organization only supports women. We encourage men to participate with our network because we are not exclusive to women only.
Favorite Cause: Right now . . Getting Bush OUT of office.

Favorite Book: Too many.
Favorite Movie: Too many.

If you had another life, what would you be doing?: I don't know. Many variables would influence my perception of the world and what I might actually be doing and have access to.

Advice for the up and coming (professional): Work hard and play even harder. Learn to master adversity.

More Profiles>>

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR JACKIE?