KEP’s team members are original participants in Kent State University’s Spirit of Women in Business conference. Our involvement began in 2010 when Bev Kiglics saw an announcement for the very first Spirit of Women in Business Conference. Bev invited four other women directors / managers to attend with her. During this time, our company was working on growing as a team, improving our communication skills, and understanding each other’s needs and communication styles. When this conference presented itself, it was the perfect accompaniment to our growth.

The first group of team members to attend this conference were all very impressed with the quality of the speakers and the content in the sessions. The feedback following this first session was so positive, that it became an annual event for KEP women, and has been growing ever since. We started with just 5 women attending in 2010, then grew to all KEP salary women attending the conference in 2019.

What We Gain

The conference focuses on leadership styles, communication styles, and improving on soft skills, like confidence, teamwork, communication, and more. The goal is to challenge women to grow individually, while also helping us to connect as a team and to support each other. We hear stories from successful women about their path – including their successes, failures and learnings along the way. The stories are not only inspiring and motivational, they serve as an excellent morale booster.

Everyone gets something from the conference: a personal improvement, team-building skills, a new approach in communication, or maybe the spark of a new idea to try. All of those things help to make KEP a better company. When employees learn and grow and improve, the company gets better!

Unfortunately, the 2020 Spirit of Women in Business Conference was canceled due to the pandemic, but our team is already looking forward to the next one!