Hundreds attend 3rd Annual Women’s Leadership Symposium at Segra Park

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Hundreds of women came together at Segra Park Thursday morning for the 3rd Annual “Women’s Leadership Symposium.”

Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette opened the symposium by saying that South Carolina ranks fourth in the nation for businesses owned and ran by women.

Hosted by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, women in leadership roles from businesses all over the Midlands showed up to network and encourage each other’s goals and dreams.

Cynthia Bennett is the Chief Diversity Officer for the SC Chamber of Commerce.

“It is a male dominated world sometimes, so you have to take two steps to their one step. But in order to do that, if we uplift each other as we talk about at this symposium, every woman has a story, share your story, tell your story. So that others will see, ‘Oh this is how I can climb up the corporate ladder. These are the things that I need to be doing,’ So that challenge, that barrier, that glass ceiling — we can break it. And you don’t have to work so hard if you have a floorplan,” Bennett says.

Throughout the day, 15 different panelists shared their experiences and gave tips to the audience on successful workplace leadership.

One of those panelists was Pamela Bynoe-Reed, Director of Marketing and Communications for The Comet transit system.

“I hope that women leave here inspired and encouraged and knowing that they can make a difference regardless of what their title is. And that they can always learn something new from whatever situation they find themselves in and to always grow. Always look for opportunities to grow and to connect with someone and to help someone else out,” she says.

Bynoe-Reed also pointed out that growth often comes in the face of adversity.

“What can I do to overcome this adversity? What do I need to learn to take me to the next level? Because a pearl doesn’t become a pearl just because. A pearl becomes a pearl out of friction. Out of irritation. So those are the opportunities where we can grow and thrive and really make a larger impact on our world and our community,” she says.