Women link arms in ways that are different from men. They want to “feel good” when working together. They want to use intuition when making decisions. And they want to feel supported and engaged in community. These observations by Sarah Benken informed her organization of The KNOW Women in 2017. “For women, it is more than just passing around a business card to attract sales; it is about being in sync with our vendors, partners and clients. In fact, recent studies show that women work best when united, collaborative, and work together in community. Simply put, women want to connect with like-minded women for many reasons, but mostly to feel supported,” she says.
While her stated purpose was “to bring more attention to local women doing remarkable things throughout Phoenix,” she has found many members are looking to engage with others globally “because different voices bring new views and ideas.”
The now internationally recognized KNOW Women is distinguished by its annual publication of its KNOW Book, which “features our KNOW Women in an authentic glamorous style,” Benken says. “Additionally, we are the only organization with its own nonprofit and diversity advisory team.” The nonprofit, KNOW Cares, aims to raise funds for women and youth around the globe, help women in second- and third-world countries better their lives by ensuring educational opportunities, and will include emergency relief for businesswomen, leadership development and mentorship opportunities as well as grants to aspiring female entrepreneurs. “Our mission is to create big impact for women to break glass ceilings and be known for their hard work. Every initiative is built around that mission,” Benken says.
A few of the women featured in KNOW (Phoenix) are Aimee Werner, founder of global clean skincare line Whish Beauty; Letitia Frye, renowned auctiontainer; Jeri Williams, Phoenix Police Chief; Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix; Julie Geise, president of the Phoenix Raceway; and Leah Huss, founder of Huss Brewing.
Did You Know: The KNOW Women has expanded beyond its birthplace of Phoenix and plans to launch in every major city across the United States and Canada. It is currently in 11 markets and will expand into five more this year. theknowwomen.com
