The last time we checked in with Rachel Markus, her networking group for women working in alternative finance was just starting to purr.
Now, Rockin’ Alts Women of Westport — RAWW — is roaring.
More than 70 women — many in positions of power in hedge funds, private markets, venture capital and more — meet regularly.
They swap ideas about trends, resources, best practices, fund structuring, invstor databases and board opportunities.
They share stories about commuting and kids. They instill confidence in each other, and make connections so that all women in their industry will thrive.
RAWW has provided panelists for professional conferences, supported each other’s fundraisers, and referred a member to an employment attorney.
Tons of talent and expertise at a RAWW meeting.
Sub-groups have heard presentations on topics like angel investing, or how to work with an executive coach.
There is no membership fee. Lunch and happy hour meetings are held at local restaurants like Harvest, Romanacci’s and Spotted Horse.
Now, RAWW has hooked up with a similar group. Runa Knapp — a co-founder of FoundHer — attended a RAWW meeting, and recognized the synergy.
FoundHer focuses on women — also primarily in alternative finance — who have taken a career break to raise young children, or are commuters looking for a local or flexible position.
FoundHer connects them with firms seeking increasing diversity, but lacking access to experienced candidates outside their core networks.
RAWW and FoundHer members met earlier this month, It was an energetic event.
RAWW and FoundHer members get together.
Members of both groups know they can spend “an entire week in alternative finance being the only women in a room filled with men,” Markus says. “At conferences, we are definitely in the minority.”
Members of RAWW and FoundHer also know the difficulties of balancing professional and family lives — choices men seldom face.
“If you work in the city or you’re on the road, you can’t leave early for your kids’ events, or go to a school function or doctor’s appointment,” Markus says.
Often, however, working mothers feel they should be doing that.
If they’re working locally and can do those things, how do they fit them in with their work lives?
RAWW and FoundHer address those issues.
Who are those women?
Rachel Markus
“They’re ballers,” Markus says enthusiastically. “They’re awesome. They’re definitely not wallflowers. They’re spunky and supportive.”
Here in Fairfield County, members skew a bit older than women in alternative finance who live in New York City, and may be single. A few — including one graduate from Staples High School in the 1970s — are near retirement, and look forward to becoming mentors.
But younger families have been moving to Westport since COVID, Markus notes. Many of the women joining RAWW — or looking to get back into the workforce, through FoundHer — have at least 10 years of professional experience.
Markus was one. She moved to Westport in August of 2020 — the midst of the pandemic.
With schools closed to parental involvement — and Markus wanting to meet other women in alternative finance — starting a networking group seemed natural.
In the year ahead, Markus says, there will be RAWW meetings on specialized topics, like health and wellness, and sessions with other organizations, like FoundHer and the commercial real estate group they met with this summer at Don Memo.
They’ll continue community service projects, like collecting business attire and accessories for the University of Connecticut Women in Business group. Members borrow clothes for job interviews.
“This is just another reminder of what’s so great about Westport,” Markus says about RAWW and FoundHer.
Or, put another way: It’s a great investment.
(To learn more about RAWW, email RachelMarkus10@gmail.com. To learn more about FoundHer, email rknapp@foundherllc.com.)
(“06880” is where Westport meets many worlds — including finance, and women. If you enjoy stories like this one, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Posted onMarch 18, 2024|Comments Off on Roundup: March Madness, Irish Dancing, BMS Science Olympiad …
March Madness begins tomorrow.
There are many ways to follow the action.
One of the best is with Dave Briggs.
The veteran sports broadcaster — and longtime Westporter — hosts “Fast Break” for Turner Sports.
It’s essentially Red Zone for the NCAA tournament, with live game action, analysis, post-game reaction and social media moments.
Briggs’ co-hosts are Kentucky and Wake Forest legends Tony Delk and Randolph Childress, and former Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner.
The show is available at MarchMadness.com, and the “March Madness Live” app.
An hour-long pre-game show — “Max Bracket Breakdown” will be streamed via HBO Max from 11 a.m. to noon EDT Thursday and Friday, and 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
So who does Briggs like to win it all?
The University of Connecticut.
And he’s not just saying that out of home state pride.
“Like most people, I believe UConn is the best team in the country,” he says.
Clients at Homes with Hope’s food pantry got a special St. Patrick’s Day meal yesterday: corned beef, cabbage, and green cupcakes.
Then they enjoyed an extra-special treat: a performance from the Lenihan School of Irish Dance.
Five young dancers wowed the crowd with their talent, agility and energy. (And it was on the Gillespie Center floor — not an easy place to kick up your heels.)
Emma Rogers of Christ & Holy Trinity Church — who studied voice at Carnegie Mellon University — followed, with a stirring rendition of favorites like “Danny Boy.”
Church members — including Rev. Dylan Mello — helped serve and clean up.
It was a special day for the clients, and CEO Helen McAlinden: She’s a native of Ireland.
And her daughter was an Irish dance champion, back in the day and back in the old country.
Lenihan School of Dance performers. (Photo/Helen McAlinden)
Irish dancers Homes with Hope volunteers, staff and clients; CEO Helen McAlinden (yellow scarf) and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker (green sweater), outside the Gillespie Center. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Speaking of champions (though off the playing field): Bedford Middle School students earned first place — and individual medals galore too — in Saturday’s Science Olympiad state competition in Coventry.
Dr. Daniel Cortright led 28 students, in 25 events.
BMS will now represent Connecticut at the national Science Olympiad competition at Michigan State University, May 24-25.
It’s familiar territory. BMS has been Connecticut’s state champ every year since 2018. They’ve been to national tournaments around the country. The team travels to competitions throughout the Northeast during the school year.
They’ll announce fundraising plans soon, to help with the costs of travel for the coaches, and subsidize team expenses.
Congratulations, BMS!
Bedford Middle School Science Olympiad team: state champs!
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Speaking (again of) sports: Congratulations to Caleb Smith and Adam Behrends.
They are the Walter Camp Football Foundation state Player and Coach of the Year, respectively. The duo — who helped Staples High School win the LL state championship in December — were honored Saturday, in New Haven.
Smith and Behrends earned the same honors earlier, from the New Haven Register.
Smith — who just ended his basketball season, and is getting ready for lacrosse — will continue his football career at the University of Connecticut. Next up is UConn, as a preferred walk-on player.
Adam Behrends and Caleb Smith, at the Walter Camp Foundation breakfast. (Photo/Dave Stewart for Hearst Connecticut Media)
Speaking (still) of sports: Congratulations too to the Staples boys lacrosse team.
The defending state champion Wreckers are ranked #1 in the nation, in Inside Lacrosse’s pre-season public schools poll. That puts them ahead of powerhouses like New York’s Manhasset and Garden City High Schools — and archrival and fellow FCIAC foe Darien.
Inside Lacrosse rates Staples #18 nationally in the poll that includes both public and private schools.
Click here for the public school-only story. Click here for the public and private school story.
The first game is April 4, vs. Archbishop Stepinac High School of White Plains (5:30 p.m., Paul Lane Field).
The 2023 state champion Staples boys lacrosse team. (Photo collage/Jada Mirabelle for CIAC Sports)
Speaking of (it doesn’t end) sports: The 15th annual “Kicking + Screening” festival was held in New York.
But plenty of Westporters were involved in the event, which featured 11 film features and shorts, plus panels, special guests and more.
The venue was Football Cafe, the Lower East Side “soccer cultural center” founded by Kyle Martino.
He’s the 1999 Staples graduate — and former Gatorade National High School Player of the Year, MLS Rookie of the Year, US men’s national team player and NBC Sports Premier League broadcaster. Kyle is now a soccer analyst with Warner Brothers Discovery Sports.
“Kicking + Screening” was co-founded by Rachel Markus, a Westport resident. Since 2009, she’s grown it into a huge event, with films and speakers from around the world.
She and co-founder Greg Lalas have hosted festivals in London, Liverpool, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi, Kerala (India).
Several Westporters were at the very cool Football Cafe space, including Greg Guido and Julie Blume, and others who read about the event on “06880” and wanted to see the films, and Westport’s most famous soccer star.
From left: Kyle Martino, Julie Blume, Rachel Markus and Greg Guido, at Football Cafe.
Yesterday’s “Roundup” said that the Staples Tuition Grants Fun Run is for youngsters in grades 3 through 5.
In fact, it’s for kids ages 3 through grade 5.
The event is April 6 (8 to 10 a.m., Paul Lane Field at Staples). Registration is just $25. All proceeds benefit STG.
The morning includes races, a bounce house, face painting, temporary tattoos, a bake sale and raffle.
Medals will be awarded to winners at each age level. Pre-K is a 25-yard dash; kindergartners and 1st graders run a 50-yard dash; 2nd through 5th graders race 100 yards.
Click here to register for the run. Everyone who signs up by Thursday gets a free t-shirt. Information can be found on Instagram (@stgfunrun).
As pressure mounts on young athletes to be more competitive than ever, Sebastian Little says: Enough!
The leadership coach — who works with clients in MLB, the NBA and NHL, and is in his 3rd year as Yale University football’s performance coach — will speak on a Westport Public Schools and Westport Together panel called “For the Love of the Game: How Parents Can Promote Successful Athletes on and Off the Field.”
The session — for parents and coaches — will offer insights and strategies into “balancing competition with compassion and growth with enjoyment.”
The event is on Tuesday, March 5 (7 p.m., Bedford Middle School auditorium). Click here to register.
Speaking of sports: The Staples boys basketball team is in the FCIAC (league) final for the 2nd time in 2 years tonight.
The #4-seed Wreckers — fresh off Tuesday’s huge upset over #1 Ridgefield — are playing for the championship for the 2nd straight year. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at Wilton High, against Trumbull.
Staples fell to Danbury in last year’s title match (and then went on a great run, to the state Division II final).
But it’s been a while since the Westporters last won the FCIAC crown. 61 years, in fact. Their first — and only — league championship came in 1963.
Charlie Scott — Staples’ talented senior video producer/WWPT-FM announcer — has created another superb pump-up video. Click below to see:
Last night’s winds knocked out power in a few areas of Westport and Weston.
Trees and wires were down at 15 Partrick Road, 119 Hillandale Road and 30 Prospect Road.
Outages affected the Greens Farms and Wilton Road neighborhoods.
At 8:30 a.m., 78 Westport customers (0.61%) were without power. There were 105 outages (2.66%) in Weston. The total number statewide was 3,399 (0.26%).
Wires down at South Morningside Drive and Hillandale Road. At 8:30 a.m., crews were on the scene. (Photo/Bob Weingarten)
Dara Horn forcefully addressed the recent rise of antisemitism last night, at Chabad of Westport.
Dara Horn — author of “People Love Dead Jews” — headlined the event, part of Chabad’s Critical Conversations series. Nearly 200 people attended.
“People ask: Are Jews a race, a religion, or a nationality? she said.
“Jews existed before these structures existed. What is clear is Jewish civilization is indigenous to the land of Israel. It’s not a political statement. It’s fact.
“People want to erase Jewish culture, but instead that is exactly what needs to be explained and taught to ensure its survival.”
Dara Horn, at Chabad of Westport. (Photo and hat tip/Matthew Mandell)
Her fans know here as Jean Louisa Kelly. Her Westport neighbors and friends call her Jean Pitaro.
Whatever name she goes by, Jean is featured at the Westport Country Playhouse’s first Mic in Hand of 2024. She takes the stage April 4 (7 p.m.).
Jean’s stage and screen credits include the original Broadway cast of “Into the Woods,: and the movies “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “Uncle Buck” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Her uplifting show will be a journey through her life in and out of show business, with songs from “Gypsy,” “The Fantasticks,” “Next to Normal” and “Company.”
All tickets are $40. Click here to purchase, and learn more. Proceeds benefit education programming at the Playhouse.
Also new at the Playhouse: the first Barnstormer event.
It’s “Ann Talman: Elizabeth Taylor and the Shadow of Her Smile” (April 21, 7 p.m.).
Broadway veteran Talman portrayed Taylor’s daughter on Broadway in “The Little Foxes,” beginning a lifelong friendship.
This show is an evening of story and song about Ann and Elizabeth’s bond.
All tickets are $20. Click here to purchase, and learn more.
Called “Jewels of Westport,” they visit the hidden — or at least lesser-known — gems of our town.
On Tuesday they toured Westport Public Art Collections’ Town Hall display.
Overall, WestPAC’s collection includes over 2,000 artistic treasures. Many are in schools, where they are enjoyed by students and staff, yet often unseen by the public.
But how many of us walk by all the art on the Town Hall walls, without giving it a second glance?
The Y’s Women Town Hall tour was led by WestPAC co-president Anne Boberski. It was “eye-opening,” for sure.
Anne Boberski leads the Y’s Women Westport Permanent Art Collections tour in Town Hall.
Westport Police made 6 custodial arrests between February 21 and 28.
One — reported earlier — was for larceny, in connection with the theft of 5 Israel flag yard signs in December.
One was for larceny, illegal use of a credit card, identity theft, criminal impersonation and forgery, following a February 7 complaint that a mailed check was stolen, altered from $830 to $18,300 and deposited.
A woman was arrested for criminal attempt at larceny, identity theft and forgery, after a complaint in April 2022 that a check had been stolen from a US Postal Service box on Myrtle Avenue, altered from $250 to $4,300, and attempted to be cashed.
Another woman was arrested for criminal attempt at larceny, larceny and identity theft, following a complaint in January that a check had been stolen, altered and cashed.
A man was arrested after he and a juvenile shoplifted $492 worth of groceries from Stop & Shop. They were found with the bags at the HomeGoods bus stop. The man was charged with larceny, criminal impersonation and failure to appear. The juvenile was issued a summons and released.
One woman was arrested for failure to appear.
Police also issued these citations:
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 5 citations
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 3
Traveling unreasonably fast: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 2
Kicking + Screening is a film festival dedicated solely to soccer. (Now do you get the clever name?)
It returns next month for its 15th year in New York. But it’s very much a Westport production.
Current Westport resident Rachel Markus co-founded Kicking + Screening in 2009, with former professional player Greg Lalas.
Always an avid fan (and a ruthless striker), Rachel studied film at New York University. She has worked in the film industry for over 2 decades.
The other local connection: This year’s festival will be held at Football Cafe, the Lower East Side “soccer cultural center” founded by Kyle Martino.
He’s the 1999 Staples graduate — and former Gatorade National High School Player of the Year, MLS Rookie of the Year, US men’s national team player and NBC Sports Premier League broadcaster. Kyle is now a soccer analyst with Warner Brothers Discovery Sports.
The 2024 festival lineup — 11 features and shorts, plus panels, special guests and more from March 14 to 16 — includes Eric Cantona’s Manchester United biography, “The United Way.” Click here for more information, and tickets.
Norwalk Hospital — once independent, now part of Nuvance Health — may soon become part of a larger group.
Nuvance — owner of 4 Connecticut hospitals, and 3 in New York — plans to merge with Northwell Health. They are New York State’s largest healthcare provider and private employer, with more than 81,000 employees.
Together, the companies will own 28 hospitals, and more than 1,000 other care sites.
In 2019, Ruth Sherman was an “06880” Unsung Hero of the Week.
At 79 years old, she had just returned from a 100-mile spiritual trek in Spain.
We hailed her for her civic work — teaching exercise and fitness at the Westport Weston Family Y, Senior Center and Arthritis Foundation family aquatics program.
We noted that every day for 50 years — in all kinds of weather — Ruth walked from Hillspoint Road to the top of Compo Hill.
She’s now in her mid-80s. And she’s still walking.
Tammy Barry spotted her yesterday. The weather was meh, but there was Ruth, getting in her (many) steps.
Tammy writes: “Ruth walks in rainy, snowy, and sunny weather. What a beautiful woman, on the inside and out!
“She is an inspiration and role model for us all. She told me she wakes up every day and never has a complaint— it’s not allowed. Keep on moving and grooving. Ruth!”
Tammy sent a great photo too.
So — apropos of nothing, and everything — here’s another “06880” to the indefatigable, wonderful Ruth Sherman!
And finally … do you know how hard it is to find a leap year song?!
I’ve spent my February 29 searching the internet. This will have to do.
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. We cover news, events, businesses, restaurants, sports, trends, history and more — and we do it 24/7/365. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Nearly 4 dozen women Westport women working in alternative finance have power.
RAWW power.
The acronym stands for Rockin’ Alts Women of Westport. Begun as a networking group to support each other professionally in hedge funds, private markets, venture capital and more — as well as personally — RAWW has quadrupled quickly.
It’s an invigorating forum for “like-minded, fierce working women in the alternative investment community,” says co-founder Rachel Markus.
They swap ideas about trends, resources, best practices and board opportunities; share commuting woes — and instill confidence in each other.
RAWW’s meeting last week, at the Boathouse restaurant.
Connections have been made by sitting together on the Wheels2U shuttle, an introduction from a former client, and meeting at a New York work event.
Markus sourced a designer for marketing projects from a group member. Members met up at conferences in Florida and California. A new LinkedIn group has proven to be robust. The possibilities are limitless.
It’s a remarkable group, and they leverage their knowledge and connections for maximum impact.
RAWW began with a few women — mostly new to Westport — looking to connect with others working in the same field. As the network grew to 45, they gathered for lunch, drinks, even a yoga class.
Their lunch last week was the biggest live event yet.
Markus invites women in alternative finance to join Rockin’ Alts Women of Westport. Contact her via email: RachelMarkus10@gmail.com.
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