Stay Home. Stay Safe. Stay Connected.
Well, this is certainly not the way we intended to launch the Shine & Rise blog. Less than a month ago, the Shine & Rise leadership team met over margaritas to discuss the next phase of the organization. Membership had just reached 100, and riding on that momentum we excitedly set to work planning upcoming events and programming for members.
Now, after these few weeks that have felt like a lifetime, here we are. COVID-19, the global public health crisis, hit Southeastern Michigan. We haven’t seen each other in person in over three weeks. Most, if not all, of our 115+ members became full-time telecommuters overnight. Trying to plan an in-person event, even 2 months out, feels impossible, and the thought of growth for Shine & Rise—for any company—seems an insurmountable challenge.
This is, for the foreseeable future, the new normal.
Since Governor Whitmer’s Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order went into effect, our thoughts have turned to, so…what now? Clearly the best thing we can do for ourselves and our community is to stay home and stay safe. But separation—from loved ones, from colleagues, from communities of support—is unsustainable. Can we stay home, stay safe, and still stay connected?
We say yes. We need to stay connected. What, as a Shine & Rise community, can we do and what will we do to stay home, stay safe, and stay connected?
We will start by responding in these uncertain times with courage and a dogged determination to lift up one another as Shine & Rise-ers.
In our pursuit, we will focus on the following two things:
Meeting the Shine & Rise mission for our members
In this new age of physical distancing, we will continue to explore creative ways to elevate and support our current members, cultivate connections, and welcome new members.
Providing resources and support for the greater tech community
We believe there is a need to engage the greater tech community, regardless of gender or experience, in connection. We will experiment with what that could look like for Shine & Rise, while maintaining the safe space we’ve already created for the women who work at startups and tech companies.
These are goals we will work toward in the coming weeks and months. However, we don’t want to do it alone. We request your help in achieving these goals.
Send us an email at shineandrisea2@gmail.com or connect with us on social media by searching our handle ShineandRiseA2. Share your wisdom, your stories, or just say hi!
We eagerly look forward to the day when we can connect in person and hopefully share joyful stories of connections formed during the unlikeliest of times. Until then, we’ll see you on the web.
Stay Home. Stay Safe. Stay Connected.
Kristina, Alison and Rachel
Shine & Rise Co-Founders