The Role of a Female Entrepreneur Matchmaker

I’ve been called many things in my career, most of them good, maybe a few of them critical, but the one the stands out best in my mind is “female entrepreneur matchmaker.” This nickname didn’t require me to don red, wear angel wings, or shoot an arrow, even though I did have cupid’s curly hair for a while, but I can see why my reputation as a matcher of women developed.

According to Google, “Matchmaking is the process of matching two or more people together, usually for the purpose of marriage, but the word is also used in the context of sporting events such as boxing, in business, in online video games, and in pairing organ donors.” The truth is I love women especially women entrepreneurs and matching them together for economic gains, business partnerships, sporting thrills, and equality marches. I want to be where they are.

If you were a Parks and Recreation fan, you might remember Leslie Knope inventing a way to do something American culture hadn’t traditionally been too good at doing: celebrating, in an official capacity, the joys of female friendship. Leslie set Galentine’s Day as a festival that would fall, each year, on February 13: Valentine’s Day-eve. And she decided that the festivities-though the real point of it all are simply to celebrate the platonic love that exists among lady friends.

In society, businesswomen are supposed to be serious, professional, and almost male-like in their will to achieve success. In the mid-1980s, I was one of those young women trying to climb the corporate ladder in an investment banking firm to prove myself and make good money. It wasn’t long that I realized, a male dominant work environment did not suit or inspire me. I left it and never looked back understanding being around businesswomen was where I wanted to be and eventually who I wanted to help.

If I truly was a “women matchmaker,” you might be able to identify me with an all raspberry pink outfit, rose-colored hat, a “tie” to connect women together across New York State, and a briefcase full of wisdom to share. Perhaps near me would be a bowl full of female business cards, women’s published books, sporty gals running bibs, and a huge pay equality sign to keep the money fight going. What would your “matchmaker image” look like?

Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to remind you as you look forward to Valentine’s Day with your loved ones and partners you consider for a moment your gal pals – personally or professionally – who have loved you through good and bad times always having your wings and knowing your flight pattern. Jump on Leslie Knope’s fictional holiday and spend time on February 13th celebrating your girlfriends or joining me at our Syracuse Galentine’s Book Event.