Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) says it has launched a new mentoring program called Speak Up!
The program was created in partnership with Media Staffing Network Founder and CEO Laurie Kahn prior to her passing in late October, the organization said in a release on Thursday. MIW is moving forward with the program in her memory.
Radio Ink Founder Eric Rhoads said, “MIW was born from the Radio Ink annual Most Influential Women issue, and we are thrilled to see this new mentoring program, which is designed to help young broadcasters in Laurie Kahn’s order. Laurie was a good friend, a passionate broadcaster, and dedicated to mentoring women in broadcasting. She was one of the early encouragers getting me to find ways to honor women in our industry. She would be thrilled about this program.”
“Speak Up! encapsulates so much of what Laurie brought to our industry and what she was so passionate about paying forward: a mentorship that encourages and empowers women to develop confidence, sharpen communication skills, and hone the ability to effectively speak up in order to further attain career and personal goals,” a spokesperson for MIW said in a statement. “Her intention was to specifically reach women in small to medium radio markets.”
Kahn herself came up with the Speak Up! name, drawing from her personal code that she embraced as she built her firm, and one that MIW shares.
“MIW’s mission, and greatest joy, is introducing and managing distinctive programs to professionally nourish the industry’s next generation of female leadership,” Ruth Presslaff, MIW’s board president, said. “Entwined with the excitement of launching a program that is distinct from MIW’s numerous mentorships is deep sadness from the passing of a treasured friend and an enduring member of the MIW community.”
“As we continue to build upon the strong foundation that is Media Staffing Network, we are proud to be working with MIW to honor and develop Laurie’s legacy,” Patty Kincaid, the vice president and general manager of Media Staffing Network, said on Thursday. “The Speak Up! program is the heart of who Laurie Kahn was and exemplifies the very essence of her spirit.”
For more information on the Speak Up! program, visit the MIW website HERE.
