Kicking Ass at Dinnertime

The second round of the Beehive’s Kick Ass Dinner series was a great success!  Each of the five dinners connected a Kick Ass Host with a diverse group of women to share knowledge, expertise and passion. These dinners offer an intimate opportunity for attendees to share unique and common experiences as well as desires for opportunity and growth.

Hosts and topics included:

Learning how to help abuse victims with Judge Bousman.

Judge Monica Bousman has served as a Wake County District Court Judge for 15 years. Wake County District Court judges are elected every four years, and Judge Bousman is running for re-election in November 2016. During the dinner she shared her experience as the primary judge overseeing domestic violence cases in Wake County for 13 years. Becoming a leader in such an emotional and often tragic area has taught her resilience and that there are two sides to every story.  Staying in the position for 13 years has given her the opportunity to see the long term success of her cases, especially for the most vulnerable affected, the children of domestic violence. Attendees asked questions about her tenure as a judge, but moreover how to be advocates within our community for those who experience abuse.

Pamela Santos has more than 15 years of experience as a strategist in Social Entrepreneurship.  She also teaches Social Ventures at UNC-Chapel Hill. Over dinner Pamela defined the landscape for social entrepreneurship, noting specifically that social entrepreneurship can still be profit driven. She provided several real-world examples of programs. Attendees left inspired to think outside the box and work with local communities to determine needs to create positive social change.

Finding the humor in life with Erin Terry.

Erin Terry is a local stand-up comedian and host of Eyes Up Here Comedy Showcase, featuring local kick ass lady comedians. Over dinner, Erin shared the story of her journey to comedy, owning her body image, and celebrating other independent women in our community. Needless to say there was lots of laughter over dinner! The ladies left feeling kick ass as well as empowered to own and tell their personal stories with confidence and maybe even try a little comedy. 

Carole Marcotte is a local business owner, with years of experience in owning her own unique businesses. The evening’s focus was “Why not?” and evolved around starting a second career as an entrepreneur. Many of the attendees had started their own businesses after years of working for someone else, and shared their stories about the risks and rewards of becoming your own boss. The take-away of the night was that it's never too late to start your own thing!

Molly McKinley is an organizer for the NC Conservation Network, currently working on a hot local topic, alternative forms of transportation in Wake County. Molly asked attendees to map out their transportation options in Wake County, including public transit and biking. She educated members on their opportunity to vote for a county-wide sales tax to fund enhanced public transit. Attendees left knowing a lot more about transportation choices and how they benefit their quality of life.

The Kick Ass Dinner series is an inspired continuation of The Beehive Collective’s annual Kick Ass Ladies Club. Women who have attended the Kick Ass Ladies Club event asked to create a broader community and more opportunities to connect with women in Raleigh. As we approach the fourth year of the Kick Ass Ladies Club we’re thrilled to see its growth into the dinner series! 

Molly facilititates a conversation about transit (and bikes)!