About Inforum

Who We Are

OUR MISSION
Inforum accelerates careers for women and is a catalyst that removes barriers and increases opportunity. See what’s possible. Get there faster.

OUR VISION
A culture that embraces women leading and succeeding

OUR COMMITMENT
We uphold and promote the values of broadly defined diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. All women should have equal opportunities and equal recognition in their lives and their careers.

OUR VALUES

Excellence: We deliver high-quality educational opportunities and experiences for individuals and employers.

Inclusion: We offer welcoming, respect, and belonging.

Innovation: We adapt to your changing needs through listening, research, and observation.

Optimism: We celebrate progress while continuing to push forward.

Sustainability: We provide individuals and groups with knowledge, strategic connections, systems, and practices for lasting change and growth.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Our values are realized through leveraging the power of diversity and rise from four core tenets:

Our mission is focused on women, but the strategies we teach and execute are designed to create broadly inclusive workplaces where everyone is welcome and given opportunities to succeed.
Workplaces that consciously strive to develop the entire talent pool are better positioned to be successful as companies and as employers.
Women benefit professionally and personally by forming broad productive networks within and outside of their individual professions, companies, and industries.
The combination of leadership development and training, strategic connections, and educational research and advocacy leads to the increased leadership contribution of women to the economy.

What We Do

CONNECTIONS. You can participate in more than 35 affinity groups in Southeast and West Michigan. Whether you’re interested in volunteering, health and wellness, geography or even wine and craft beer, you’re sure to find like-minded women in one of the informal groups organized by our members.

EXPOSURE. We bring in top industry speakers for our events.

NETWORKING. We’ve built specialized industry groups in automotive, health care, manufacturing and technology. Our emerging inSTEM initiative works to build the talent pipeline for professions in science, technology, engineering and math.

LEADERSHIP. Join a committee, council or our board of directors to help lead and shape our work. We also offer opportunities to serve as role models for girls and young women.

EDUCATION. We offer professional development programs for women at all stages of their careers from our flagship program, Executive Leadership, to a variety of targeted programs for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, veterans, and aspiring board members. We also offer a collaborative program with the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

DOWNLOAD. The Inforum app on Apple Store or Google Play!

Come join us! Learn more about Inforum membership.

Code of conduct

Inforum Board of Directors

Officers

Chair
Jamie Simpson
Partner, Assurance Services
EY

Vice Chair
Kimberly Keaton Williams
Vice President, Talent Acquisition & Development, and Chief Diversity Officer
McLaren Health Care

Treasurer
Marianne Vidershain
Vice President, Treasurer & Head of Investor Relations
Lear Corp.

Secretary
Brian Kraus
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Amway

View Full Board of Directors & Staff

Our History

1962: Founded as Women’s Economic Club

On July 30, 1962, a Detroit Free Press headline proclaimed, “New Women’s Club a Reality.”

The article was about the newly formed Women’s Economic Club – created when Marie Moon, Alice Snider, Thelma Murrell and Dorothy Seifert gathered a group of 23 women together to discuss the formation of a luncheon club. “Their concept of a need for women office workers and professionals to create a vibrant force for the advancement of women was most appealing.”

And it was necessary. Women were entering the workforce in larger numbers – think Peggy Olson and Joan Holloway on “Mad Men” – and their need for current information, mentoring and a place to share ideas and exercise leadership skills became critical because women were not allowed to belong to most of the forums men used to build their careers, including business and professional associations.

Marie Moon, president of the new organization, told the Free Press that the primary aim was “to concentrate on government and civic activities at all levels, local and international.” Its mission became to help women “lead and succeed.”

Allen B. Crow, founder of the Economic Club of Detroit – which was among the organizations women were not allowed to join at the time – offered to “counsel” the new club.

WEC provided these opportunities, and luncheon speakers included a Who’s Who of business, government and the media. The club grew from its small beginnings to an organization that is considered one of the most prestigious, active and influential women’s professional organizations in the U.S.

The first luncheon meeting featured Virginia Allen, first vice president of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, which gave the WEC its initial charter before it became a 501(c)(6) membership nonprofit in 1965.

The organization continued to grow as a speakers’ and networking forum – and the turn of the century brought changes.

In 2002, the WEC created the Women’s Leadership Forum as its 501(c)(3) education and research arm. The forum, whose board of directors included the chief talent officers of major companies across the state, built our flagship Executive Leadership program, targeted toward high-achieving women leaders. It also set the stage for programming aimed at a broad range of women – emerging leaders, veterans, entrepreneurs, aspiring board members, and the general public. Our Programs.

WEC also expanded geographically by opening an office in Grand Rapids in 2005 to serve West Michigan.

Also in 2005, WEC and the Women’s Leadership Forum were rebranded as Inforum and the Inforum Center for Leadership to better reflect their broad range of activities and the mission of accelerating careers for women and boosting talent initiatives for companies. In June 2016, members voted to transfer Inforum’s assets to the Inforum Center for Leadership. The combined 501(c)(3) charitable and educational nonprofit operates as Inforum.

WEC Founding Members

Past Board Chairs