Membership Luncheons

Join us for a monthly luncheon meeting of the general membership. Usually held on the first Thursday of the month at 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House, we have a fast paced hour that includes a speaker on a topic relevant to working women and a little business while we enjoy a delicious lunch. Guests are welcome but advance reservations are recommended.

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Signature Events

Vital to our mission for women’s workplace equity through advocacy, education and information are events enjoyed by the larger Tampa Bay Area community like our Unhappy Hour observance of Equal Pay Day in March, our Working Women’s Forum during National Business Women’s Week in October and our annual celebration of Women’s Equality Day in August.

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Member Meet Ups

Fun and fellowship with no agenda is our goal when we choose a different location around southern Pinellas to gather on the 3rd Thursday evening of the month. Enjoy getting to know each other better with the flexibility of showing up and leaving as it suits your schedule. If you have a suggested location or would like to join in, we’d love to hear about it.

Next Member Meet Up: September 21

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Join us on October 5th when the amazing Carla Bristol returns to BPW to share the great work being done at the St. Pete Youth Farm and other related activites here in our community.

 

Carla Bristol was born in Guyana, raised in Brooklyn and has lived in St. Petersburgh, Florida since 1996. She currently serves as the Collaboration Manager at St. Pete Youth Farm, a dynamic youth development program on St. Petersburg’s mostly African American southside. Under Carla’s leadership, St Pete Youth Farm gives it’s youth participants a wide range of experiences that allow them to develop skills in urban agriculture, aquaponics, public speaking and peer leadership.

 

In 2014 Carla left her corporate job to do what she always wanted to do, live a life steeped in community. She is a familiar figure in and around St. Petersburg where she is a major influencer and organizer in local electoral politics, a mentor and a champion of Black businesses. She is the owner of Gallerie 909 which features and promotes artists from St. Pete, the Caribbean and Africa. She is a mother of two and recently became the caretaker for her father.

 

Carla is leading a new initiative at St. Pete Youth Farm that seeks to create a more decentralized model of urban agriculture by distributing 500 mini-gardens and 20,000 seedlings to community members.  Carla Bristol is an important emerging food system leader.

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Member Sponsors

The following members made this site possible through their financial support. You can visit their websites by clicking on their logo below.

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About BPW

Over 100 Years Strong

While mobilizing for World War I, the U.S. Government recognized the need for a cohesive group to coordinate identification of women’s available skills and experience.

Learn More About the History of BPW
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About BPW

BPW Florida – There From The Start

The Florida Federation of Business and Professional Womens Clubs, Inc. was one of the first statewide BPW organizations in existence and continues to unite local organizations by setting our public policy platform, supporting the development of new and existing local organizations and creating opportunities for members to connect with like minded individuals from around the state of Florida.

Visit BPW / Florida
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About BPW

Locally Our Organization Started in the 1960s

Our state federation, BPW/Florida may have started at the beginning but our local was founded in 1966 as Mid-Day BPW because we met for lunch instead of the evening like most clubs.

Click to see our list of past Presidents

Your 2022-2023 Leadership Team

DEI and Affirmative Action

 

Understanding the nuances that differentiate Employment Equity (EE) and Affirmative Action (AA) is essential in creating a diverse, inclusive, and fair workplace. Although interconnected, these concepts have unique applications and implications.

 

Employment Equity provides equal opportunities, allowing everyone to thrive regardless of background or personal characteristics. This principle ensures everyone has the same access to career progression and personal development, eliminating discriminatory practices that might hamper their growth.

 

Conversely, Affirmative Action is a proactive policy to increase workplace and educational opportunities for demographic groups historically underrepresented in leadership and professional roles. AA is a countermeasure to systemic biases and prejudices, supporting those consistently deprived of fair and equal treatment.

 

It’s crucial to comprehend the seven pillars of diversity that underpin these principles and ensure their successful implementation:

 

    1. Access: Guaranteeing equal opportunities for all individuals.
    2. Attitude: Fostering a positive, accepting mindset towards differences.
    3. Choice: Ensuring individuals have the freedom to express their unique characteristics.
    4. Partnerships: Building solid relationships based on mutual respect and understanding.
    5. Communication: Encouraging open dialogue about diversity and inclusion.
    6. Policy: Implementing guidelines that uphold diversity and fairness.
    7. Opportunities: Creating equal chances for personal and professional growth.

 

As we strive to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, we must address three significant barriers:

 

  1. Unconscious bias: Tackling the often invisible prejudices that can unfairly influence decisions.
  2. Lack of representation: Increasing the presence of underrepresented groups in all areas and levels of the organization.
  3. Privilege: Recognizing and mitigating some individuals’ advantages over others.

 

Lastly, it’s essential to note the connection between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and Affirmative Action. While DEI is a broad framework that aims to create an environment where everyone feels valued, Affirmative Action is a set of actions implemented to address historical and ongoing discrimination. DEI often encompasses Affirmative Action strategies as part of its toolkit, aiming to create a society where opportunities are genuinely equal. Together, DEI and Affirmative Action form the front line in the battle against structural barriers and the drive toward a more inclusive society.

BPW Florida Public Policy Platform

BPW/FL supports public policies that:
• ensure pay equity and equal employment opportunities for all women
• promote opportunities for women-owned businesses
• promote affordable, quality dependent care
• promote Social Security and retirement reform options benefiting women
• guarantee a workplace free from harassment and discrimination

BPW/FL supports public policies that:
• support the expansion of affordable care, including Medicaid, in Florida
• support funding and initiatives that cover women’s health care needs
• ensure women’s access to all health care and family planning needs, including full access to all forms of reproductive health services, education, and prescriptions

BPW/FL supports public policies that:
• promote free and fair elections
• are aimed at expanding voters’ access to the polls
• are designed to protect the right of all American citizens to vote in fairly drawn
legislative districts