March is Women's History Month and in celebration, here are some of my most inspiring quotes from influential women!

Oh @sherylsandberg you get us every time. pic.twitter.com/COz1ZVxxxU

— Women Rising (@TheWomenRising) March 29, 2016

In honor of International Women's Day, here are a few resources for women looking for professional development and mentoring opportunities in Metro Detroit:

Join Women Rising
If you are a woman in the tech or business industries, living in or around Detroit than this group is for you! Women Rising is an organization that pairs up its members based on industry and interests each month for some informal networking and mentoring!

Once you join, Women Rising will send you a questionnaire to determine your company position, industry, and your career goals. In the middle of each month, they will match you with two other compatible women for a fun and supportive mini-meetup that your group organizes on your own. It may be something as simple as a coffee meetup or a Skype call. The women you're paired with will be a mix of seasoned professionals and entry level for a well-rounded experience. Then the next month your network will grow by another two connections as Women Rising continues to pair you up.

Through Women Rising you will continue to meet intelligent and influential women every month for career advice or for developing new friendships! And the best part is that Women Rising is free to join!

If you are interested in joining Women Rising, visit www.womenrising.co.

Take Entrepreneurial Development Classes
Inforum, the professional women's organization, is working with two local leaders in finance and entrepreneurship for a program Inforum bills as the equivalent of master's classes in entrepreneurial development for women business owners called inGAGE.

The goal? In Inforum's words: "Positioning Michigan as the Midwest hub for high-growth women entrepreneurs."

The classes, which are sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corp (MEDC) and the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan, will help entrepreneurs assess their company's operations, finances and personnel; provide them professional coaching and mentors; and introduce them to sources of capital to fund growth. The current session of inGAGE classes is taught by Patti Glaza, a vice president at Invest Detroit who is managing director of its First Step and Detroit Innovate funds. She has also been CEO of several tech startups.

Applications are now being accepted for the second master's class, which will meet one Friday a month from April 22 to Dec. 9. It will be taught by Paula Sorrell, an Ann Arbor-based business consultant who recently finished a four-year stint as vice president for entrepreneurship for the MEDC. The cost to attend, $1,500, includes Inforum membership. For more information visit, www.inforummichigan.org/ingagemasterclass.

Join Inforum
On top of the inGAGE classes, Inforum offers a lot of other education, networking, and development opportunities and events all meant to help you make strategic and valuable connections, build relationships, expand your network, gain insight from thought-leaders, and hone your leadership skills.

Inforum's event calendar is really impressive. Just in the coming months it includes dozens of events geared at networking, learning, and community service. It's definitely worth checking out!

For more information on joining inforum, visit www.inforummichigan.org/making-right-connections.

Do you know more resources and organizations specifically for women in Metro Detroit? Let me know in the comments and I'll add them to the list!

As we celebrate International Women's Day today (March 8) as a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, I am reminded how important my work with the Girl Scouts is and the impact that I am leaving on their lives.

Data shows:

• Over 80% of Girl Scouts say that Scouting has helped them to feel more confident in taking the lead
• 94% of Girl Scouts say they feel like they can play a part in addressing issues important to them
• 3 out of 4 girls say that because of Girl Scouts they have become a leader in more activities with their friends, classmates, and their communities
• 71% of Girl Scout alumni consider themselves competent and capable, compared to only 55% of non-alumni who feel the same

WAGGGS reaches 10 million girls and young women in 146 countries across five regions. Together, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are the largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world. Their mission is to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world, and their vision is for all girls and young women to be valued and to take action to change the world. And they've been transforming lives around the world for more than 100 years.

Together Girl Scouts and International Women's Day aim to empower girls and young women to stand up and speak out on issues affecting them, and they support girls to be leaders and make positive choices.

And to-date, Girl Scouting has an impressive track record:

• 2/3 of U.S. Congresswomen were once Girl Scouts
• At least 80% of women business owners were Girl Scouts
• Nearly every female astronaut who has flow into space was a Girl Scout

With leadership is at the core of Girl Scouting, leaders like myself aim to provide girls with dynamic and flexible training in life skills, leadership and citizenship all to develop the world's future female leaders.


How to Celebrate International Women's Day the Girl Scout Way:

1. Buy Cookies! Did you know the Girl Scout Cookies program is the largest girl-led business in the world? And that it teaches and builds some of the most important business skills the girls will use their entire lives? Through Cookie sales the girls practice goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. Even our girls, 2nd and 3rd graders, learned and practiced daily "elevator speeches" and perfected their sales pitches to be used individually and during our troop cookie booths. We worked on our math skills by totaling orders, making change, and keeping an inventory of what cookies we had in stock. We also mastered customer service by making sure every girl was courteous, polite, helpful and knowledgeable about the product. This is how the next generations of entrepreneurs and leaders is created! Click here to find where to buy Girl Scout Cookies near you. Or if we know each other personally and you're in the area, let me know and my troop would be happy to sell you some cookies!

2. Make a Donation - If you're interested in being a part of International Women's Day's support of Girl Scouting and the entire WAGGGS community, consider making a donation. Your support helps deliver high quality programs and campaigns that provide girls and young women dynamic, flexible and training in life skills, leadership and citizenship. Click here to donate through International Women's Day. For more information on the partnership, click here.