Mixer Brings Together Women in Family Business

The St. John Fisher University Family Business program will celebrate the strength and resilience of women in family business at the Women in Family Business Mixer.

The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Via Girasole Wine Bar (3 Schoen Place in Pittsford).

Organized by the program’s Women in Family Business committee, the mixer will provide a platform for networking, sharing, and professional growth. Committee chair Teagan White said that attendees of past Women in Family Business events have voiced a need for more gatherings that bring women from multigenerational businesses together to share their stories.

Fellow committee member Alexandra Justis, a fifth-generation shareholder and director of marketing and engagement of her family firm, Doyle Security, agreed.

“Our women-focused events have helped me build meaningful connections, grow my professional network, and learn from shared experiences,” Justis said. “We hope to continue to build on the momentum of our first two events and see even more new faces in November.”

Along with a selection of wines and charcuterie, Via Girasole has its own family story to share with attendees of the mixer. Proprietor Nicole McLean developed a passion for wine while working at her parent’s business, Pittsford Wines. In July 2015, the space next to their business was converted and Via Girasole Wine Bar was born.

“Business and family can be difficult separately, but when those two elements come together it is rewarding,” McLean said. “You find a deeper love for each other. When you add guidance from like-minded entrepreneurs, especially women, it becomes a force to be reckoned with.”  

Tickets are $40 per person and available online. Registration will remain open until Friday, Nov. 10. For more information, email Dr. Carol Wittmeyer, director of the Family Business program, at cwittmeyer@sjf.edu.