The National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) has expanded its Women in the Bicycle Industry programing with monthly events and a dedicated Facebook group. The organization continues to build a space welcoming all women or those who identify as women regardless of age, ethnicity, or background, to join in education and conversation.
“It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience to personally take part in the previously organized women’s events. The takeaways from conversations with other women directly involved in our industry has been eye opening,” says NBDA President Heather Mason. “Being a woman in the industry has its unique set of challenges and I’m looking forward to continued dynamic conversations”.
The NBDA has been hosting monthly virtual seminars for Women in the Industry with focused topics. The hour-long events are free to attend with registration on the NBDA website.
In recognition and celebration of National Bike Month, the NBDA has assembled an all-star panel to share their experience and current role in spreading cycling passion. On May 17th, the event “Welcoming Women into our Sport and Industry” brings several guests to the conversation of building towards a future with more women not only on bikes but in careers within our industry.
On June 21st, the conversation focuses on “How to have Tough Conversations at Work” and provides takeaways for harnessing tools that you can use in your workplace. Led by guest expert Tara Kuipers, the event will help you find the right words in the moment and leave the conversation feeling confident.
“All of us will grapple with tough conversations at some point in our lives; sometimes, we are faced with several in a day! Since it's an ever-present part of life, we owe it to ourselves and our customers, coworkers, vendors, and managers (and even our family and friends) to learn how to talk about hard things in easier ways,” stated Kuipers.
In addition to the virtual events, the NBDA continues to build on its resources for women with the development of a closed dedicated Facebook Group, NBDA Women of the Bicycle Industry.
The group platform will allow for additional interaction, sharing experiences, current roles, asking questions and advice - all with the collective goal of encouraging more women to become involved in cycling and within industry roles. Within the group the NBDA will provide resources, insights, news updates, and postings of the monthly virtual events.
For access to additional information or to join the NBDA or renew your membership online, visit NBDA.com. There are many free resources available to everyone, including the educational podcast Bicycle Retail Radio.
Questions about joining the NBDA? Contact Rachelle Schouten, Development Director, at Rachelle@NBDA.com.
