Ever since Kim Waller moved back to Anchorage in 2018, it’s been full-steam ahead. In January of this year, Waller launched the Women’s Power League of Alaska, a network strengthening the state through the empowerment of women. Two months after founding the League, WPLAK unveiled their 20-Something Mentorship Program, which pairs aspiring professionals ages 21 to 29 with a solid professional in their field.
Mentoring
Waller began the mentorship program to support the generation of women coming up behind her.
“I have felt that sometimes when it comes to mentorship that we don’t really see the diverseness of women that is on par with the community,” Waller said. “That was something that was key and probably the thing that I’m most proud of was the diversity.”
The eight-month program pairs a mentee and mentor in their perspective fields while taking into consideration where in the state they are located. That way, the duo can meet once a month to discuss their ongoing project.
From creating a new logo to commercializing a kitchen, mentorship has opened new doors for the women involved.
“There are a lot of excellent opportunities for mentorship for young people in the state of Alaska,” Waller said. “I didn’t really see any affordable mentorship opportunities, specifically for women in the state of Alaska, and it is just a joy and a delight to fill that void.”
49th State Women’s Forum
After the mentorship began in March, she immediately began planning for The 49th State Women’s Forum: Rising United, an event taking place at the Hotel Captain Cook on Nov. 4. The forum, which is nonpartisan and inclusive, features a day chock-full of discussions and workshops designed to amplify conversations within the state.
Waller says this event is for people at all stages of their careers, although; the first portion of the conference may be more attractive to those more established whereas the latter part of the day is geared towards the younger generation.
“My background in media informed me that I could guide some of these conversations and just try to bring us to a space specifically for women,” Waller said.
Liz Raines of KTVA Channel 11 News will host “Deep Cuts Part 2: The New Budget and What it Means for Alaskan Women and Families,” features a panel discussion of Abbe Hensley of Best Beginnings, Laurie Wolf of The Foraker Group, Lisa Aquino of Catholic Social Services and Dean Karen Markel of the UAA College of Business and Public Policy.
While organizing the conference has been fulfilling, Waller says the response from volunteers has been overwhelmingly supportive.
“The most exciting thing to me was picking up the phone and every single person saying, ‘Yes, I will be at this conference, this is important what you’re doing, the timing is right, I will clear my schedule,’” Waller said.
Lori Townsend of Alaska Public Media will lead a panel to discuss women’s power at the ballot box, featuring Michelle Nesbett of Nesbett Law Offices, Nora Morse of Alaska Women Ascend and Rachel Kallander of Kallander and Associates and Arctic Encounter.
Participants can choose from an array of workshops, including those led by Adrienne Wilkerson and Jennifer Christensen of Beacon Media + Marketing, Haley Lindow of Blush Boutique and Alice Qannik Glenn of Coffee and Quaq, Other panel discussions include “Big Giving: Philanthropy, Activism and People Power,” “Funding Your Dream” and “Financial Fitness.”
‘Economic Empowerment’
In Alaska, women get paid 72 cents on the dollar that a man makes, according to a report from the Alaska Department of Labor in September of this year.
When Waller was finishing up her graduate degree, she reported on the gender pay gap in Alaska. Through that research, she met Karinne Wiebold from the Department of Labor and Hilary Morgan of Resourceful Results, who will both be on a panel discussing the wage gap in Alaska and the real cost for women in business. Triada Stampas of ACLU Alaska and Jasmine Smith of The Business Boutique and Baby Vend will also be part of the discussion.
“I think that there are a lot of wage gap deniers,” Waller said. “They are like, ‘This is not our problem, this is not happening.’ Second, I think that people are quick to write it off because there are male-dominated industries and they know that they are highly productive — almost to excuse it away — and then it’s easier to dismiss when we hear that there are more women entrepreneurs coming out of this state than any other state in the country. When we hear that it absolves the fact — the fact — that the gender wage gap exists, when in actuality, we have a bunch of ass-kicking, innovative women who have started very successful businesses.”
Waller hopes that women attending the forum feel empowered with their resources and that they know how they can be the “best part of the solution.”
“If we fight for that and if women are economically empowered, they have more options for themselves and for their families,” Waller said.
The 49th State Women’s Forum will take place Nov. 4 at the Hotel Captain Cook. Tickets are still available. A full schedule can be found here.