THRIVE is a Chamber initiative with a mission of empowering women on the North Shore to succeed both professionally and personally at every stage of career. THRIVE creates meaningful and inclusive opportunities through mentorship, networking, programming, education, inspiration and support. The vision differs from that of a typical women's business group and is not designed to gain leads or market one's business. Rather, THRIVE is built around the spirit of both professional and personal development and accomplishment. We hope you will join us to THRIVE together. 
THRIVE STEERING COMMITTEE
  • ​Karen Andreas, cochair; CEO/President, North Shore Chamber of Commerce
  • Mary Anne Clancy, co-chair; Institution for Savings, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications
  • ​Bernadette Butterfield, Groom Construction, Vice President of Business Development
  • Melisa Gillis, Gillis Consulting, owner
  • Hannah Ginley, Windover Construction, Chief People Officer
THRIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL
  • ​Patti Beckwith, CFP, Constitution Financial Partners, Branch Manager
  • Vanessa Bettencourt, North Shore Bank, Assistant Vice President of Retail Banking
  • Bethany Blake, Harborlight Homes, Director of Philanthropy and Marketing 
  • Christine Boncore, US1 Ventures, Asset Manager, Esq.
  • Erin Calvo-Bacci, CB Stuffer, Co-owner
  • Sherri Fiore, iCorps Technologies, Director of Sales
  • Julie Ganong, Chococoa Baking Company, Owner​
  • Cara Hutchins, Communications, Ink, CEO/Founder
  • Kristin Kolick, Correnti & Darling LLP, Associate Attorney
  • Raminder Luther, Dean of Bertolon School of Business, Salem State University
  • ​Nicole Mitsakis, CM&B, Vice President of Marketing
  • Samanda Morales, Ahora Inc., Co-founder/CEO
  • Shelley Murray, Salem Five Bank, Senior Vice Presider/Regional Manager
  • Dianne Palter Gill, North Shore Community College, Dean of Corporate and Professional Education
  • Jennifer Raymond, AgeSpan, Chief Strategy Officer
  • ​Sara Stanley, HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change), Executive Director
  • Darcia Tremblay, Silver Lining Solutions, Owner/President
  • Kathleen Walsh, YMCA of Metro North, President/CEO
  • Brenda Wong Murphy, Pathways for Children, Community Engagement Manager
SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY THRIVE BREAKFAST WORKSHOP
​We are currently living in a digital era. Those who are not embracing being online — whether as a consumer, socially, as a business or as an employer— are rapidly becoming forgotten. The most-used aspect of this digital life has become social media. 

Join two social media icons — Communications, Ink founder Cara Hutchins and J Campbell Social Media founder Julia Campbell — as they share tips and strategies for showing your social media strategy some love professionally and personally.
OUR SPEAKERS
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Cara Hutchins, founder & CEO, Communications, Ink
Cara is a right + left brain entrepreneur who builds brands by creating links between people and experiences. As a strategic marketer, Cara uses her breadth of knowledge to develop integrated communications programs that help her clients succeed. With her four-person team at Communications, Ink, Cara creates a full range of marketing materials. She has an AB from Vassar College and an MBA from Babson College. Cara is a frequent lecturer on branding and her work has earned numerous Hermes, Davey, Marcomm, Association of Graphic Communications, Digital Signage and New England Museum Association awards. She is a member of the Thrive Advisory Council.
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Julia Campbell, founder and principal, J Campbell Social Media
Julia has run her digital marketing consulting business for almost a decade, focused exclusively on mission-driven organizations. A mom of two and a returned Peace Corps volunteer, she is the author of "Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits," a call-to-action for nonprofits to use stories to accomplish their missions. Based in Boston, Julia is a global authority on digital storytelling, with happy clients spanning the globe from Moscow to San Francisco. She has provided workshops and training to Meals on Wheels America, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Facebook. Julia is a frequent contributor to Nonprofit Tech for Good, Social Media Today, Maximize Social Business, Elevation Web, Network for Good, Wild Apricot and others.
SAVE THE DATE
THRIVE SUMMIT 2023 
Thursday, May 18, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Boston Marriott Peabody
8A Centennial Drive, Peabody
Mark your calendar for Thrive's first half-day conference. Our signature event will feature speakers, breakout sessions, resources, breakfast, lunch and more to educate, elevate and empower women professionally and personally at all stages of career.
MORE DETAILS TO COME!

Thrive Sip & Shop with a cause at Northeast Arc

The Chamber's Thrive initiative enjoyed an awe-inspiring Sip & Shop event Dec. 8 at Northeast Arc's Center for Linking Lives at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers.
Thank you to President & CEO Jo Ann Simons for sharing her story with us and her entire team for giving us a glimpse at the incredible impact Northeast Arc has made across the state and beyond improving the world
for all people with disabilities.
We all enjoyed shopping for the most unique gifts at parcels —  where every item sold is made by, or sold through companies owned by, individuals with disabilities and autism — and the added value of knowing the good that our purchases will bring to others. Parcels is a must stop for every shopper this holiday season!
Make Time for You!
Thrive members share guilt-free strategies for a better life
Just ahead of the busy holiday season, Thrive members enjoyed an engaging session
on staying balanced and in control in their professional and personal lives at a breakfast event on Nov. 3. Darcia Tremblay, president and owner of Silver Lining Solutions, shared her own personal experiences and techniques for juggling life's demands at work and at home. Then, guests broke into small discussion groups to trade tips and advice for discovering ways to be the best version of themselves. Everyone walked away armed with strategies and techniques to tackle the days ahead. 
​Thank you to Presenting Sponsor Silver Lining Solutions and Supporting Sponsor Gillis Consulting for their support of the breakfast. Thank you also to Kathleen Walsh of the YMCA of Metro North for donating one-month membership passes to the YMCA for all attendees.
A special note of appreciation to the students and staff of the Maple Street Cafe at
​Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School for hosting Thrive for the morning.
Thrive members roll up their sleeves
​for Habitat for Humanity's Women's Build Day
What an amazing group of women
who joined Thrive Friday, Oct. 21,
​for its Women's Build Day with Habitat for Humanity! These rock stars truly "nailed it" as they lent their muscles and skills to an affordable housing worksite in Salisbury.
Team building, empowerment and
giving back at its best! Well done!​
​
More photos to come!

'A Conversation with Natalie Jacobson'

'When faced with no girls need apply, ​she saw a challenge, not an obstacle.' 
Work hard. Be honest. Care about people.
​ Those were just some of the thoughts veteran TV news broadcaster Natalie Jacobson left Thrive with. Thank you to Natalie for offering a personal glimpse into her life and career — filled with both ups and downs, positives and negatives, but ultimately, as her mother would advise, more pluses than minuses. 
Networking for a Cause:A Celebration of Independence
It was a picture-perfect evening for Networking for a Cause July 28 at the Beauport Hotel in Gloucester. A crowd of more than 75 dressed in their finest red, white and blue and generously supported local veterans and their families with the donation of gift cards to assist with their needs. 

Adversity. Resilience. Triumph.
​​A conversation with ​​NANCY FRATES

June 21 — Hawthorne Hotel, Salem
The Chamber's Thrive initiative was honored to host Nancy Frates and her husband, John — the parents of the late Pete Frates.
​Nancy Frates courageously shared her family's inspiring story as she urged guests to add the 5 P's of Peter — qualities her son practiced — to their lives: Positive. Passionate. Purposeful. Productive. Present. 
She also called on everyone to embrace Pete's affirmation penned in high school at St. John's Prep — long before he was diagnosed with ALS and became the face of the movement for its cure: "Be passionate. Be genuine. Be hard working. And don't ever be afraid to be great!"
Nancy Frates' Thrive presentation
A Gift to be Shared:Pete Frates

'Finding Your Voice'

Thrive panel empowers individuals to project confidence,
​advocate for yourself and know your worth 
We all need to find our voice, especially in uncomfortable situations — whether asking for a raise, having a difficult conversation or offering criticism.
The Chamber's Thrive initiative treated breakfast guests to a master class in the art of communication, offering tips on public speaking, advocating for oneself and navigating difficult conversations during a panel program on May 17 at Root North Shore in Salem. 
Karen Andreas, president and CEO of The Chamber, moderated a panel that featured three experts in their industries: Samanda Morales, CEO and co-founder of Ahora Inc.; Karen Nascembeni, chief operating officer for Bill Hanney's Live Theaters, including North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly; and Janet Santa Anna, CEO and co-founder of The Resource Connection Inc.
Morales shared her experiences in gaining the confidence that has enabled her to succeed in her professional career. She encouraged guests to "articulate their passions" and "be comfortable with being uncomfortable."
She offered five principles that have assisted her on her professional journey:
1. Understand your value and your professional worth.
2. Be confident. You belong in the room and at the table.
3. Prepare yourself with the skills and expertise that add value and enable you to compete.
4. Be present and visible; network and build relationships.
5. Be kind and respectful to everyone, no matter who they are.
Nascembeni sought to take some of the fear out of public speaking by offering strategies that have served her well in her years in radio, TV and live theater. She stressed the importance of preparation and projecting personality and passion as keys for captivating an audience. Whether speaking to a handful of individuals or hundreds, Nascembeni said knowing your material and your audience are instrumental for being an effective speaker.
Santa Anna, who has 35 years of experience as a certified staffing professional, provided her expertise on handling difficult conversations in the workplace. First and foremost, she said, understand the purpose of the conversation and be prepared to listen. Then, she said, watch for the "Four D's" that can derail a challenging interaction with an employee or colleague — denial, disruption, deflection and dumping on the boss. Santa Anna also stressed preparation as being integral to a successful exchange. 
The panelists also discussed "Imposter Syndrome" — a phenomenon that has been gaining attention in the professional world in recent years — and ways to overcome the feelings associated with it.
Imposter Syndrome is defined as a psychological occurrence in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing Imposter Syndrome do not believe they deserve their success or luck. 
Mary Anne Clancy, co-chair of the Thrive Steering Committee and senior vice president of marketing and communications for the Institution for Savings, highlighted the role of mentors in assisting individuals who lack confidence in their abilities. She said Thrive is launching a Mentorship Program that will address some of the challenges associated with the phenomenon.
Thank you to title sponsor UniCare and presenting sponsor Windover Construction for their support of the breakfast program. Thank you also to Ahora Inc. for sponsoring tickets to allow students from Salem State University's Bertolon School of Business to attend the breakfast as our guests. And a round of appreciation to Root — a nonprofit social enterprise that helps young adults gain workforce readiness and life skills through food service training and employment — for hosting Thrive in its beautiful venue overlooking the Salem waterfront.
A show-stopping Thrive After Hours at North Shore Music Theatre
The Chamber's Thrive initiative enjoyed a super evening Networking for a Cause on April 21 at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our members, who donated nearly 100 scarves and hats to support the patients of Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers. ​
Thank you to Chamber Director Karen Nascembeni, general manager of the North Shore Music Theatre, and her team for hosting, and to Rev Kitchen & Bar in Beverly for providing the light bites. And much appreciation to all the members of Thrive and of The Chamber for attending and making the event a smashing success.
Got 5 minutes?
Take our Thrive​ Mentorship Survey
Help Thrive get its Mentorship Program underway. Tell us how you'd like the new program designed, how you'd like to be involved and what types of opportunities you would like to see offered. We'll use the results to help us frame our exciting new initiative.
A Heart to Heart about Heart Health --
​and a call to equip the workforce with life-saving skills 
'Being heart healthy is not rocket science ... it is harder than rocket science.'
— Dr. Sohah Iqbal, chief of cardiology, Salem Hospital
​The Chamber's THRIVE initiative got straight to the heart of the matter Feb. 18 at an inspiring luncheon held at the Boston Marriott Peabody that ultimately served as a call to action for the businesses community.
Ashley Lucchese shared the life-altering story of the day her heart stopped without warning in 2017 at the age of 33. The young mother and former Salem resident went into cardiac arrest while at work at the Boston Marriott Peabody. She spent the next several days in a coma before defying the odds and regaining her life.
Ashley was joined in the program by Tara Bassett, the general manager of the Boston Peabody Marriott and a member of the North Shore Chamber Board of Directors. Tara performed CPR on Ashley after she collapsed and is credited with helping to save her life until paramedics arrived. What’s even more remarkable is Tara had just undergone CPR offered through her workplace just two days before Ashley collapsed.
Tara says she leads with the philosophy established by Mr. Marriott: "Take care of your associates and they will take care of the guests." She promotes safety and well-being and ensures that her staff has the training and tools to do their jobs. The Peabody Marriott, she says, offers CPR training annually to all employees — in both English as well as a bilingual program. She urged business owners who are able to provide their staff with the same training opportunities. 
Dr. Sohah N. Ikbal, chief of cardiology at Salem Hospital, offered steps that individuals can take to maintain heart health, which includes adopting an active lifestyle and healthy diet and maintaining routine medical care, and underscored the importance of CPR training for everyone.
Dr. Ikbal also stressed the importance of mindfulness and meditation. She led attendees in a breathing exercise and encouraged the group to incorporate the exercise into their daily routine. 
After polling guests on whether they were CPR certified, Karen Andreas, president and CEO of the North Shore Chamber, said The Chamber would look to host a CPR training course for businesspeople and their employees. Andreas also said The Chamber would explore available resources to help equip businesses with automated external defibrillators, which are considered a key component of a safe workplace. 
Ashley — who today lives in Westminster with her husband, Joe, and 6-year-old son, Connor, and works in global sales for Marriott— has also been on a quest to raise awareness of heart disease in women and the importance of CPR training in the workplace since her experience.
​She has been an advocate and public speaker for the American Heart Association, and has run the Boston Marathon for Tedy’s Team, named after former New England Patriot Tedy Bruschi — all in an effort to help save lives. Her biggest lesson? "Live in the moment. Be grateful for what you have," she says. "Life is short. Do things that make you happy and bring you joy."
Mary Anne Clancy, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the Institution for Savings, co-chair of Thrive and a member of the Chamber's Board of Directors, served as moderator for the program.
The Thrive luncheon was made possible through the generous support of Title Sponsors Windover Construction and the Institution for Savings, Presenting Sponsor AgeSpan and Supporting Sponsor Groom Construction.

THRIVE forms Advisory Council

As part of its governance structure, the Thrive Steering Committee has created a 20-member Advisory Council to assist with guiding the work of this new initiative for women in business.
The purpose of the Advisory Council is as follows:
  • To provide advice, feedback and new ideas to Thrive's Steering Committee regarding the group's activities and offerings
  • To assist in the development, delivery and implementation of Thrive’s programs
  • To be an ambassador for Thrive in the community
Advisory Council members will serve a one-year term, with meetings held at least quarterly. Each Council member will be asked to commit to working in one of three key areas of focus subcommittees:  1) Mentorship; 2) Education & Personal Development; and 3) Events & Networking.
Congratulations -- and thank you -- to the following Advisory Council members:
Patti Beckwith, Alan Berry, Bethany Blake, Christine Boncore, Sarah Burke, Erin Calvo-Bacci, Deb Flohr, Melisa Gillis, Kasia Loor, Bill Luster, Dr. Raminder Luther, Jessica McLaughlin, Samanda Morales, Kristen Menzone, Nicole Mitsakis, Dianne Palter Gill, Jennifer Raymond, Joe Riley, Sara Stanley, Kathleen Walsh

Energy abounds at THRIVE events

75 enjoy networking night in Ipswich

IPSWICH -- The Chamber's newest initiative, Thrive, kicked off June 9 with a night of networking under the tent at the Hellenic Center.
   As designed, women of all stages of their careers mingled and offered thoughts on how Thrive can present a diverse array of programs that will appeal to a broad group.
    Mary Anne Clancy, co-chair of the Thrive Planning Committee, noted that what makes Thrive so special is that much of the programming will come right from our own membership. 
  "This initiative is about you. It is about all of the women in the Chamber and it’s actually about all of the women on the North Shore — no matter what stage of career you're in," said Clancy, senior vice president of marketing and communications for Institution for Savings. 
   "What we want to do is put together an initiative where the conversation goes around in a circle. Instead of us telling people and educating people in one direction and letting them go, we want us all to educate each other. We want us all to work together and share the experience."
    The Thrive Steering Committee has surveyed members and will soon announce a full slate of programming.
    Special thanks to our generous sponsors who made the Ipswich kickoff event possible:
TITLE SPONSORS:
  • Institution For Savings
  • Windover Construction
  • C.P. Berry Homes
  • Groom Construction
PRESENTING SPONSORS:
  • MerryFox Realty
  • International Protective Services

Calling all Mentors

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   One of the goals of Thrive is to create a mentoring program for women to help other women in all stages of personal life and career.
     Are you looking for a mentor to provide inspiration, emotional support, professional training?
     Or, are you willing to mentor others? Please click the mentor button and tell us your thoughts.

Virginia Buckingham offers poignant message for kickoff 

​"My story is my own to do good with, if I can, and so is yours."
— Ginny Buckingham, author,
"On My Watch"
​    Listen to your own voice. Be your own hero. And go out of your way to be kind and compassionate. That was the takeaway from Virginia Buckingham — the head of MassPort overseeing Boston’s Logan International Airport on Sept. 11.
​    Buckingham shared her story of being made a scapegoat following the terrorist attacks in an  appearance before a crowd of nearly 200 on Sept. 9 at the kickoff luncheon for THRIVE.
​    Buckingham compared her life to sea glass — broken apart and not what it once was, but still beautiful and valuable. She says she hasn’t moved on from Sept. 11, but has managed, after much struggle and reflection, to move forward. 
    A special thank you to our many sponsors who supported this luncheon, including:
PLATINUM SPONSORS:
  • Institution For Savings
  • Windover Construction
GOLD SPONSOR:
  • The Resource Connection
SIVER SPONSORS:
  • C.P. Berry Homes
  • Gillis Consulting
  • Groom Construction
  • Johnson O'Connor
  • People's United Bank
  • TD Bank

Thrive lands at The Landing for seaside after hours in Marblehead

Click Here to view pictures from the Thrive After Hours at The Landing.

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