Join Me for Coffee with Joanne Kamens

Join Me for Coffee is a long-running series at MASS AWIS that provides a great opportunity for women in science who are seeking career development or simply inspiration. Participants will not only learn about that person’s career but also establish a new professional connection. These events are a great opportunity for participants to practice networking in an intimate setting, a skill that helps open doors to meaningful careers in STEM.

The upcoming ‘Join Me for Coffee’ event will be in-person and will feature Joanne Kamens (bio below). If you would like to participate in this ‘Join Me for Coffee’ event, first complete the event application form. A committee will then review all applications and select 4-6 participants for each event. Selected applicants will be notified by email at least one week prior to the event.

Guest Bio

Dr. Kamens received her PhD in genetics from Harvard Medical School and has had a varied career in academia, pharma, biotech and nonprofit. Over two decades ago, she founded the Boston chapter of the Association for Women in Science (MASS AWIS) after an entire week went by when she had no meetings with any other women. This led her on a journey as a scientist to understand the inequities that caused this disparity.  She currently brings this unique perspective and background to her current work as a scientist and diversity, equity & inclusion consultant.

As Executive Director/CEO of the international biotechnology nonprofit, Addgene, Joanne experimented and implemented practical ways to create an inclusive workplace where every employee was able to thrive and contribute. She realized single digit employee turnover for a decade at Addgene and collaborated with dozens of inclusion organizations to make the company a Best Place to Work in Boston for 6 years running  (#1 Best Place in 2016). Since 2021, Joanne has been sharing her experience and expanding her deep commitment to increasing inclusion in the workplace by consulting with organizations working to develop processes and culture that support organizational success. She learns and works with the Diversity North Group DEI Consulting team and serves on a number of boards including the National AWIS Board of Directors, the OpenBiome Board of Directors, and as an advisor to Scismic, a job matching site for life scientists.

Joanne is a leader in creating and supporting group mentoring programs and has been nominated forthe Presidential Medal of Honor in STEM Mentoring. She speaks widely on topics such as Winning Company Culture, Implicit Bias, Management Excellence for Inclusive Cultures, Making the most ofMentoring Relationships, Work/Life Negotiation, and Building Relationships for Success.

Registration fee: $5 for MASS AWIS members, $15 for non-members (Paid on Eventbrite after selection)

Application deadline: Wednesday, February 7th, 2024