Michigan Business Beat | Becky Puckett-Wood, Rhonda Maxwell Inforum Scholarship Program

Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Becky Puckett-Wood, Vice President, Corporate & Member Engagement Rhonda Maxwell, Scholarship Subcommittee Co-Chair. Inforum They dicuss the Inforum Scholarship Program ● Inforum launched a new West Michigan scholarship program to help reduce the financial burden for women in the workforce seeking skill development. The scholarship is significant for women, especially women of color, who continue to be overlooked for leadership positions. ● The scholarship will be funded in part by Inforum as well as local businesses and individuals committed to gender balance in corporate leadership. ● Applicants are asked to write a 250-300 word essay describing their goals, leadership style, and how they believe the program will benefit them. ● Applications will be reviewed for fall and spring 2023 leadership programs. Scholarships will cover the majority of the program. The number of scholarships provided will be based upon funding available. ● Businesses can donate and applicants can now apply for the 2023 season at www.inforummichigan.org/scholarships. The questions covered in their conversation ● Explain the application process for the scholarship. ● How will applicants be chosen? How many applicants will receive the scholarship? ● What does the scholarship provide? ● Why was the Inforum Scholarship Program established? ● What are the short-term and long-term goals of the Inforum Scholarship Program? ● Discuss Inforum’s Women’s Leadership in Michigan Public Companies 2022 report which found that only 20% of Michigan public company executive officers are women and only 2.6% are women of color. ● How can businesses get involved? ● Discuss Inforum and its purpose. ● What are other ways Inforum is supporting the professional development of women? About Inforum: Inforum, with offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit, was founded in 1962 as the Women’s Economic Club and works to change the landscape of women’s leadership in Michigan by serving as a catalyst that removes barriers and increase