Network NOVA with Katherine White

(Aug 15, 2022) Catherine Read talks with Katherine White, one of the founders of Network NOVA. This organization came together in 2017 following the Women’s March in Washington, DC. In only 70 days following that event, they launched the first Women’s Summit in June of 2017.

They have hosted a Women’s Summit every year since then, including a multi-day virtual event during 2020.

This year, there are three events – one in June in Northern Virginia, an event in Waynesboro called Rural Valley in August, and the third summit in Virginia Beach in September. Attendance has grown exponentially every year since its inception. Women have attended these events from all over Virginia every year, and the number of elected progressive women candidates also continues to rise. There is a correlation here. Network NOVA continues to connect women with candidate training, workshops, and networks of supporters and donors. That network gets bigger and stronger every year.

In addition to these annual events, Network NOVA launched the weekly Friday Power Lunch during the pandemic. Using an online platform that has became a global communication tool, Katherine and her colleagues taught themselves how to create a dynamic one hour virtual program. Two of the original founders, Stair Calhoun and Robbin Warner, do much of the behind the scenes work while Katherine hosts and moderates the panels. Finale Norton, a former candidate, soon joined the team along with other featured contributors. This show has also offered production experience opportunities to high school and college interns. Hundreds of people attend the weekly Friday Power Lunches, some from outside Virginia who have simply heard about the program online. It’s a free program and their business model relies primarily on sponsorships and donations from supporters.

Network NOVA continues to grow and evolve in response to the changing dynamics of politics in the Commonwealth. They are unabashedly progressive women leaders who understand we have to center our conversations with fellow Virginians around shared values. They are committed to supporting the leadership aspirations of women who step forward to run for office while also building a network of trained volunteers to help those candidates win.

You can find more information at www.NetworkNOVA.org