Crossing the Gender Line: Rome-Adopted Women as Business and Community-Engagement Leaders

Two non-Italian women who live in Rome step outside their areas of formal professional expertise to make groundbreaking advances that help connect people.  Kristin Engvig, Founder of WIN (Women International Network) “inspires others to create a world where business and society flourish and all people thrive. Mary Stuart-Miller, Founder of Project Rome, serves “home-cooked food on the streets of Rome, giving clothes, shoes and recognition to desperate and disadvantaged people.” Both speakers raise awareness about the potential in every one to make a real difference in the world. Kristin and Mary focus on finding solutions to problems by applying feminine values in daring new ways.

The Guest Lecture will be moderated by Dr. Rebecca Sptizmiller, professor in the Business track at CIEE and professor of International Business Contracts and Comparative Law at Roma Tre University.

Panelists
Kristin Engvig is a social entrepreneur who began her leadership journey after founding W.I.N. in 1998 in Milan, Italy. Kristin embodies her belief that “Women have a vital role to play.  They embody the power to influence, decide, lead and be an agent of change.  Women lead with grace while being true to themselves, restructuring organizations into caring environments, making conscious decisions for long term results, handling communication with empathy, and in every way ensuring that lives and careers blossom worldwide.”

Mary Stuart-Miller started Project Rome, a volunteer group for the homeless.

What began with Stuart-Miller cooking dozens of nutritious meals in her kitchen for the homeless or destitute near Rome's Tiburtina train station on a Tuesday night has now morphed into a mission which sees the pair feeding over 300 a week, as well as travelling around the city delivering food, clothes, blankets and toiletries to those sleeping rough or in abandoned buildings.

Global Institute Lecture Series

The Global Institute Lecture Series is an initiative of the Open Campus program that invites students to engage with a global topic from the perspective of their host country. CIEE opens its doors to local experts, visiting faculty and members of the community, to facilitate an evening of debate and idea exchange. The GI Lecture Series provides a forum for a diverse range of academic engagement, from lectures to film screenings, workshops and panel discussions, with the goal of bringing students closer to the local community. 

A new topic is chosen every semester and students across all Global Institutes will engage with this common theme from varying angles. Therefore, a great emphasis is placed on fostering intercultural awareness and learning. Students have the invaluable opportunity to liaise with members of the local community, experience new perspectives, and contribute to the academic landscape of their host country.