The Chicago Network, a longstanding organization that connects women in leadership positions across Chicago, has introduced a new program called “The Rung” aimed at earlier-career female professionals. The initiative intends to foster community and empower emerging leaders by providing networking opportunities and career support at an earlier stage than traditionally available.
The group, which was founded in 1979 by nine female executives, has grown to include more than 550 members from diverse fields, including astrophysics, corporate leadership, medicine, the arts, and academia. Maria Doughty, CEO of The Chicago Network, emphasized the importance of initiating professional relationships sooner in women’s careers. “Too many women start building their networks way too late in their career,” she said.
The Rung will consist of an inaugural cohort of 40 high-performing women selected through an application process that opened on October 22 and will close on December 1. Participants will pay an annual membership fee of $975, a figure designed to be more accessible than other leadership programs in the city. The names of the accepted candidates will be announced in the first week of January.
Suzet McKinney, CEO of the Chicago Loop Alliance and the chair of The Rung committee, described the program as a response to the professional isolation many women experience when advancing in their careers. “You often hear the phrase, it’s lonely at the top, but getting to the top is also lonely,” McKinney said. She credited The Chicago Network with creating a rare environment where professional women can support and empower each other.
Doughty noted that women remain significantly underrepresented in senior executive roles, especially CEO positions in both publicly traded and private companies. Although women constitute over half the population, their representation in leadership remains in the single digits. A key barrier is that women often hesitate to apply for leadership roles unless they meet nearly all the qualifications, unlike their male counterparts who may apply with fewer qualifications met.
By engaging women earlier in their career paths, The Rung aims to create a pipeline that promotes more equitable leadership representation. Doughty also highlighted the need for companies to move beyond mentoring to active sponsorship, advocating for women to gain experience and opportunities that influence profitability and business outcomes.
As Chicago continues to experience economic growth and investment, The Chicago Network hopes that The Rung will contribute to making the city a recognized hub for deliberately cultivating women leaders at all stages of their professional journeys.