Ananda Leeke spoke about "Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs" at Ignite DC #8 on October 20, 2011. Her slides were edited to include additional information on October 24, 2011. Visit www.ignite-dc.com for more information about the Ignite DC talk series. Visit http://digitalsisterhood.wordpress to learn more about the Digital Sisterhood Network. Follow @digitalsisterhd on Twitter. Like Digital Sisterhood Network on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/digitalsisterhood.

1. Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs
Ignite DC #8 Talk on 10/20/11 (updated with additional slides on 10/24/11)
by Ananda Leeke
Founder of Digital Sisterhood Network
Excerpt from Leeke’s Digital Sisterhood, a memoir (2012)
Follow @digitalsisterhd on Twitter.
Like Digital Sisterhood on Facebook.

2. Presenter Bio
Yoga + Creativity + Internet Geek = Ananda
Leeke. Leeke is a lawyer turned “Jill of many
trades”: innerpreneur, author, artist, coach, and
yoga teacher. She is also a speaker and the
founder of the Digital Sisterhood Network and
Digital Sisterhood Month. Her mission is
“Empowering U2BU through creativity coaching,
Reiki, self-care, social media, volunteerism, and
yoga.” Macy's Heart of Haiti Campaign and the
Clinton Bush Haiti Fund selected her to travel to
Haiti as a blogger ambassador with Willa Shalit
of Fairwinds Trading and the Everywhere team in
February 2011. Black Enterprise named her as
one of the Black Women in Tech You Should
Follow on Twitter in July 2011. The Blogalicious
Weekend Conference chose her to serve as a
blogger ambassador in August 2011. Leeke
works as an artist-in-residence for Smith Center
for Healing and the Arts at Walter Reed National
Navy Medical Center. She penned That Which Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley - www.LeighMosley.com
Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir
of Self-Discovery (2009) and her debut novel
Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One (2007).
She is currently writing Digital Sisterhood, a
memoir (2012) and Love’s Troubadours – Symon:
Book Two (2014).

3. Got 5 minutes?
Got 5 minutes?
Walk with me on Story Road.
Photo Credit: umjanedoan's Flickr Photostream - "Story Road“
http://www.flickr.com/photos/umjanedoan/497411169/in/photostream

4. My story is simple.
Photo Credit: craftybeaver’s Flickr Photostream - Amy Sedaris - Simple Times BLAD
http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftybeaver/4755648250/in/photostream

5. When DC women entrepreneurs express
their power online and offline, they create
a win-win situation for everyone.

6. How do they express their power?
Photo Credit: Steve Snodgrass Flickr Photostream – “Power & Equality”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevensnodgrass/4764673605/in/photostream

7. They do it with digital sisterhood.

8. What is digital sisterhood?
The feminine currency
women use to create
relationship wealth through
the connections they make,
conversations they have,
communities they build,
causes they support,
collaborative partnerships
they establish, and
commerce they engage in
with women they meet
online and offline.

9. How do DC women entrepreneurs
cultivate and strengthen their
digital sisterhood relationships?

10. Answer
For the past several
years I have watched
my fellow DC women
entrepreneurs use 7
ways to cultivate their
digital sisterhood
relationships.

11. They join groups and organizations.

12. Fabulous Women Business Owners D.C.

13. Examples of Other Groups and Organizations

14. They visit web sites and participate in online
seminars, conferences, bootcamps, and meet ups.

15. They share best practices at Digital Sisterhood
Network’s women in social media focus groups.

16. They have conversations and share information
during weekly Facebook and Twitter chats.
Women-Owned
Business Wednesdays
on Facebook
#wgbiz Twitter Chats
#DigitalSisterhood
Wednesday Weekly
Twitter Parties

17. They use social networking sites with DC-based
groups to connect with local women.

18. They become involved in online
projects that support other women.

19. What happens when DC women
entrepreneurs tap into the
power of digital sisterhood
in their businesses?

20. Answer
They become a
triple threat:
energized,
enlightened, and
empowered.

21. How do DC women entrepreneurs use digital
sisterhood as a business model?

22. Answer
My research has
taught me that
DC women
entrepreneurs use
digital sisterhood as a
business model in 11
ways.

23. Collaborate
They collaborate
when they use their
energy, expertise, and
resources on business
opportunities, causes,
and events.

24. Donate
They donate their
time and money to
support business
projects, causes, and
fundraising
campaigns.

25. Mentor
They become mentors
when they share what
they have learned.

26. Network
They network and
cultivate mutually
beneficial
relationships.

27. Nurture
They nurture each
other when they offer
positive feedback on
blogs, Facebook,
Google Plus, LinkedIn,
and Twitter.

28. Participate
They participate by
showing up online
and offline to
women’s activities.

29. Promote
They use email, social
media, and word of
mouth to promote
women’s causes,
events, products, and
services.

30. Purchase
They purchase
women’s products
and services for
themselves or as gifts.

31. Recognize
They recognize
women’s expertise by
inviting them to serve
as guest bloggers,
Facebook and Twitter
chat guests, podcast
guests, panelists, and
speakers.

32. Share
They share
professional contacts
and resources with
each other.

33. Sponsor
They sponsor
activities that offer
business, learning,
social good, and
networking
opportunities.

34. 4 Lessons Learned by DC Women Entrepreneurs
• Being a part of communities is an essential ingredient to
success.
• Practicing generosity and gratitude is the smart thing to do.
• Asking for help and support from fellow entrepreneurs
strengthens relationships.
• Leveraging each others’ creativity, expertise, and resources
generates an abundance of advocacy, business, and learning
opportunities.

35. My story has a happy ending!
Photo Credit: Elsie esq. Flickr Photostream – “Carousel on Brighton pier 1”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsie/170685795

36. DC Women Entrepreneurs Rock!
Photo Credit: Rubyblossom Flickr Photostream – “Rocks Stock”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubyblossom/5908262287