Business Women honored at 9th PBN event

GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO addressed the crowd at PBN's 2016 Business Women Awards luncheon & Women's Leadership Summit, emphasizing the need to create opportunities for men and women across the state, starting with the youngest school-age children. / PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI
GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO addressed the crowd at PBN's 2016 Business Women Awards luncheon & Women's Leadership Summit, emphasizing the need to create opportunities for men and women across the state, starting with the youngest school-age children. / PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

PROVIDENCE – Margaret “Digit” Murphy dashed to the podium to accept her Outstanding Mentor award Thursday afternoon at the 2016 Providence Business News Business Women Awards luncheon & Women’s Leadership Summit.
“Since I’m a sports person, I had to run up,” Murphy explained to the 315 people gathered at the Providence Marriott Downtown.
Murphy, owner and operator of the United Women’s Lacrosse League, the Play It Forward Sport Foundation and Digit Murphy Athletics, was one of 26 women honored at the ninth annual event for their achievements, 14 at the awards luncheon for the first time, and 12 others who were profiled throughout the year in the print edition of PBN.
“When you’re old, they give you the mentor award,” she joked.
She took a moment to recognize her peers, saying, “we all, as women, do unbelievable things every day. … We definitely run the world.”
She talked about growing up in Cranston’s Edgewood section, where she spent her time playing sports like baseball and street hockey with neighborhood boys.
“I was simply an athlete,” Murphy said.
But, she said, “the day the music died” was when she was told she couldn’t play Little League because she was a girl. She couldn’t even try out. She was told she could keep score, news that devastated her.
“Something inside me changed,” Murphy said.
She said she never wanted another little girl to feel the way she did that day in 1972, and that was something that motivated her in her professional life.
Her Play It Forward Foundation was created specifically to close the gender pay gap across professional sports.
Considered a pioneer in the sports world, Murphy, the former head coach of the women’s professional hockey team, the Boston Blades, and former coach of Brown University’s Division 1 ice hockey program, said that as long as she lives, she is committed to creating opportunities for girls and women.

Receiving the Career Achievement Award was Michelle Wilcox, chief operating officer of Crossroads Rhode Island, the largest homeless services organization in the state.
Wilcox, who has worked at the nonprofit for 23 years, said she was “truly humbled” to be recognized with the award, especially since she said she is being recognized for doing work that she loves.
Wilcox told the crowd that they all have an obligation and an opportunity to facilitate opportunities for women to succeed.
“So if you take one idea away today,” Wilcox told the crowd, “contribute to the success of other women through abundant gifts of time, talent and support.”
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo also spoke, praising the “fabulous women” in attendance, and “fabulous men.”
“I know so many of you who are doing amazing things,” Raimondo said. “Rhode Island is so much better because of you guys, because of the work you do, the businesses you run.”
Raimondo highlighted some of her initiatives, including “Governor for a Day,” a contest in which girls in grades five through eight can submit an essay to become “governor for the day,” as well as the new Rhode Island Promise scholarship that helps students close the gap between financial aid and actual college costs. Scholarships are open to Rhode Island residents attending Rhode Island public colleges – Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and University of Rhode Island. Of the 6,000 students that received the scholarship so far, she said more than half are girls.
She also talked about the Computer Science for RI initiative, which will feature computer science instruction in grades kindergarten through 12 in all Rhode Island public schools this fall. She said only 42 public high school students took the advanced placement computer science exam in 2015, and 14 were girls, and there were no students of color. Entry-level jobs in this field pay $70,000, Raimondo said.
“We live in a world where high-wage jobs go to people with skills,” Raimondo said.
She said she wants to make Rhode Island a mecca for high-wage jobs, and ensure everyone has equal opportunities.
“It’s good for the economy and good for our businesses. It’s the right thing to do,” Raimondo said.
The awards luncheon and program followed a morning “Summit,” at which six Business Women Awards honorees gave ideas on how to support, facilitate and encourage the success of women in the workforce.
The 90-minute discussion ranged from how women need to become better advocates for themselves in the workplace to what companies can do to respond to the talents and needs of women. And the last topic discussed was gender equity, especially with regards to pay.
A special section with profiles of all the women recognized at the event will appear in the Friday, May 13, issue of PBN.

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