This Gorgeous Gathering Brought Together San Diego’s Leading Female Founders

This past International Women’s Day was a day of gathering for women across the globe. And right in the heart of San Diego’s South Park, networking app Bumble Bizz got together with boutique branding and marketing firm, CTZN FEM, to host a group of female leaders and founders for wine, dinner and meaningful conversation. The event took place at The Rose Wine Bar in South Park, which is female-owned and operated and specializes in natural wines. The wine shop has a beautiful little private party space that was perfect for the small meet-up.

We recently caught up with Madison Marchetti, Bumble San Diego’s Community Marketing Manager, who says, “The evening consisted of an intimate gathering of San Diego’s leading ladies in honor of International Women’s Day – a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women as well as a call to action for accelerating gender parity. The event included dinner and conversation around female empowerment, stepping up and creating a better world.” For more on how the ladies celebrated and future events they plan to host, read on below.





Tell us a little about Bumble Bizz and your collaboration with CTZN FEM.

Bumble and CTZN FEM are both female-founded companies with aligning missions. CTZN FEM is a San Diego-based and female-founded branding and marketing firm. Their mission, which is to empower and inspire women with the tools to actively engage in the global economy, push limits and pursue financial freedom, closely aligns with Bumble’s, which is a mission-driven company and a social network that is founded on the values of kindness, respect, and empowerment. Bumble Bizz is Bumble's fresh take on networking, with an emphasis on finding professional opportunities over job hunting. Bumble Bizz is the first to bring the “swiping” and “women first” experience to professional connecting. Users can instantly find others who are looking to network, connect professionally and mentor. Adding to Bumble’s vision of becoming the ultimate social network for people you don’t yet know, Bizz is powered by the notion that one connection can lead to the opportunity of a lifetime.





How did this event come about and what was your inspiration?

Our founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd saw the need for change in the antiquated rules of dating. With this mission in mind, Bumble empowers its users to connect with confidence whether it’s through dating, networking, or meeting friends digitally. We’ve made it not only necessary but acceptable for women to make the first move, shaking up outdated gender norms. Through Bumble, we have created a platform and built a community that fosters equality, kindness and a safe space to make empowered connections across all areas of life. 

In regards to this particular event, we wanted  to bring together San Diego’s leading female founders. We thought that this would be the perfect event to celebrate International Women’s Day by  hosting an intimate gathering to connect like-minded individuals in various industries. San Diego has so many female founders and community leaders; it was important to both Bumble and CTZN FEM to foster a community where these professional relationships were encouraged.





How did you find The Rose and why did you choose to host your event here? 

CTZN FEM recommended The Rose, which is a female founded and operated wine bar and bottle shop in San Diego. They only serve natural wines at their winebar, which was a unique feature amongst the other local wine bars. The Rose also has a darling private space for dinner gatherings and we were able to customize the room to create “Instagrammable” moments that would commemorate the evening.





Tell us about this event! Did anyone give speeches?

The founders of CTZN FEM, Jessie Donahue and Miranda Luebkeman, spoke about the history of International Women’s Day and the social and economic strives that women have made thus far. They also discussed the importance of International Women’s Day and recognized the work that needs to be done to achieve gender parity, both in our local communities and globally.

As Bumble San Diego’s Community Marketing Manager, I introduced “Women in Bizz,” a new product feature where our female users can filter their connections to women only through our professional networking tool, Bumble Bizz. The Women in Bizz feature, which can be turned on or off in app settings, excludes men from a user's pool of potential connections. The idea is to help a traditionally underrepresented workforce connect and build support systems outside of the office. I also discussed the importance of networking and encouraged attendees to download the Bumble Bizz app. Career opportunities come about when you expand your network. On Bumble Bizz, you can pursue a career change, meet collaborators, find your next angel investor, or become a mentor. Bumble Bizz places an emphasis on finding professional opportunities over job hunting.





What did the menu look like? 

Bites:

Charcuterie 
Veggies and hummus
Empanadas 
Family-style buffet

Sips:

Health-Ade Kombucha
Natural wines, rosé, house white and house red





Does Bumble Bizz have future plans to host more local events like this? What can you share? 

Yes! As a company, Bumble hosts monthly events to stay relevant and connected to communities across the globe. We are a mission-driven company and a social network that is founded on the values of kindness, respect, and empowerment; we aim to spread our mission through hosting these local events around the world.In San Diego specifically, our April event will be a panel for female entrepreneurs – more details to come!

We encourage anyone interested in Bumble San Diego events to like the Bumble San Diego Facebook page for local event announcements and updates.



 

Book your next event at The Rose →
 

Credits

Photography: Neka Rae | Florist: Native Poppy | Event Styling: Mac Mini Design | Rentals: Hostess Haven | Dessert: Simply Sweet IV | Sips: Health-Ade (sponsor)