Photography provided by Erin Stefanik Photography | Sunda Fulton Market
What if networking didn’t mean talking about the weather or answering “So, what do you do?” for the hundredth time?
That’s the idea behind Heels Hive After 5, a peer-to-peer fireside chat series from the Chicago chapter of Heels & Handshakes. In October, we brought Chicago women in business together at Sunda New Asian in Fulton Market for small-group conversations about real challenges, real resources and real solutions.
At Heels & Handshakes, we believe professional networking should go beyond collecting contacts. It should create opportunities to exchange ideas, troubleshoot challenges, share resources, and learn from women who understand the realities of building a career or running a business.
That's why we created Heels Hive After 5, an intimate, peer-to-peer fireside chat experience designed for women who are ready to go deeper.
Think less traditional networking event and more meaningful conversation with five women who might just help you see your next challenge differently.
Our Chicago Chapter was able to host this intimate event at Sunda in Fulton market, and we were blown away by the food and customer service. They have two different private event spaces to chose from and a menu that features a variety of elevated dishes, from fresh sushi and dim sum to flavorful noodles, rice, and new Asian creations.
Curious how we spent the evening at Heels Hive After 5?
Heels Hive After 5 was designed to bring Chicago women in business together for meaningful conversations, fresh perspectives, and professional connections that go beyond the usual networking event.
Here's how we spent our evening:
6:00 PM | Arrive, Sip & Connect
We kicked things off with open networking, giving women the opportunity to meet new faces, reconnect with familiar ones, and ease into the evening. No pressure to work the room. Just good people and genuine connections. We brought in Imaginative Haus to give our attendees aura readings, and it was a huge hit!
6:25 PM | Welcome to the Hive
The Heels & Handshakes team welcomed everyone, introduced the evening's format, and got the conversations rolling.
6:30 PM | Getting Into the Good Stuff
This is where things got interesting!
Women joined small, facilitated Hive groups for intentional, peer-to-peer conversations. We shared business challenges, talked through professional roadblocks, exchanged resources, and learned from the experiences of women sitting right across the table.
In our opinion, the best advice comes from another woman who's been there.
7:30 PM | The Hive Shares Its Wisdom
Each table's Heels Host brought the conversation back to the room, sharing key takeaways, ideas, resources, and solutions with the entire group.
One table's conversation became everyone's opportunity to learn.
8:00 PM | Take the Connections With You
We wrapped up the evening with new professional connections, fresh perspectives, shared resources, and plenty of reasons to keep the conversation going long after we left.
That's what professional networking for women should feel like.
One evening. Small groups. Real conversations. And a whole lot more than another exchange of business cards.
Chicago, this is what happens when women in business show up for each other.
If you live in the Chicagoland area and are looking for your community of high-achieving Women in Business, we would love to invite you to our next event. You can find all Chicago events here.
If you want early access plus discounted tickets, we would love for you to join the membership. We have three Annual Levels that can be found here.
Holiday party planning
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Holiday party planning 〰️
Planning a holiday party, team dinner or client event in Fulton Market? Sunda’s private dining room is made for it. You can connect with: jasmine@sundanewasian.com make sure to tell her Heels & Handshakes sent you.
