Advancing Women: The Boston Club

The Boston Club
Image: thebostonclub.com

Ellen Griggs, board director at E. Ritter & Company, sits on the Corporate Board Committee of The Boston Club, one of the largest organizations for women executives in the northeast. Ellen Griggs continues to contribute to this important group, which has over 40 years of history and countless success stories from women in dozens of top leadership positions.

As both a club and a cause, The Boston Club started in 1976 by a small group of women who wanted to see additional leadership opportunities at Fortune 500 companies and more. Those who are a part of the club hold various accomplishments in their respective fields and give back to their communities, while supporting their fellow women in their career pursuits. Members are offered a wide range of problem solving aid, including the chance to speak with other more senior members for advice and counsel.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for many businesses, and the Club also promotes leadership programs and workshops for women navigating today’s complex workplace cultures. Aside from various meetings and programs to help leaders grow, there are many social events and networking opportunities to attend, from lunches to golf trips. The Boston Club continues to be an advocate and a resource for women in leadership positions.

The Year Up Works to Overcome the Opportunity Divide

Year Up
Image: yearup.org

A graduate of Kenyon College, where she completed her degree in religion and philosophy, Ellen Griggs has since become a board director of Market Street Trust Company, E. Ritter and Company and Evanston Capital. Aside from her professional work, Ellen Griggs finds time to volunteer as a mentor at Year Up.

Founded in 2000, Year Up is a nonprofit organization that helps empower young adults from low-income backgrounds to overcome poverty within a year as they transition to professional careers. Having started in Boston, Year Up eventually spread to other places, including Silicon Valley and Jacksonville. Since 2000, it has served over 10,000 students.

Year Up believes that the problem that young people need to overcome is the opportunity divide, a theory which contends that although there are enough job opportunities available, millions of young adults who have enough talent and motivation do not have enough opportunities to join the workforce.

To bridge this divide, Year Up identifies eligible young adults in urban areas and companies in need of new talent. These young adults receive six months of skills training, followed by a six-month internship at the partner company. Upon graduation, the student will be able to launch a meaningful career while contributing to the economy.

Year Up Bridges the Opportunity Divide

Year Up
Image: yearup.org

An experienced executive in the financial services industry, Ellen Griggs serves on the boards of several non profit organizations, including the Philanthropic Trust Board of the Boston Medical Center and the Board of Overseers of the New England Aquarium. To give back to her community, Ellen Griggs mentors young people at the Year Up organization.

Founded in 2000 by Gerald Chertavian, Year Up uses a “high support, high expectations” model to bridge the opportunity divide that prevents millions of the country’s young from accessing higher education and careers that provide a living wage. The Year Up program is open to underserved young adults aged 18 to 24.

Year Up prepares young people for gainful employment and teaches them the value of higher education through a series of classes and personal support systems, such as mentors and social services personnel. The program’s holistic approach focuses on the students’ personal and professional development, combined with marketable job skills, internships, stipends, and college credits.

Year Up Helps Urban Young Adults Find Professional Success

Ellen Griggs worked for more than 25 years in the field of investment management. Now retired, Ellen Griggs spends her free time as a mentor with the nonprofit organization Year Up. For professional businesspeople who want to make a difference in the life of a young adult from a low-income background, becoming a Year Up mentor is simple and meaningful way to contribute.

In order to help individuals from disadvantaged situations join the mainstream economy, Year Up recruits young adults from urban environments who show high levels of motivation. For the first six months, students receive instruction in professional workplace skills. Subsequently, for the following six months, they participate in an internship with a partner company to gain job experience and apply their newly acquired skills.

The role of a mentor is to serve as a teacher and supporter who relays personal experiences and encourages the student to succeed. The mentor is also responsible for maintaining contact with his or her student throughout the duration of the program, as well as developing for the student a professional network to be used to further his or her career.

The New England Aquarium Celebrates World Oceans Day

Ellen Griggs, a member of E. Ritter & Company’s Board of Directors, is a financial services professional with an extensive background in organizational engineering and asset management. Outside of her corporate appointments, Ellen Griggs also serves as a fiscal advisor to a number of charities and organizations, including the New England Aquarium.

The New England Aquarium is internationally recognized for its ocean conservation efforts, with informative programs such as Blue Discovery Family Days educating more than 1.3 million visitors each year. On June 8, 2015, the New England Aquarium will commemorate World Oceans Day with several hands-on activities and educational programs. Established by the United Nations in 2009, World Oceans Day serves to raise awareness about the vital role oceans play in supporting biodiversity and sustaining weather patterns. In addition to providing a primary food source for more than 1 billion people, oceans are responsible for absorbing 26 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and producing 50 percent of oxygen.