In February of 1975, four women in Milwaukee found themselves at the height of their careers as business executives. However, they were just a handful of leaders and there was a glaring need for more women to be elevated and advocated for in the workplace. To help change the narrative and landscape for women, they formed the group known today as TEMPO. 

The founding members’ hope was to create a society where women hold an equal place in leadership, policy, and decision making. TEMPO has grown over the past 50 years to provide programming, professional development opportunities and mentorship for over 800 members.  

To learn more about the organization and the work they’re continuing to do, Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski is joined by TEMPO president and CEO Jen Dirks. She begins by explaining that while the landscape for women leaders has changed since the 70s, TEMPO’s key goals have not.