WJA hosting ‘speed mentoring’ event

New York--Anyone interested in learning more about careers and opportunities in the jewelry industry is invited to attend an upcoming mentoring event with professionals in the trade.

The “Speed Mentoring” event is being hosted by the Women’s Jewelry Association’s New York Metro Chapter and is scheduled for Wed., Oct. 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the GIA’s New York offices, which are located in the International Gem Tower.

The event is open to WJA members and individuals involved in the jewelry industry. Upon registering, attendees will be able to select the mentors they wish to meet for personalized career advice and one-on-one guidance, as well as the chance to have their resumes reviewed and ask questions.

The mentors that will be available for the event, as well as their expertise as described by the WJA, are as follows:

--Lita Asscher, president of Royal Asscher;
--Gail Brett Levine, an independent personal property appraiser who specializes in gem and jewelry appraising;
--Kendra Bridelle, the vice president of wholesale at Thomas Sabo with expertise in wholesale, running a business, designing and starts-ups and building brands;
--Cindy Edelstein, owner of The Jeweler’s Resource Bureau and a business coach for jewelry designers who advises on strategy, marketing and answering questions for those who want to start or grow a business;
--Deirdre Featherstone, the jewelry designer at Featherstone Inc. who also has won more than 10 AGTA Spectrum Awards;
--Cecilia Gardner, president, CEO and general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee who specializes in industry-specific legal matters and responsibility;
--Myriam Gumuchian, vice president and director of sales at Gumuchian with an expertise in wholesale sales, marketing and business development;
--Ben Janowski, owner of Janos Consultants with an expertise in marketing, business consulting and strategic planning for the American jewelry market;
--Erik Jens, an employee ABN Amro Bank’s diamond and jewelry division who is known to be an inspiring motivator and can assist with the ability to be versatile and resilient;
--Michael Milgrom, the vice president of merchandising and quality assurance at Richline Group, whose expertise range from merchandising to operations;
--Lars Parker-Myers, an account executive at Reed Exhibitions/JCK Events who can offer advice on trade shows; and
--Karen Sampieri, a graduate gemologist and senior buyer for gemstones at Harry Winston who has an expertise in gemstones, auctions and career development.

Roundtable group discussions will take place for all attendees between mentor meetups.