"Most people don't like change, but I thrive on it," said Anne Marie Levis, MBA '96, in her keynote speech at this year's Women in Business Gala.
As the president and creative director at brand design firm Funk/Levis & Associates and the current president of the UO Alumni Association, Levis knows a thing or two about embracing challenges.
After illustrating the benefits of risk-taking with examples drawn from her own and others' lives, Levis dared audience members to spend three minutes—right then and there—connecting with someone they hadn't met yet.
Seconds later, the Lillis atrium buzzed with excited conversation as undergraduate women connected with the female professionals at their own and other tables.
"It was great to have such an eclectic group of professionals, faculty, and students in attendance," said management instructor Tina Starr, who took over as the Women in Business club's faculty advisor this fall. "I'm very proud of the club members, especially the executive team members, who used their organization skills and teamwork to pull together a very impressive and professional event."