MISSION AND HISTORY
The hardest part about having a dream is finding the people around you that can help, support, and encourage you through the process. That's the type of community our founder Katie Meyers wanted to create! This lead the the birth of our online community November 2015. She compiled like-minded, inspirational women and gave them a space to express their ideas and dreams. The first official meeting of the CWA was held March 2016.
Creative Women Assemble has become a group where women can network, seek opinions, ask for help, and find the tools necessary to successfully achieve their goals through monthly meetings, events, and a 24/7 online community.
WHY ONLY WOMEN?
Women are historically underrepresented in many fields including theater, business, performance art, and much much more. Even in 2016, we still experience a wage gap (typically $0.75 to every $1 our male counterparts make -- and minority women make even less than that), a glass ceiling, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace and public space. We designed this group to nurture and support women in whatever they wish to achieve, even if they just want to share a space with like-minded individuals.
At CWA we also recognize that gender is not one or the other, but rather a spectrum, and not all women are cisgendered. If you identify as a woman, please feel free to join our creative space!
President & Founder
Katie Meyers is the founder and President of Creative Women Assemble. A self-described huge nerd and lifelong lover of cats, Katie officially fell in love with the creative arts at age 11 when she got her first vocal solo in the South Elemenary annual holiday pageant. From that moment on, there was little anyone could do to keep her off the stage (despite her own sometimes terrible stagefright). As a result, Katie went on to earn a B.A. in Musical Theatre from Elmhurst College and after some time out of school auditioning and performing in the Chicagoland area, Katie joined forces with her partner Billy Surges to help create Surging Films & Theatrics as Co-Artistic Director.
Katie has also spent time as a Casting Assistant for Chicago's 4 Star Casting, a birthday party princess, a Spectrum teacher, and an avid comic-con attendee. One of Katie's biggest joys (besides Lil Bub, Doctor Who, and her two silly cats Wall-E & Eva) is collaborating with and supporting her friends. She thought, "Why not connect all my amazing female friends and find a way for us to help each other achieve our wildest artistic dreams?" Once she shared her idea with Meggie, Creative Women Assemble was born.