The Women in Business Club was nothing more than an idea last November, when a group of students within the Poole College of Management decided to get together and create an NC State chapter of an organization that had already been adopted by other universities similar in culture and size.

“The root of the idea was that a lot of recruiters had come to the Career Development Center and asked if we had a Women in Business Club,” said Jessica Crews, a sophomore studying management and the club’s current president. “And a lot of other colleges that are the same size as us and that are similar to us already had a Women in Business Club.”

The members of the Women in Business Club feel that there is more work to be done for women’s rights and equal representation in the workforce, and that a club to promote this was necessary.

“I was surprised when I found out that there wasn’t a Women in Business organization,” said Rachel Mitchum, a senior studying business administration and the club’s secretary. “There are ones for science and engineering, so why not business? It may be 2016, but there are still many struggles that women are having in the business field.”

The club welcomed eight members to its first official meeting this past January, and it more than tripled in size to 25 members by the end of spring semester. After garnering interest from around 60 students at this semester’s Campus Connections, the most recent meeting hosted about 45 students, according to Crews.

“It’s a really awesome community to be a part of,” Crews said. “We’re just people who care about the same things and want to see improvement in ourselves and our community. You get to meet a lot of cool people that you can learn from.”

Mitchum echoed this sentiment, stating that it was difficult to determine where to start in terms of growing the club, but that the main focus was on making a difference.

“I am motivated to build this club because I feel that it is important to empower other women and encourage them to learn more about business,” Mitchum said. “I want the members of our club to feel confident about themselves as business people and be inspired to make a difference in the world.”

The club is looking forward to upcoming events in Raleigh that will contribute to the professional development of its members. According to Crews, the club is looking to host guest speakers, representatives from the Career Development Center and different recruiters from the Raleigh area.

“[The club] is a great networking opportunity,” Crews said. “It is a really good chance to develop yourself as a professional and prepare yourself for the workforce.”

The club also continues to offer the benefits that new clubs often offer, despite being in its second semester. Mitchum states that it was the more vocal founding members that took on officer roles within the club, and Crews adds that there are still plenty of opportunities to be had as far as leadership positions.

 “There’s a lot of opportunity to step up and really contribute to the club,” Crews said. “And I know for me, the more effort I put into this club, the more I get out of it.”

There are many takeaways to be had within the club, and the founding members share the common goal of leaving their footprint on State and its students.

“This club should be more than something for one to put on their resume,” Mitchum said. “It should be about learning experiences and the sense of community that we are building. I look forward to seeing our club grow and make an impact on the students here at NC State.”

The club encourages new members from all majors and can be contacted through their Facebook page at “Women in Business at NC State” or through the university’s Student Involvement Center.

For now, Crews said that getting out there, getting recruiters to come talk to the club and general networking are the club’s short-term goals. In the long term, though, she would like to see advocacy become a larger effort by the club.

“I hear about how women are less likely to negotiate, unequally paid, seen as less powerful and many more struggles,” Mitchum said. “I feel like sometimes women have to prove more to others to show that they can do work just as well, if not better than men.”

This is both the basis of the club’s founding and its motivation to make progress in terms of its growth. There is a lot of work to be done to reach equal opportunity in the workplace, but the students within the Women in Business Club are hopeful.

A version of this article appeared in print on Sept., 19, 2016, on page 11 with the headline: “Business club promotes women in workplace.”