Thursday, May 18 from 10am - 12pm

Maman, 7140 Bethesda Lane

Navigating the balance between career and caretaking is complicated. No matter where you are on your journey, we invite you to join us for a conversation with expert Neha Ruch, of Mother Untitled, a platform ​​seeking to rebrand the choice to prioritize motherhood and balanced living as one that is empowered and modern.

Neha will share research for her upcoming book, The Power Pause, on harnessing the personal growth that career pauses can allow. What if our resume gaps - which used to be seen as disadvantageous - are actually what help us find fulfilling and meaningful paid work when (and if) the time is right?

Through this event, JSM Collective aims to launch a community of women who support each other through the many phases of our careers. Whether you are a stay at home mom, looking to change your work-life balance, or ready to dip your toe back into the workforce, there is a space for you at the table.

Julie is a Bethesda, Maryland native with a BA in Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Elementary Education from The George Washington University. Julie taught kindergarten and first grade at the Jewish Primary Day School (now Milton Jewish Day School). She also served as the Early Childhood Coordinator at the school for two years. Julie transitioned from full-time to part-time work before her son arrived, 12 years ago, and then into consulting, tutoring and project-based work until her daughter was born, 9 years ago. Following that she has focused on her role as a mom, as well as taking the time to volunteer in her community. Julie was a co-chair at her children’s preschool, is a current board member and past PTA president of her children's elementary school and incoming co-president of the grant-funding foundation at the middle school, and she volunteers for a number of other local philanthropic and community organizations. While her early professional pursuits were fulfilling and teaching was a true passion, Julie found incredible connections and purpose in the time most describe as a “gap.” Julie currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband, two kids and their dog Stevie. She makes time for long walks, reading, Pilates and mahjong, and loves to travel with her family.

Shilpa was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and still roots for her favorite Philly teams. She has her BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Boston University and her MBA with a focus on Strategy from the Indian School of Business. Shilpa spent four years working at The Vanguard Group before moving abroad where she ran a non-profit leadership program that helped connect young professionals to for profit social businesses in India. Shilpa transitioned from full-time work to becoming a stay at home mom when her second child was born in 2014. Since then, Shilpa has made building a strong community around her two amazing children her main priority. She has coached her daughter’s softball, basketball and soccer teams and has sat on the board of her son’s preschool. Most recently, Shilpa is a board member and served as the PTA president of her children’s elementary school and will serve as the co-president of the philanthropic foundation at her daughter’s Middle School next year. Shilpa lives in Bethesda with her husband and two kids. In her “free” time, Shilpa loves to explore the world with her family and drove an RV to Alaska last summer.

Originally from Westchester, New York, Maggie graduated from The George Washington University and after falling in love with the DMV, decided to call DC home. With a BA in Political Science and English, she spent a few years at the Advisory Board Company, a healthcare best practices consulting firm in Washington, DC. She then launched a career in operations first at the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama Administration, then at Monumental Sports & Entertainment - the ownership group of the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics. Maggie worked full time until her second child turned two – dabbled in part time work – and then committed to full time motherhood in 2019. She quickly started filling her “free” time by volunteering at her kids’ pre-school, where she chaired the Parents’ Association for three years, then at their elementary school where she has served on the PTA board for the past three years... and counting! She lives in Bethesda with her husband, three kids and their dog Rookie. She fills what is left of her free time with dog walks, barre class and youth sports spectating.