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Celebrating the Achievements of the Stepan Women's Network in 2025

October 9, 2025

Throughout 2025, Stepan Women’s Network (SWN), one of Stepan’s Employee Resource Groups, has continued to advance its mission of supporting professional development and fostering community in the workplace. Over the past nine months, SWN has implemented a range of initiatives and events to help its members grow in areas ranging from career development to industry networking. The following summary outlines some of the key activities and milestones from this year’s efforts:

Career Development Focused:

  • SWN Sponsorship for Women in Chemicals (WIC) Conference: SWN sponsored three Stepan employees to attend the Women in Chemicals (WIC) Conference in Chicago, Illinois. This sponsorship reflects SWN’s commitment to empowering women in the chemical industry and supporting professional development across all career stages. Each recipient demonstrated a strong interest in networking, leadership, and growth through their involvement with SWN and WIC.
  • Organizational Development Charter 2.0: The SWN Charter was revised and approved to better align with evolving priorities in science, health, and well-being.

Learning and Development Focused:

  • Galentine’s Day: SWN hosted a lighthearted event featuring trivia, music, and games to celebrate female friendship and empowerment.
  • Women’s History Month Trivia: SWN organized a trivia event that included a historical overview of the Stepan Women’s Network, trivia, and leadership introductions.
  • “Get Your Ducks in a Row” Event: Stepan’s Eva Steingold, a SWN member, led a session on final affairs planning, sharing her experience on the legal and financial considerations involved within this process.
  • Women in Chemicals (WIC) Lunch & Learn: This session was a collaborative effort between SWN and WIC. It celebrated Stepan’s recent sponsorship with WIC and aimed to introduce Stepan employees to their mission, programs and opportunities for involvement.

Networking & Visibility Focused:

  • LinkedIn Campaign: SWN was featured on Stepan’s LinkedIn page during International Women’s Month, where members shared personal stories of empowerment and growth, highlighting the impact SWN has had on their personal and professional lives.
  • Global Growth Summit: SWN hosted a creative icebreaker using custom SWN Bingo Cards to foster cross-functional connections with global employees at our Global Growth Summit. 
  • SWN Book Club: Stepan’s Rachel Van Tubbergen, a member of SWN’s leadership team, led a book club discussion on "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren. The SWN Book Club aims to foster continuous learning and community engagement and is sponsored by the Stepan Library.

The initiatives highlighted above emphasize collaboration and aim to support SWN members’ personal and professional growth within the chemical industry.