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ABOUT US MEMBERS |
Message from the Founder Since starting the International Professionals Association in April 2005, I've often been asked how I got the idea and how I launched the group. After living and working in the UK for nearly 7 years, I returned to Madison with my British husband and two small children only to find I suffered more culture shock in re-entering the US than I ever did living in London! In the UK, it was easy for me to fit into the multi-cultural, international atmosphere. In Madison, it seemed more difficult. As a US citizen with a British husband, we also had challenges finding other professionals to work with us on basic services... our taxes were complicated, our professional licenses didn't transfer (I work with investments and my husband is a teacher) and we didn't know where to turn for assistance. Sometimes we felt like complete aliens (no pun intended!!). When we started making friends with other international families we learned that we weren't the only ones who felt challenged in these areas. I decided to bring together 10-12 people that I knew had similar circumstances for a drink to talk about starting the group. Thanks to word-of-mouth referrals, our first happy hour drew a crowd of over 50 people. Since then, our average happy hour has about 40 people and our "lunch-and-learn" events generally draw about 10 attendees. The happy hours are mostly held in downtown Madison at a variety of different venues. The lunch-and-learns are held throughout the city on a variety of topics from Feng Shui, to Pakistani Cooking Classes, to Building a Business Plan, to immigration law issues. As for future plans, well, they are evolving! We are quickly becoming the premier resource for all things international in Madison. I look forward to seeing you at our next event! Nicole Ralph, Founder >back to vision page |
2008
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