Women's Connection

NEW YORK, JUNE 18, 2024 – The organization that women aged 50 and forward have long known as The Transition Network (TTN) today announced a new name – Women’s Connection – and a renewed commitment to providing opportunities for women to support each other as they pursue post-career goals.

The national nonprofit organization said that although its mission “to empower women to thrive across life’s transitions” is as relevant as ever, the lives of its members have evolved a great deal since the organization’s founding 24 years ago.

“When our organization was born, many professional women viewed ‘retirement’ as a big, empty space,” said Darla Hastings, Women’s Connection Executive Director. “They were on their own as they tried to imagine transitioning from working full time to living full time. TTN was a pioneer in providing support and inspiration as they made the leap.”

American women in the 21^st century – many of whom have shattered glass ceilings in their careers – are also breaking free of outdated expectations about how older women should live. Women’s Connection is a unique organization providing resources for learning and discovery. Chief among these contributions – and a hot topic in media today – is the opportunity for women to make new friends in a world where studies show human connection is suffering dramatically.

In a 2022 survey, TTN members said that the organization’s most important benefit was helping women make meaningful connections with each other.

“It's never too late to try out new interests and cultivate new friendships,” said Karen Roggeman, President of the Women’s Connection Board of Directors. This is a place where many of us find we can do both. No matter what’s happening in our full and ever-changing lives – whether we need a good laugh, a walking partner or a confidante who has had similar life experiences – there is always someone here with whom we can connect.”

Hastings added, “According to the landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development, relationships are the key to what makes life fulfilling and meaningful. Connecting with others is a vital component of our mental and physical health, and Women’s Connection puts that goal front and center, even in our new name.”

For further reading about Women’s Connection:

I Gather Therefore I Am: Finding Other Women for Health and Happiness – Sixty & Me

The midlife doldrums are a social crisis. Now there's momentum for some radical fixes. – The Washington Post

About Us – Women’s Connection website

About Women’s Connection

Founded in 2000 in New York City, Women’s Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with more than 3,000 members in 15 chapters across the United States. Members and guests connect in signature workshops and a robust calendar of in-person and virtual events.

One of the organization’s oldest and most highly respected workshops is called Women in Transition. Over the course of two days, participants explore transitions they are experiencing – whether it be retirement, loss of a partner, a move, or a health crisis – with a supportive group of women who are taking a similar journey. The connections they make not only enrich their experience during the workshop but can also lead to friendships for the rest of their lives.

In addition to ongoing activities, Women’s Connection members have a special opportunity to belong to “small groups” that are specifically aimed at making it easy for them to form meaningful relationships with each other. In Peer Groups, members meet monthly to share thoughts, goals and life experiences, along with some laughs. In Special Interest Groups, or “SIGs”, members pursue a wide range of common interests, from travel to healthy living to volunteering.

Introducing Women’s Connection