Women have to work against too many other forces. We shouldn’t have to fight against each other, too.

Although I can never remember the exact words or their author, I will always remember their sentiment – don’t be another obstacle, be an aid. The landscape for aspiring career women is saturated with inequalities. Unequal pay. Sexual harassment. Titular influence. Presence. In much of the world, women are kept in the backseat – navigating, never steering; notetaking, never speaking. This must stop. And it starts by recognizing each other as teammates, not as competition.

Last week, the women of this year’s cohort gathered together for a social evening. There was wine. There was cheese. But most importantly, there was conversation. Women to women, we talked. We dug deeper. We learned what motivates us. We heard what inspires us. We shared what makes us. As Challenge Detroit fellows, we have proven ambition and determination to make a difference in our lives and in those of those around us. That evening, we were affecting each other. We were leaning in.

Unsurprisingly, we discovered that a number of us have entrepreneurial ambitions. (If anyone knows of a warehouse in a burgeoning business district selling at close to nothing, please, write to me at [email protected].) Some of us have advanced degrees, some of us are making plans to obtain one. Among us, there are also women who possess remarkable creative talent in performance and design. In the course of one evening, we found potential avenues for partnership and future collaboration well beyond our fellowship year. This is why social events matter. This is why, as Carol Bartz ad Lisa Lambert say it, “women [should] invest time keeping their heads up building relationships, instead of keeping their heads down at their desk, they might find many new avenues for career development, advancement, and self-fulfillment” (Fortune “Why women should do less and network more”).

For the women who may be reading this, I have attended and recommend participating in the networking opportunities organized by Women Rising and Bad Ass Ladies. They’re both Detroit-based orgaizations and are open occasions to connect with other women. If you know of others, repost with a comment!