Nancy Chin-Wagner, a well-known Boulder community member and dedicated networker, joins us this month for our highlight of women leaders across Boulder.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

Nancy being named as a Paul Harris Fellow via John Sullivan (Previous BRC President)

Nancy is one of 8 siblings, however, she was the first to be born in America. Growing up in The Bronx, she didn’t meet her 5 older siblings until she was almost 9. She went on to be the first in her family to graduate from college and the first to earn a master’s degree. Rolf, her husband, and their two sons have been her greatest supporters and best friends throughout her life. Nancy also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all of her Boulder friends, and said: “they know who they are.”

Nancy and Rolf moved to Boulder in 2003, where they quickly fell in love with the natural landscape and enjoyed the hiking and outdoor activities living here provides. Making a point to integrate herself into the community, Nancy joined the Boulder Chamber in 2004, where she tapped into her passion for helping small business owners connect through networking. Nancy didn’t stop there, though; she was also on the Board of both the Boulder Rotary Club (BRC) and Cultivate, making herself a staple in the Boulder business community through her genuine care for others. Over the years serving as an ambassador for the Chamber, Nancy has built genuine relationships with her fellow Boulderites.

Receiving the ‘Being Inspired’ theme award via Mike Brady, former BRC President

Nancy’s work was recognized at the MCAB, where she was awarded the 2017 Multicultural Award for Business. “The Multicultural Award Banquet (MCAB) celebrates people of color who have made significant contributions in the areas of arts, business, community service, education, health, government, and science & technology.” (bouldercountry.org). Nancy was also named a Paul Harris Fellow in 2019 and 2020 and awarded the Rotary International Theme Award for “Being Inspired” in 2019. She also is a member of Together Women Rise, a powerful community of women and allies dedicated to achieving global gender equality. The organization gives grants to organizations that empower women and girls in low-income countries and on a committee with Impact on Education which supports BVSD with supplemental funding and resources for the children

Boulder Rotary 100th Anniversary Gala at St. Julien

Boulder Rotary Club Mindfulness Path ribbon-cutting ceremony

Nancy has made it a personal mission to teach others the skill of networking and share the power of doing so. According to Nancy, networking “is more caring about the other person” and understanding how to help each other succeed. Networking is about building relationships and cultivating those relationships. Nancy believes that networking is a globally needed skillset and has taken it upon herself to build networking groups that provide a platform to do so digitally. From Nancychinwagner.com, “Just as ToastMasters prepares individuals for the challenge of public speaking, Nancy Chin-Wagner’s PowerConnector groups can prepare you to network at the top of your game.”.

Nancy has a few key networking skills that she thinks everyone should employ in their daily lives.

• Believe in yourself
• Listen and be interested
• Focus and take action
• Express gratitude for the people around you
• Add value to the conversation
• Smile, be kind, and enjoy
• Be empathetic
• Follow up

Nancy lives and breathes these skills and implements them throughout her service to the community. She continues to pay goodwill forward, help others, and volunteer within the community.

“We need to listen to others more than ourselves”

To contact Nancy about networking coaching services, visit her website at Nancychinwagner.com.

Additional Organizations:

• Business and Professional Women (BPW) – President (2009-2010)
• I Have a Dream Foundation (IHAD) – Table Captial (2011-2019)
• Together Women Rise
• Impact on Education

Shoebox Stories Project at Motus Theatre – Reading stories by standing in someone else’s shoes.

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