When Nicole Venable, a former congressional aide, became a lobbyist two decades ago, she sought out an informal network of a few other Black women in the business.
“We would call it the important meeting, so people would not know what it was on our schedule,” said Venable, now a lobbyist at Invariant, the largest woman-founded lobbying firm started by Heather Podesta.
Venable’s small gatherings grew into the Black Girl Magic Network, which now has an email list of 300 and hosts career development events, political and charity fundraisers, sessions with members of Congress, and shares information on job listings. ...