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WPNG Lyon

Women's Professional Networking Group - the ONLY Anglophone professional women's group in Lyon

The Women’s Professional Networking Group in Lyon (WPNG), is a multinational networking group of English-speaking professional women living in Lyon and its surrounding area.

01/06/2026

🎉 The Women's Professional Networking Group (WPNG) in Lyon is turning 25! 🎉

To celebrate a quarter-century of connecting, inspiring, and supporting professional women, we are hosting a special Anniversary Gala on June 12th – and you are warmly invited! 🥂✨

Come raise a glass with us, connect with amazing people, and celebrate the incredible journey of our community.

Event Details:
Date: June 12th
Place: Warwick Reine Astrid, 24 Boulevard des Belges, 69006 Lyon

⚠️ This is your last chance to join us! Tickets are selling out fast, and registration is closing soon. Don't miss out on this milestone night of celebration and networking!

👉 RSVP & Details: Book your ticket today via HelloAsso: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/women-s-professional-networking-group-in-lyon

We can't wait to see you there and make some new memories together! 👋

Best,
The WPNG Team

27/05/2026

What does it really mean to build something of your own… far from home? 🌍

On May 21st, our community gathered for the WPNG Monthly Meeting – Entrepreneurial Round Table, led by Paulina Courbis-Poncet (our VP Public & Community Relations, communication specialist, and host of the Business One Wo/Man Show podcast).

We decided to shake things up. We shifted the format from a traditional interview into a living, breathing conversation. And the energy in the room was electric. ⚡

When we talk about entrepreneurship, it’s easy to focus on the cold logistics: INPI registrations, SIRET numbers, and tax invoices. But as Paulina reminded us: being an entrepreneur doesn’t start with a piece of paper. It starts in the mind. It is a state of spirit.

For expats navigating a new culture, or those returning home after years away, entrepreneurial skills are actually vital life skills. They are the tools we use to establish ourselves, find our footing, and bravely build a new reality from scratch.

Our biggest collective realisation from the evening?

You are not alone. Behind the polished LinkedIn profiles, we are all facing the exact same struggles, doubts, and fears. But when we voice them together, those fears lose their power.

WPNG is more than just a professional network; it is a space for anyone building a business, a project, a community, or simply a new version of themselves.

Thank you, Paulina, for guiding this discussion, and thank you to every single member who showed up, spoke up, and shared their experiences with us. 💫and

✨ Next meeting - June 12 - our 25th anniversary GALA ✨

Today we are almost 100 members, with more than 20 nationalities - wish to join us ? Catch the last places! https://www.helloasso.com/associations/women-s-professional-networking-group-in-lyon/evenements/early-bird-wpng-25th-year-gala-celebration

06/05/2026

📅 WPNG Monthly Meeting – May 21st with Paulina Courbis-Poncet - Entrepreneurial Round Table

What does it really mean to build something of your own… far from home? During the May meeting, we invite you to a special round table hosted by Paulina Courbis-Poncet.

Paulina is a specialist in communication and public speaking, an Extended DISC® consultant, and a leader in the Polish-French HUB, a business community in Lyon. She is also the voice behind the "Business One Wo/Man Show" podcast, where stories of entrepreneurship unfold across borders, cultures, and realities. Her mission is to empower women to choose their own paths, silence their inner critics, and unlock the hidden potential in their unique life stories.

On May 21, the format shifts from interview to conversation, but not just for businesswomen. It’s a space for anyone who has felt the pull to build something: a business, a project, a community, an idea… or simply a new version of themselves.

We are not just inviting you to a meeting, We are inviting you to a conversation. Let’s inspire one another!

Please contact Paulina Courbis-Poncet (VP Public & Community Relations) if you plan to attend.

We look forward to welcoming you! 💫

07/04/2026

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Eric Way at our WPNG Monthly Meeting for a powerful session on Inclusion & Diversity. Drawing from his extensive experience. Eric challenged us to look beyond the buzzwords and focus on real impact.
Behaviour

🔑 Key Takeaway: Inclusion as a Leadership Behaviour
The discussion hit home on a crucial point: building an inclusive culture isn't just a policy - it’s driven by leadership behaviour. To turn diversity into a performance driver, leaders must prioritize psychological safety and uniqueness, while ensuring a foundation of personal security and equity.

Why? Because when we foster belonging, we unlock full contribution. This isn't just about "being nice" - it's about driving innovation, better decision-making, and attracting the best talent. 🚀

A huge thank you to Eric Way for guiding us through the "why" and "how" of moving from simple presence to active participation!

The next meeting? Book your agenda on May 21st - we invite you to our Entrepreneurship Round Table - not only for the business women! with Paulina Courbis-Poncet. Details soon!

20/03/2026

📅 WPNG Monthly Meeting – April 2nd with Eric Way - Inclusion & Diversity

Have you ever felt like a “wallflower” at work? Invited to the meeting… but not really heard. Present… but not fully included.

Most of us have experienced this at some point. And for some, it’s not occasional, it’s systemic.

Organizations today are increasingly diverse. But diversity alone is not enough.
👉 Being invited to the party is one thing.
👉 Being asked to dance is another.

That’s where Inclusion comes in.

In this interactive session, Eric Way will guide us through the why and how of building truly inclusive environments, where differences are not just present, but valued and activated.

💡 Why does it matter?
Because Inclusion & Diversity drive:
• stronger creativity and innovation
• better decision-making through diverse perspectives
• more engaged and motivated teams
• greater ability to attract and retain talent

Eric brings a unique perspective shaped by decades of experience, from engineering at Renault Trucks to leading global Inclusion & Diversity strategies at Volvo Group and Schindler Group.

Today, as an independent expert based in Lyon, he continues to support organizations in turning inclusion into a real performance driver.
Join us for a conversation that goes beyond buzzwords, and into real impact.

Let’s move from presence… to participation. 💫

Please contact Paulina Courbis-Poncet (VP Public & Community Relations) if you plan to attend.

We look forward to welcoming you! 💫

08/03/2026

🌍 Almost 100 women. One community.
From different countries. Different cultures. Different ages and life stories.

Among us are professionals, entrepreneurs, academics, activists, visionaries, mothers, friends, and expatriates… women who are building their paths, still searching for them, and others who have already entered a new chapter of life as retirees.

And yet one thing connects us all - the desire to share and grow together. To listen, understand. To stay curious about each other’s perspectives. To learn not only from experts, but from one another.

Last Thursday, Hélène Raison invited us to explore Collective Empowerment - reminding us that empowerment doesn’t always start within ourselves.

Sometimes it begins when we are seen, heard, and reflected back by others. It was a powerful moment of sharing, listening, and growing together.

Thank you, Hélène, for creating that space.

On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate all the incredible women in our community. 💐

And we already look forward to another special moment this year:

🎉 The WPNG 25th Anniversary Gala on june 12th!

Because the truth is simple:
Women's Professional Networking Group (WPNG Lyon) exists because of you.

Thank you!

20/02/2026

📅 March 5 - WPNG Monthly Meeting with Hélène Raison.
In March, we explore a word we hear often: empowerment. But what about collective empowerment?

Hélène Raison, management coach, trainer, and WPNG member, will guide us through a workshop that approaches empowerment not as an individual trait or skill, but as a collective and relational process.

Many empowerment approaches focus on what individuals should do differently: speak up more, be more confident or be more intentional.
This workshop starts somewhere else.

It is built on the belief that empowerment often begins in relationships in being seen, heard, and reflected back by others. Sometimes that reflection is more accurate than the story we tell ourselves.

Together, we will revisit the narratives we live by. From this shift in perspective, individual responsibility and intentional action can emerge -naturally and authentically.

Join us for an evening of reflection, dialogue, and collective growth.

Please contact Paulina Courbis-Poncet (VP Public & Community Relations) if you plan to attend.

We look forward to welcoming you! 💫

16/02/2026

SPOTLIGHT! Katia Toussaint: A Career Built on Multi-Domain Expertise

Originally from Lorraine, France, Katia’s early years were shaped by a drive for excellence and a love for the outdoors. A former competitive tennis player and Scout, she initially aspired to be a nuclear physicist. However, her path pivoted toward business and international affairs, leading her to study foreign languages (German and English) and eventually move to Paris to broaden her horizons.

Katia’s professional trajectory is a testament to her "self-made" work ethic and adaptability. Her career began in the world of telemarketing in a large American company. She eventually moved into a managerial role and gained experience in managing people and multicultural environments. Seeking a more hands-on role in strategy, she transitioned to smaller companies to gain 360-degree business exposure before returning to major corporations like TDF (Télédiffusion de France) as a Key Account Manager. That role brought her to Lyon where she spent several years juggling two roles and commuting back and forth to Paris.

Today, Katia is a skilled Global Business Developer, with deep expertise in Transition and Change Management that spans from small enterprises to large corporations. She credits her love of learning and teamwork for her professional successes, and strongly believes that work should also be an enjoyable endeavour.

Beyond her professional achievements, Katia is defined by her need for balance and connection. She prioritises sports, hiking, and sailing to maintain her equilibrium. She is a firm believer in investing deeply in friendships and her social life, often finding solace in theatre and cinema, nature and the outdoors, as well as a good book.

Katia joined WPNG in 2019, based on a recommendation and the desire to grow her network and speak English. What she values most about the community is the cheerful, supportive ambience and the opportunity to connect with a diverse group of like-minded women.

To connect with Katia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktoussaint/

See you at the next WPNG meeting on March 5!

26/01/2026

✨ Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate a quarter-century of WPNG! ✨

This isn’t just a dinner - it’s a celebration of 25 years of dynamic networking, meaningful collaborations, and long-lasting connections that have shaped our community.

📅 SAVE THE DATE - June 12
📍 Reine Astrid Hotel, Lyon

One thing is certain: this is a night you won’t want to miss, so take advantage of our EARLY BIRD special price, available through March 15.

👉 Register here: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/women-s-professional-networking-group-in-lyon/evenements/early-bird-wpng-25th-year-gala-celebration

Together, let’s toast to the past 25 years and raise our glasses to the next 25 years of success, friendship, and growth. 🥂

19/01/2026

🚨 Heads up! Program update for our March & April events 🚨

Looking ahead, our Monthly Meetings:
🟠 March 5th - Hélène Raison on Empowerment
🟠 April 2nd - Eric Way on Leading with Inclusion

We can’t wait to explore these inspiring topics together.

Before that, we are excited to welcome you on February 5 for our Wellness meeting, a moment to nurture the body, mind, and spirit. 🌿

Stay tuned for more details!

Adresse

Lyon

Site Web

http://wpng.org/

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