Chelsea Fernandez, veteran and owner of the Maui-based assistive technology company, FernanTECH.

The “Women of Power Stand Down” event is being held for women who have served in the U.S. military. “Stand Down” is a military term to describe a safe position off of the combat zone where weary soldiers can retreat to rest, re-boot and re-energize. Likewise, Women of Power Maui Stand Down will ignite positive change for women service members through the stories and lessons learned of other women.

The event is free for all women veterans living on Maui, Moloka‘i or Lana‘i. Special travel scholarships are available for women veterans who live on Moloka‘i or Lana‘i. The cost to non-military is $25. It’s the first time a Women of Power Stand Down event has been held in Maui County and the half day event kicks off a weekend of activities to celebrate Veterans Day. Focus is on sharing key strategies to help women vets find rewarding jobs or to get promoted. A special interactive session on networking skills will be followed by a Tech Talk Story panel and the opportunity to meet others with similar experiences and interests.

Event partners are theStrategist, a leader in healthcare design and innovation, Women in Technology, a project of MEDB, FernanTECH, a veteran-owned, Maui-based assistive technology company, and the Maui Business & Professional Women’s organization. Feedback from women veterans who attended the Women of Power Stand Down in Honolulu in July 2012 described the event as very informative, motivating and inspirational for women vets. One participant commented, “I was totally enamored by all the guest speakers and their trials and tribulations to be successful in their chosen vocations. They inspire me to keep striving for my goals and never give up.”