NW Chicagoland Nova Connect + Elevate: Reclaiming Your Aliveness

CONNECT + ELEVATE

A monthly gathering for women who want real connection, meaningful conversation, and a room where they can show up as themselves.

You care about what you’re building in your life and work. But you also care about how you’re building it and who you’re surrounded by along the way.

Connect + Elevate is Nova’s monthly gathering in Schaumburg for women and non-binary seasoned professionals who want something a little different from traditional networking.

No working the room. No collecting contacts. No pressure to have the perfect answer to “So, what do you do?”

Instead, you’ll spend the morning having real conversations with people who care about their work, their lives, and the kind of connections they’re building along the way.

Our NW Chicagoland Constellation is an intimate community, which gives us the chance to really get to know one another and build connections that go beyond an event.

NOVEMBER: RECLAIMING ALIVENESS

There’s a difference between getting through your days and actually feeling good in them.

And this time of year can make that difference especially noticeable.

The days are getting shorter. Calendars are getting fuller. The end-of-year push is starting. And it can be easy to keep going without stopping to notice how depleted you actually feel.

Maybe you’re doing all the things you’re “supposed” to do and still wondering:

Why am I so tired?

Or maybe you’re not completely exhausted. You just don’t quite feel like yourself.

This month, we’re exploring what it means to move beyond simply functioning and reconnect with the energy, creativity, and vitality that make us feel fully alive.

Not by pushing harder or adding another thing to the list.

By slowing down long enough to notice what might be draining us and what we may need more of.

THE EXPERIENCE

CONNECT

We’ll begin with guided conversation around this month’s theme, Reclaiming Aliveness.

Not awkward icebreakers or surface-level networking. Just intentional prompts and real conversation designed to help you actually get to know the women in the room.

We’ll create space to slow down, connect, and talk about the things we don’t always make time for in the middle of busy lives.

You’ll leave knowing a few more people than you did when you walked in and, hopefully, with a few conversations you genuinely want to continue.

ELEVATE

Led by Ashley Lakin

Have you ever thought, I eat pretty well, so why do I still feel exhausted?

Or maybe you can’t point to one specific thing that’s wrong. You just feel a little… off.

That’s what we’ll be digging into during this month’s ELEVATE.

Ashley will take us beyond the idea that feeling nourished is only about what’s on our plates. We’ll look at how stress can affect what’s happening inside the body, including our hormones, blood sugar, and digestion, and how those pieces can influence the way we feel day to day.

Because you can be eating the foods you think you’re “supposed” to eat and still feel tired, depleted, or not quite like yourself.

And when that happens, the answer isn’t necessarily another diet, stricter rules, or trying harder.

This conversation is about getting curious about what your body may actually need to feel nourished again, not just fed.

It fits perfectly with this month’s theme of Reclaiming Aliveness because feeling fully alive isn’t just about having enough energy to get through the day.

It’s about having enough of yourself left to actually enjoy it.

You don’t need to know anything about hormones, blood sugar, or digestion before you come. Just bring your curiosity.

WHAT WOMEN ARE SAYING ABOUT NOVA

“Every single person I’ve met through Nova has been so generous, kind, and helpful.”

“I love that Nova offers personal, professional, and spiritual development and growth all in one place.”

“I practiced my interactive case study as a speaker at one of the Connect + Elevate events hosted by our Nova Chapter and received incredible feedback that gave me more confidence to share my story.”

That’s the kind of room we’re creating: one where you can have real conversations, learn from one another, and support each other beyond the event itself.

YOU’LL LEAVE WITH

New connections you actually want to keep.

A better understanding of how stress may be connected to the way you feel.

A different perspective on what it means to truly nourish yourself.

And hopefully, a little more curiosity about what your body might need to feel more energized, supported, and like yourself again.

WHO THIS IS FOR

Connect + Elevate might be your kind of room if:

• You want genuine connection, not transactional networking
• You value thoughtful, meaningful conversation
• You’ve been feeling tired, depleted, or a little “off” and are curious about why
• You’re interested in the connection between stress, nourishment, and how you feel
• You’re doing many of the “right” things but still don’t feel as good as you think you should
• You want to meet women who care about both what they’re creating and how they’re living along the way

You don’t need to be burned out or have anything “wrong” to belong in this conversation.

Maybe you simply want to feel a little more like yourself again.

Whether you walk in knowing someone or knowing no one, you’re welcome here.

EVENT DETAILS

November 11th
11am–12:30pm
Dayhouse Coworking | Schaumburg, IL

Arrive between 11–11:15am to settle in. We’ll begin together at 11:15.

NOVA CURIOUS?

You’re welcome to attend up to two Nova events before deciding whether the community feels right for you.

If you’ve been looking for a room where you can skip the small talk, have a real conversation, learn something new, and meet women you’d actually like to know, we’d love to have you join us.

Come experience the room for yourself.