Anaya Twum: Investing in Growth

Anaya Twum is home. 

At TeamWomen, that is. Finding it, however, was a journey. 

In Search of Community

Anaya first learned about TeamWomen in 2017 as a mother of young children. While this and other commitments didn’t allow her to join at that time, she always kept TeamWomen on her radar. 

And then a global pandemic happened and things changed. 

Like so many, Anaya found herself looking for a place to belong. 

Anaya’s diverse professional background in finance, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and information technology led her to her role as Global Project Manager – 3M Information Technology at 3M. 

As part of a global IT team at 3M, there was a transient feel to her professional life as she had different experiences working with domestic and global leaders and colleagues spanning the globe from Canada to France to Belgium. It was easy to feel untethered. 

“TeamWomen was where I found my professional home,” Anaya said. 

Beyond work, she faced another challenge: being a mother of young kids while living far from family—her closest relatives were back in New Jersey. TeamWomen became more than a network; it became a family. 

Not long after joining TeamWomen, Anaya started volunteering with the Membership Committee, helping with events and contributing wherever she could. 

Then, in the spring of 2024, TeamWomen Executive Director Katy Burke and the Nominating Committee invited her to join the TeamWomen Board.

“TeamWomen has accepted me—it feels like a family network. It’s different from work. It’s a place where I can truly be myself,” she says.

For Anaya, TeamWomen is not just about professional connections; it’s about building something bigger. And it’s taking root in Anaya’s immediate family, as well. 

“I have a daughter,” Anaya told TeamWomen. “There are things that this organization offers that weren’t available to me. I want to invest in an organization that my daughter can be the beneficiary of.”

Anaya’s daughter recently attended a Leadership Academy and now proudly tells her mother about her vision and goals for her future. 

“I have a growth mindset,” she told Anaya. “I’m going to be a CEO and a business owner.”

Her daughter’s empowered mindset was reinforced when a fellow TeamWomen member signed a book for the Leadership Academy event. Anaya’s daughter keeps that book on her bedside table as a reminder of her commitment to personal and professional growth.

“My story is tied to contributing to a legacy—not just for women today but for the women who will come after us,” Anaya said. 

A Commitment to Growth

Anaya’s commitment to TeamWomen extends beyond time and involvement—she also gives back as a donor.

As an employee of 3M, the company will donate to any organization on which Anaya serves on the board. 

“But I also give individually,” she said. “Especially in times of uncertainty, I want to invest in resilience and hope. We put our dollars toward hope.”

Seeing her daughter’s future fuels her fire to keep supporting TeamWomen and the work they do to uplift women in all stages of their careers.

It’s the work of growth, she said. 

TeamWomen is the Farmer’s Market of professional development, Anaya said. 

You can buy food from anywhere.  When you buy from a farmer’s market, it’s different. It’s organic. 

“That’s TeamWomen. You can see the soil in their fingernails. They’ve put their love and care into growing these crops.”

TeamWomen is a place where women invest in one another, nurture each other’s growth, and create something truly meaningful.

Learn more about how to get involved with TeamWomen here. Learn more about how to donate to TeamWomen here.