The Women in Leadership (WiL) Power Breakfast series at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus grew out of a final project during the Academic Management Institute for Women Leaders in Higher Education.  Jan Gascoigne, PhD, assistant vice chancellor of Student Affairs, and Karen Aarestad, assistant vice chancellor of Advancement at CU Anschutz determined that there was a gap in resources for women leaders and aspiring leaders in academic health care. They developed a series of four breakfasts per year with key campus leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges for women in the workplace.

Jan and Karen sought support from the CU Anschutz Offices of Diversity and Inclusion, Staff Council, Student Affairs and Human Resources. The inaugural breakfast and talk were held in February 2019 with the Chief Medical Officer of the University of Colorado Hospital