Bold Badass Women Featured at WEOP’s March 31 Annual Women’s History Month Celebration

Since its inception in 1999, WEOP has been passionate about celebrating Women’s History Month, highlighting the exceptional achievements of women. We culminate this momentous month with a grand celebration of the invaluable contributions of women to the world. For WEOP, Women’s History Month presents a significant opportunity to bring together fearless women from all walks of life, acknowledge our shared legacy, and applaud women who continue to blaze a trail for our future. This year’s annual conference, held on March 31st, was centered on the theme, “Amplifying Our Voices: Business, Film, Television, and Media.”

Having signed a partnership agreement with Emory in the past year, we couldn’t have asked for a more historically significant location for our event this year than the Emory University Goizueta Business School. Garnering the support of anchor institutions like Emory has proven monumental for us as a nonprofit organization, particularly in providing resources that support our mission at WEOP.

The WEOP event brought together a dynamic lineup of outstanding women from across the civic, business, and media industries to share their powerful experiences and spark insightful discussions around the future of women in these sectors. Inspired by our theme of the year, we were laser-focused on creating sensitization on the concept of amplifying our voices as women, particularly in critical mediums such as Business, Film, Television, and Media, which shape our world.

Our incredible speakers drove home the importance of telling our stories and owning our narratives. The event was a vibrant showcase of remarkable women who fearlessly amplify our voices through their work, projects, and ground-breaking reporting. From the silver screen to the boardroom, these women have shared inspiring stories of triumph as well as the plight of women, shattering stereotypes and breaking down barriers for future generations.

The day kicked off with a special welcome from the visionary founder of WEOP, Antionette Ball, reaffirming the organization’s unwavering commitment to supporting the economic advancement of women of color. WEOP’s Board Chair, Morli Desai, then took the stage to share her inspiring journey from a corporate career to entrepreneurship. She further commended WEOP on providing her with a supportive community of like-minded businesswomen. Also gracing the event was WEOP’s partner and Atlanta City Council Member, Marci Collier Overstreet, who reiterated the power in women coming together and assured the city’s steadfast support for women in business.

The first session of the day was a riveting panel discussion titled “Power Moves” which featured game-changing women who have left an indelible mark in the film and entertainment industry. Led by the brilliant Twanna Harris, CEO of Tribal Good, the panel consisted of the uber-talented duo: Malissa “Mali” Wilson, CEO of Earth Girl, StoneWood Music, and TreeSound, alongside Adiclere Evans, Founder/President of The Funnel Creative. They gave the audience a glimpse into their innovative projects and women-empowering initiatives that are revolutionizing the music & film industry. Sharing nuggets of wisdom and uplifting business tips that left the audience buzzing with energy and ideas, the discussions were nothing short of inspiring.

Narrated by the masterly Lyndsay Levingston, the next segment, “She Speaks”, shone a spotlight on the incredible work done by women. Featured in the segment were accomplished speakers with extensive experience in Journalism, Television, and the fields of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Among them were Condace Pressley, Director of Community & Public Affairs at WSB Atlanta News & Talk; Nicquel Terry Ellis, Senior Writer at CNN covering matters of Race & Equality; and Julie Ann Crommett, CEO and Founder of Collective Moxie. Their exemplary work demonstrates the power of storytelling in addressing critical issues and elevating the voices of women.

A brief lunch session was then followed by an intimate conversation with the renowned Charreah K. Jackson, covering her extensive experience as the editor for Essence Magazine and her continued efforts in empowering women around the world.

We crowned it all with our last segment of the day, the Cupcake Roundtable: Owning our Narrative. Moderated by the engaging Ama Amofie of Emory University, the highly-anticipated session showcased the work of two profound women, Lyndsay Levingston, and Natina Marie Hill. Lyndsay, an avid multimedia personality and a Stage 2B triple-negative breast cancer survivor, founded SurviveHER™, a platform aimed at informing, inspiring, and empowering a community of breast cancer SurviveHERs and supporters. On the other hand, Natina is the Founder & Creative Director of Melanin Muse, a platform that celebrates women of color. Together, they captivated the audience with their passion for enriching the lives of women.

Overall, the event was an astounding success! Women’s History Month once again proved to be the ideal platform to acknowledge and recognize award-winning women, business moguls, and media experts who are making waves in their respective sectors. It offered these industry leaders the opportunity to share the incredible work they are doing to uplift women in their fields, leaving a lasting impression on all in attendance.

This epic event would not have been possible without our wonderful partnership with the esteemed Emory University. We would like to applaud them for the consistent support they have accorded us in supporting women through impactful programs and networking events. Alongside Emory University, we were honored to have the support of Bank of America, Small Business Majority, State Rep. Kim Schofield, and the City of Atlanta for their amazing partnership in this year’s Women’s History Month celebration.

Further appreciation goes to WEOP’s Board of Directors and the Event Planning Committee – particularly, Ama Ampadu-Fofie, Council Member Marci Collier Overstreet, Rep. Kim Schofield, Dr. Karen Sedatole, Twanna Harris, Lyndsay Levingston, and Rachel Shanklin.

The inspired attendees left the event on a high note, having made new connections and feeling determined to make their own mark. Our role in amplifying the voices of women is far from over! This celebration marks just the beginning of what is to come. With a fierce commitment to our cause, we look forward to continuing this important work, uplifting women, and elevating their voices in business and beyond.