On Friday, we virtually hosted our 10th annual Inspired Women’s Alliance Luncheon! Watch the full event HERE.
The luncheon was started to celebrate and empower women in the Greater Arlington Area. It is also an avenue to award Dr. Judith J. Carrier scholarship recipients. This year, the Alliance disbursed over $17,000 in scholarships to women in universities and nursing programs.
We kicked off with a speech from Dr. Jacquelyn Minor, the Women’s Alliance chair and luncheon’s host. She reiterated the importance of the Alliance’s mission and introduced the panelists and sponsors. The audience was also offered the opportunity to purchase “bling boxes” which contained pearl earrings. The revenue will support women in programs at UT Arlington and Tarrant County College – Southeast Campus.
Afterward, the audience viewed a short video summarizing the Women’s Alliance’s history. It was founded to help women in the community network and engage with the Chamber meaningfully. The small pioneer group developed a theme and mission statement and set the stage for the Alliance’s activities today. Now, the Alliance has hundreds of members.
Following this, we heard a portion of Dr. Judith J. Carrier’s interview, and scholarship recipients were announced.
We then heard from Kellie Fischer, the CFO of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and the chair of the Chamber’s board of directors. She discussed her time at the Chamber and the positive influences she has encountered here. She was followed by Cindy Moseley, the neonatal intensive care manager at Medical City, Arlington, who discussed the flexibility and tenacity her nurses have displayed through the pandemic.
The keynote portion was given TEDx style and commenced with Carrie Wilkerson, an international speaker and best-selling author. Her speech was titled “No Plan B” and discussed the importance of business leaders identifying which of their goals are non-negotiable.
The next speaker was Dr. Stevie Dawn Carter, a motivational speaker and mindset coach. Her speech was titled “What if I can Fly?” and talked about believing in oneself and cultivating a community to support one’s goals.
Washima Huq, a business and community engagement partner at Texas Trust Credit Union, spoke on the need to empower diversity.
The last speaker was Belen Garren, a commercial bank market executive at JP Morgan Chase. Her speech was titled “Betting on Yourself” and she said it is unnecessary to check off all the requirement boxes before applying for a desired job/role. To her, the most important qualities are having a great attitude and working hard.
To wrap up, Dr. Minor announced the bling box and raffle prize winners. Then, she recognized past and current Hero Award winners. The award was created to honor women who have contributed positively to the city. She also announced the launch of the Women’s Alliance small business grant. Through the grant, one woman small business owner (who has been in business for at least three years) will be awarded cash gifts, mentoring, and services to encourage business growth.
Although we did not expect to host our “tin anniversary” this way, the luncheon was a success. We are grateful to everyone who attended. See you again next year!