Katherine Olives
In this blog, Kesia Hudson, our Program Manager for Women's Entrepreneurship, reflects on her experiences at the United State of Women Summit.
5,000 strong! That was the number of women (and a few men!) gathered for the first-ever United State of Women Summit. And I had the honor of attending as a Nominated Changemaker!
I didnt know what to expect when I walked into the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC on June 14th. The Summit, convened by the White House, brought together thousands of people working to change tomorrow for the #StateofWomen. Speakers included President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Oprah Winfrey, Mariska Hargitay, Amy Poehler, Warren Buffet, Lilly Ledbetter, Reshma Saujani, Mikaila Ulmer, and Orruba Almansour, CCNY's 2016 Salutatorian. Throughout the day, leaders and advocates addressed six thematic pillars: economic empowerment, health & wellness, educational opportunity, violence against women, entrepreneurship & innovation, and leadership & civic engagement. There were so many wonderful speeches. Here are some of the memorable quotes from discussions on entrepreneurship.
“I am a small business owner, and we are the engines of the economy. We create jobs and save neighborhoods and do whatever needs to be done,” said Carla Walker-Miller, President and CEO of Walker-Miller Energy Services, LLC.
Entrepreneurship is this powerful force to lift people out of poverty, said Maria Contreras-Sweet of the US Small Business Association.
It is easier to live with failure, instead of what if. What if scares me, said Lisa Price, Founder, Carol's Daughter.
According to the Small Business Association, women are 1.7 times more likely than men to create social ventures. Between 2008 and 2018, women will account for more than half of the increase in labor force growth.
We had a phenomenal treat — the President and Vice President made special appearances!
Vice President Joe Biden spoke at length on his untiring efforts to address violence against women. Writing the Violence Against Women Act has been one of my proudest accomplishments. And I know that the particular blend of intellectual horsepower and passion in this room today can only mean one thing: Good things will happen. Change is coming.
He and the President shared these sentiments regarding gender equality.
“I may be a little grayer than I was eight years ago, but this is what a feminist looks like,” said President Barack Obama.
“Our country is not just all about the Benjamins€”its about the Tubmans, too. We need all our young people to know that Clara Barton and Lucretia Mott and Sojourner Truth and Eleanor Roosevelt and Dorothy Height, those arent just for Womens History Month. Theyre the authors of our history, women who shaped their destiny.”
Vice President Joe Biden emphatically stated, “Every single solitary thing a man can do, a woman can do.”
I cant argue with that.
And if that wasnt enough, we shared an special moment with First Lady Michelle Obama and Opray Winfrey! It was a casual, yet intimate conversation about Michelle Obama defining the role of First Lady for herself, being a mother/wife/lawyer, and advocating for girls and women.
The work that we are doing on girls education is something I will do for the rest of my life, said First Lady Michelle Obama. The work always continues. We are never done. We can never be complacent and think that we have arrived. We have seen how quickly things can be taken away.
Oprah concluded the conversation with a beautiful Maya Angelou quote, You make me proud to spell my name, W-O-M-A-N.
Yes! We are proud, indeed!
There were so many inspirational remarks; far too many to capture here. I'm pleased the work we are doing at the Standard Chartered Women in Technology Incubator, within the Zahn Innovation Center – launching women-led startups, providing founders with invaluable training and access to capital, encouraging young women to explore STEM-based opportunities – is in alignment with the Summits mission.
What a joy it was to attend The Summit as a Nominated Changemaker! Im committed to #stateofwomen and will continue my efforts to create the next movement of women founders. Want to show your support? Join the movement today.