The shero is alive and well.
We congratulate Caroline V. Clarke, editorial director of the Women of Power Summit, who leads the Black Enterprise team in showcasing examples of greatness. We also congratulate other women who are leading corporations and creating a unified voice. The 12th annual Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit was held Thursday, March 9 – Sunday, March 12 at the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa in Phoenix.
It’s Women’s History Month and this event was one of the best platforms to showcase examples of lighthouses, women who choose to live in greatness and who refuse to engage negative realities.They are present and productive every day. At the summit, these leaders, presenters and attendees from around the world networked and shared examples of leadership and life moments that will aid in reaching success and overcoming hardships.
“It’s about the women who participate, the senior executives who carve out time to show up, be candid and remain available — not just for selfies but for real encouragement, the sharing of resources and priceless advice. Our mission hasn’t changed in 12 years but the world has changed rather dramatically and, sadly, especially this year. Many of those changes have intensified the need for what we do, not diminished it,” says Clarke about the collateral benefits of the summit.
The planned events ranged from a luncheon and shopping experience with Macy’s to AT&T offering connectivity, workshops and keynote speakers. The leaders and influencers ranged from Apple marketing exec Bozoma Saint John to celebrity blogger Luvvie Ajayi to Toyota’s Alva Mason, manager of diversity, inclusion and community relations.
During the AT&T hosted invitation-only “Seat at the Table with Luvvie” for top influential attendees at the Summit, Ajayi shared her journey of creating a blog that’s truly authentic to her voice and her life. She reaches a worldwide audience and is a social influencer, who sets the bar high.
“I think much of the success of this year’s event emanates from that shift in the larger environment. Women of color are living under tremendous stress — unsure of their companies’ commitment to them, their careers, and the values they hold dear, and worried for the very safety and education of their families and children, given the sociopolitical shifts of recent months. We remain largely isolated from each other. So, this coming together, at this moment in time, was particularly needed, and thus especially profound. I’m so glad your beautiful wife (and you) were a part of it. And I’m genuinely grateful to every single woman who showed up. I’m proud of the companies that sent them for showing what they still stand for — and I’m proud of the women who prioritized themselves enough to come on their own. These are trying times that demand our commitment to each other more than anything. I’m very proud that Black Enterprise offers this unique forum for that, and that our content resonates so fully. It’s a great feeling to fulfill your goals, especially when you care so deeply about the audience you serve,” Clarke closes.
We must continue to attend conferences and summits to support each other and ensure we are combining our dollars to raise and train our spirits to reach great heights. Thank you to Black Enterprise and the corporate sponsors who support this annual affair that makes a difference in the lives and futures of so many women.
