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JOIN THE CONVERSATION
#WhatWomenBring is THE event for all people of every gender who believe that having more women in leadership is important to all of us. Join us and award-winning 2023 #WWB emcees Octavia Mitchell and Ann McGill on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, for a power lunch you won't want to miss! (Special thanks to Mell Bell of MellBella Photography for the emcee photos, and Amy Gerhardt of Pink Chair Photography for the honoree photos!) #POWERLUNCH #READYTOGETREAL #JOINTHECONVERSATION |
Location & program
The Conference Center at
Thornley Campus 7000 Rivers Avenue North Charleston, SC 29406 Free parking | Map |
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2023
10:30 AM Early registration & professional headshots for the first 40 ticketholders who check in! Headshots courtesy of outstanding photographer Mell Bell 11:00 AM Enjoy networking and all the famous #WWB photo opps! 11:30 AM The ballroom opens 1:00 PM Adjourn until next year! For more of the agenda, see this year's program booklet! |
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Known for her passion, creativity, and commitment to spreading unity through music, Zandrina has produced tributes to Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, and more... including a tribute to Pink Floyd, with the City of Charleston, that was the highest attended Piccolo Spoleto finale in years. As a vocalist she has opened for Natalie Cole and sung background for George Benson. Her show on Ohm Radio 96.3 FM delivers positive programming focused on the community. One of her most memorable interviews was with Bob Marley’s son, Stephen. Zandrina serves as entertainment chair for TEDxCharleston and on the board of the Charleston County School of the Arts Middle School Band. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in music merchandising and management from South Carolina State University.
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A champion for equity and an advocate for entrepreneurs and women in leadership, Lee is the founder of a multi-million dollar marketing company in a climate where only 4% of women-owned firms grow past 1 million dollars per year. This Charleston Regional Business Journal Forty Under 40 winner also founded the Charleston Cinco de Mayo Festival: the city’s first downtown event focused on Latin culture and arts. Lee is also a co-founder and board member of Citibot, an AI-powered, equity- and accessibility- focused chatbot connecting citizens with local government. She has served as board chair for Palmetto Goodwill, on the board of Lowcountry Local First, and on the founding board of Palmetto Excel. Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of South Carolina and is an alum of The Riley Institute’s Diversity Leadership Initiative.
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A fierce advocate ensuring the voices of her ancestors are heard while fighting for a more equitable future for all Gullah Geechee people, Akua educates locals and visitors on the myriad ways Charleston has been influenced by the Gullah Geechee people. She has been featured on a national level by NBC News, which lauded her work on TikTok to preserve the Gullah Geechee community. After discovering that a brick structure at Riverfront Park was made by stolen Africans, she successfully petitioned the City of North Charleston to install an educational placard near the “Dead House,” honoring their hidden contributions. Akua, who received the Jenkins Orphanage's Special Appreciation Award for her work mentoring foster girls, completed her Certified Interpretive Guide training at the Avery Research Center for African American Research at the College of Charleston.
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A passionate ally of women on a mission to empower them to believe in themselves, Megan created the first transitional program in the Charleston tri-county area serving female survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking. The author of a series of transformative books and literature, including ‘Wilted Flowers Still Bloom’ for trauma survivors, she is also the co-chair of the Preventative Education subcommittee of the Tri-County Human Trafficking Task Force, a Shared Hope International ambassador, NOMORE Human Trafficking facilitator, national speaker for the Rape Abuse Incest National Network, SC Attorney General Task Force member, and Charleston Chamber Housing Coalition member. Megan, who has a day named after her by the State of SC, has won multiple awards, most recently the 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Portrait Award. She holds a metaphysics degree from University of Sedona.
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TASHA V. JOYNER
Project Prevent Program Officer, Charleston County School District | Printable honoree bio |
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A leader known for her authenticity, Tasha oversees a grant at seven North Charleston schools funded by the US Office of Safe & Supportive Schools, supporting scholars, their families, and their communities. She has served on the district’s inaugural cohort of Restorative Practices trainers, as a founding member and lead educator for the Black Educators Affinity Group, the district‘s first affinity group, and as president and a lead charter member of the SC Alliance of Black School Educators’ Lowcountry chapter. She is the founder of READy to Evolve, and has served as both a national panelist on staff wellness and equity and a national presenter on restorative practices for communities of color, in addition to serving on boards and initiatives across the state. Tasha holds master’s degrees in school administration and curriculum and instruction from The Citadel and Lesley University.
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An advocate for professional women and healthy workplace cultures, Liz created her business to develop and align both leaders and teams to achieve results. Previously, she led 100+ professionals at Estée Lauder Companies, building its highest-performing team in the nation, and worked in construction, recruiting women to represent more than half her team and founding her employer’s first professional women’s resource group. Liz, who also took home a 2023 Women in Business award and mentors women, chairs the Charleston Chamber's professional women’s group Thrive, serves in a variety of board and committee roles for The Harbour Club, and sits on the board of Warrior Surf Foundation. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Virginia, where she focused on gender, race, and economic class, and a bachelor’s degree from Westminster College.
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An advocate who enjoys reaching back to help others achieve their goals, Loretta began her career in corrections as a line officer making $12,000 per year. Before retiring from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice 31 years later, she had helped design four facilities and served as warden at its Coastal Evaluation Center. Today she supervises a high-management youth home for the Alston Wilkes Society, a multi-state organization serving veterans and at-risk youth and adults. Loretta, who has won multiple industry awards, has also served as president of the South Carolina Correction Association and as chair, for ten years, of its Line Officers Appreciation Luncheon. She holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Columbia College and a bachelor’s degree from South Carolina State, where she majored in criminal justice and minored in counseling.
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NILSY RAPALO
Wellness Director Circulos de Bienestar, LLC | Printable honoree bio | Biografía en español |
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A leader who empowers and inspires local and global community, Nilsy is a trainer, coach, and organizer of community wellness events. She also produces a podcast and writes about wellness for newspaper El Informador and serves as a Department of Mental Health therapist. She has authored a self-help book for the Spanish-speaking community and research papers on infertility issues and domestic violence. Nilsy is a founding board member of the Hispanic Business Association and a member of the City of Charleston’s Latinx Advisory Board and M&WBE Advisory Committee, Congreso Hispanopanoamericano de Negocios, SC Community Loan Fund, New Visionary Women Exchange Club, and Commission for Minority Affairs. She has received multiple honors, most recently the Founders Trident Literacy Award, and holds a master’s degree from Universidad del Norte.
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Known as someone who “sees” others and seeks to lift them up, Laurie lists her most fulfilling contribution to Explore Charleston as her involvement in building its Intern Cultural Enrichment Program, designed to grow minority leaders in tourism. Minority students, many from HBCUs, participate each summer. “The intent is to impact young people who can then influence our industry’s diversity. I find, however, that these outstanding young people impact me,” she says. She was named “Ally for the Future Workforce” at the 2023 Lowcountry Diversity Leadership Awards and co-wrote the post-9/11 article ‘How Charleston Got Her Groove Back,’ published in the Journal of Vacation Marketing. A Leadership Charleston graduate, she serves on the board of the MUSC Children’s Hospital Foundation and holds both an MBA from The Citadel and a bachelor’s degree in business from College of Charleston.
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A leader determined to help women build their confidence, find their voice, and ask for what they want, Jennifer oversees litigation and compliance for Sonepar USA. In a prior role, she handled compliance for international firm Greystar, and specialized in government investigations at the Washington, DC office of Baker Botts. A fierce advocate, she has represented clients at trial, in government investigations, and before Congress, but her favorite personal accomplishment was having her mother’s recipe for ham buns, a Southern staple, featured in the New York Times: a tribute to her mother’s memory. Named a “Woman Worth Watching in Leadership” by Profiles in Diversity Journal and a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers DC, she is a Riley Fellow, has served on the board of PURE Theatre, and earned her JD degree from George Washington University Law School.
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MARCELA RABENS
Director, Universal Latin News Charleston | Printable honoree bio | Biografía en español |
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A defender of the rights of women and immigrants, Marcela created the first local Hispanic newspaper in Charleston in 2005... and followed it up in 2015 by creating the first local Hispanic directory, GuiaLatina Charleston.com: each one connecting the Hispanic community to others. She also hosts Ritmo Latino, a show featuring Hispanic music, culture, and interviews on Ohm Radio 96.3 FM. Early in her career, she became the first young woman in Peru to produce a radio news program and serve as a national reporter at Channel 5 Panamericana TV. A member of the Federation of Journalists of Peru, she has served on the College of Charleston’s Diversity Board and Hispanic Studies Advisory Board, as well as on the boards of the Trident Literacy Association and Trident United Way. She sits now on TUW's Palmetto Steering Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree earned in Peru.
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An unstoppable force and entrepreneur in the world of digital marketing who fearlessly forges her own path and empowers women to do the same, Candice founded Girl Go Hustle in 2021 with the vision of creating digital tools and resources that allow women to launch businesses without tech overwhelm. Candice’s journey began at the age of 14 during high school, when she embraced leadership roles in pageantry and community service. Today she regards herself as a change agent and volunteers her time widely, including for Dorchester School District Two. From participating in a field day to teaching students about the economy via Junior Achievement, she is determined to spread her message far and wide. A member of ForbesBLK, she holds a bachelor's degree from Claflin University and is studying for a master's degree in new media journalism at Full Sail University.
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