Keynoters and Other Trailblazers Share Their Stories and Wisdom at a full-day virtual conference for women living or working in Westchester, Rockland, and Fairfield counties.
Jennifer Farmer, Viviana Lopez Green, Michelle Nicholas, Elana Needle, Nancy Genova, Cynthia Hetherington, Maria Smith Dautruche, Jackie Mishler, Gina Ciliberto
and others to lead dynamic, informative workshops
Chita Rivera, an American theatrical icon and one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history; and Tamika D. Mallory, an award-winning social justice leader and movement strategist, who was one of the leaders of the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, will be the two keynote speakers at this year’s Westchester Women’s Summit (WWS), a full-day virtual conference on November 19, 2021, 9 am to 6 pm, that will bring a powerhouse of inspiring women trailblazers together to share their wisdom and knowledge to affect positive change.
The Summit also will feature Gina Ciliberto, the journalist whose work has been featured in HuffPost, Bon Appetit, and Business Insider; Maria Smith Dautruche, Director of the Westchester Center for Racial Equity; Nancy Genova, President of the board to 100 Hispanic Women; Cynthia Hetherington, an expert on corporate intelligence and cyber security; Jacqueline Mishler, a political fundraising consultant; and many others who will participate in the Summit’s dynamic, informative workshops.
“The Summit is a unique and challenging place for self-discovery and growth, where women can support each other in a judgment-free zone,” notes Rose Cappa, who originated the first WWS in 2020, which featured Susan Rice, an American diplomat, policy advisor, and public official; and Gretchen Carlson, journalist, author and empowerment advocate. “Among other things, this year’s WWS will focus on timely topics impacting women and society, and be geared to women living or working in Westchester, Rockland, and Fairfield counties. It will be a place to find balance and direction, to make and find goals,” Cappa adds.
New this year, the WWS has selected one women’s organization to benefit from the Summit’s proceeds: YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester and their Center for Racial Equity. The YWCA will participate in the event to showcase and induct this year’s Women’s Hall of Fame honorees.
“Despite many advances, women today still crave information about how to become active in political and civic life; how to deal with sexism, racism, and the lack of equity; how to achieve a good work/life balance; and how to cope with the impact of technology in the workplace. We plan to address those issues and so much more,” Cappa said.
Preceding the 5 pm keynote, the YWCA of White Plains & Central Westchester will be inducting 4 women to the Westchester Women’s Hall of Fame. The Women’s Hall of Fame Award is presented to women who have made an outstanding contribution to Westchester County in any one or more of the following fields: the arts, athletics, business, education, government, human services, humanitarianism/philanthropy, and sciences. This year’s honorees are:
Alfreda Williams, Westchester County Board of Legislators
Rev. Jeannette Phillips, Executive Director, Housing Preservation Company & Executive Vice President of Community Development
Barbara Wiggins(posthumous), Retired Lt. Colonel
Sylvia Rivera (posthumous), American Activist
All presentations will be presented live but will be videotaped and participants will be given the opportunity to view any and all of the workshops post-event.
Sponsorships are available. As of this writing, sponsors of the WWS are: The Event Department, Key Bank, Wartburg, Corporate Audio Visual, United Hebrew, MackTech, Girls Inc., Veekast, Nonprofit Westchester, Professional Women of Westchester, Shark Media. Sponsors will be invited to an intimate viewing party for the Hall of Fame induction.
Tickets are $150. For further information, please visit: https://wws.virtualmeetinghub.com/
About Chita Rivera
To describe Chita Rivera as a musical theater veteran is an understatement; “American Broadway Icon” would be more like it. Rivera, who branded the role of Anita in the 1957 Broadway production of “West Side Story” and has been a lead in dozens of Broadway shows and road tours, is a ten-time Tony Award nominee and three-time Tony Award winner, as well as the recipient of the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater. In 2019, Time Out New York named her “one of the best Broadway divas of all time.” Her amazing versatility as a singer, dancer, and actor, let alone dazzling energy and magnetism, were evidenced in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Chicago,” “The Visit,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Can-Can,” and “Guys and Dolls,” among others. Her current solo CD is entitled And Now I Swing. Chita Rivera is the first Latina woman and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her belief that theater has the power to heal resonated with millions of New York theater-goers who eagerly anticipated the return of Broadway after the pandemic.
About Tamika D. Mallory
As one of the influential Black voices inspiring millions to get involved in the fight for racial and social equality, and as an award-winning social justice leader and movement strategist, Tamika Mallory wants to move the needle and speak truth to power, no matter the consequences. She made history when she helped shepherd the largest single-day demonstration, the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, serving as one of its four national co-chairs. Most recently, she co-founded Until Freedom, an intersectional social justice organization that serves as a clearinghouse for organizers, activists, movement attorneys, artists, celebrities, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Tamika also co-hosts, alongside “Raptivist” Mysonne Linen, the newly launched “Street Politicians” podcast on iHeart Radio’s Black Effect Network. The title of her forthcoming book STATE OF EMERGENCY is a reflective work spawned by the urgent declaration she made in the opening of her speech during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis: “Black people are in a state of emergency. And those who support us need to understand, we’re at a critical point… Black people are dying… We cannot look at this as an isolated incident… This is a coordinated activity across our nation…Enough is enough…Charge the cops; arrest the cops… America has looted the Black people!”
