{"id":208302,"date":"2025-09-07T18:53:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T18:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/208302\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T18:53:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T18:53:10","slug":"womens-leadership-summit-celebrating-sisterhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/208302\/","title":{"rendered":"Women&#8217;s Leadership Summit: Celebrating Sisterhood"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">The Women\u2019s Leadership Summit (WLS) opened this weekend at the Hilton Anatole with a spirit of sisterhood and a showcase of excellence. Branded as a \u201cpower-packed two-day conference promoting professional success within a sisterhood gathering\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlsummit.org\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">WLS Summit<\/a>), the event delivered on its promise to bring together \u201cthe most accomplished, brightest, baddest professionals in the nation\u201d through intimate, interactive sessions and inspirational plenary conversations.<\/p>\n<p>The 2025 Summit was chaired by T he Honorable Helen Giddings, a towering figure in Texas civic life whose leadership legacy framed the weekend with purpose.<\/p>\n<p>A Rising Star: The Lotus Club\u2019s Deme<\/p>\n<p>The opening night included the presentation of the Rising Star Award to Deme Jackson, co-founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelotusclub.co\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Lotus Club<\/a>. The Lotus Club has become a safe haven and career accelerator for Black women navigating unemployment, layoffs, or career transitions\u2014providing mentorship, community, and tools to step back into leadership roles with confidence.<\/p>\n<p>Deme\u2019s recognition set the tone for a Summit committed to both legacy and renewal: lifting women who\u2019ve paved the way while spotlighting those creating new pathways forward.<\/p>\n<p>The program\u2019s centerpiece was a fireside chat featuring Summit Chair Helen Giddings and Kimberly Bizor-Tolbert, Dallas\u2019 first Black woman to serve as City Manager. Moderated by NBC-5 anchor Brittney Johnson alongside Wayne White, President &amp; CEO of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cftexas.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Communities Foundation of Texas<\/a>, the conversation embodied the tone of the entire evening: Black women affirming, supporting, and celebrating each other.<\/p>\n<p>The moment grew emotional when attorney DeMetris Sampson, Esq. introduced Tolbert with such heartfelt admiration that the City Manager was moved to tears. Taking the stage, Tolbert joked that while composing herself. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The next time you want to call DeMetris to do an introduction, make sure you have a tissue box.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>What unfolded on stage felt less like a scripted program and more like a sacred exchange\u2014\u201cgirl talk\u201d rooted in legacy, love, and manifestation. The bond between Giddings and Tolbert radiated through the room, a living reminder of how community uplifts and sustains women in leadership. As they reflected on Tolbert\u2019s historic rise to become Dallas City Manager, the conversation carried both the weight of obstacles overcome and the joy of doors opened for those who will follow. One of the most moving reflections came when Tolbert recalled the day her appointment was announced\u2014January 22nd, the birthday of her late grandfather. It was her grandfather who first urged her to pursue public service, and in that divine alignment, the community witnessed not just a career milestone, but the manifestation of a generational calling fulfilled.<\/p>\n<p>Their candid exchange underscored the Summit\u2019s heartbeat: legacy leaders opening space for new ones, not through formality, but through authenticity and shared wisdom.<\/p>\n<p>Saturday: Panels That Powered the Summit<\/p>\n<p>Saturday expanded the energy with an entire day of plenary sessions, panels, and intimate discussions. Highlights included:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Opening Plenary<\/strong>: Creating a Power Plan for Your Personal Brand with Sheryl Adkins-Green.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Economic Insight<\/strong>: It\u2019s the Economy, People\u2026 led by Francis Smith-Dean and moderated by DeMetris Sampson.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Entrepreneurship<\/strong>: A blueprint session with Alexis Kerr, Cheryl Polote-Williamson, and Deseri Kelley.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Campaign College<\/strong>: With Mayor Rachel Proctor, Judge Elizabeth Frizell, and Councilmember Lorie Blair encouraging women to run for office.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Collecting Art for Joy and Wealth<\/strong>: A vibrant conversation featuring Dr. Roslyn Walker and other Black arts leaders.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Women Empowering Women Luncheon<\/strong>: Headlined by NASA astronaut <strong>Dr. Jeanette Epps<\/strong>, who inspired attendees with her journey to the stars.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rooted &amp; Rising<\/strong>: Led by Deme and Mirasha Brown of The Lotus Club, aimed at future women leaders.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Closing Plenary<\/strong>: And Still We Rise: Leading. Lifting. Learning. with Algenita Scott Davis and Katrice Hardy, CEO of The Marshall Project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Why It Matters<\/p>\n<p>The Women\u2019s Leadership Summit wasn\u2019t just about professional development\u2014it was about Black women creating spaces for each other to thrive. From Helen Giddings\u2019 steady hand as Summit Chair to Kimberly Tolbert\u2019s historic appointment as City Manager, from Deme Jackson\u2019s grassroots leadership through The Lotus Club to Dr. Jeanette Epps\u2019 global impact as an astronaut, the Summit spotlighted the full arc of leadership: legacy, resilience, and rising voices. In a ballroom filled with affirmations, sisterhood, and laughter through tears, one truth stood tall: Dallas women are leading with power, lifting with intention, and building legacies that will echo for generations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">\ud83d\udcf0 <strong>From Your Dallas Weekly Family:<\/strong> We may use AI tools behind the scenes to lighten the load on everyday tasks, but the heart of our reporting is always human. Every story you read is researched, written, and edited by our team\u2014rooted in community, accountability, and care.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Women\u2019s Leadership Summit (WLS) opened this weekend at the Hilton Anatole with a spirit of sisterhood and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":208303,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5135],"tags":[114401,5229,8021,8022,8023,1596,8024,114402,114403,114405,114406,114404,114407,114408,20877,50,358,114409,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,114410],"class_list":{"0":"post-208302","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-alexis-kerr","9":"tag-america","10":"tag-black-media","11":"tag-black-news","12":"tag-black-press","13":"tag-dallas","14":"tag-dallas-weekly","15":"tag-deme-jackson","16":"tag-demetris-sampson","17":"tag-dr-jeanette-epps","18":"tag-dress-for-success","19":"tag-esq","20":"tag-francis-smith-dean","21":"tag-helen-giddings-grant","22":"tag-kimberly-bizor-tolbert","23":"tag-news","24":"tag-texas","25":"tag-the-lotus-club","26":"tag-tx","27":"tag-united-states","28":"tag-united-states-of-america","29":"tag-unitedstates","30":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","31":"tag-us","32":"tag-usa","33":"tag-wayne-white"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115164532543812082","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208302"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208302\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}