Nearly 700 of the nation’s leading African-American female executives, managers and business owners recently gathered in Orlando, Fla., for Black Enterprise’s seventh annual Women of Power Summit held at the Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes on Feb. 15 -18. The summit offered an array of professional development training and lifestyle workshops including everything from investing and money management to social media and networking. The event also delivered a host of opportunities for leisure and wellness activities such as belly dancing, golf and tennis clinics and a concert featuring Grammy-nominated singer Eric Benet.
Numerous women from the Atlanta metropolitan area attended and participated in the event. Scarlet Pressley-Brown, director of external affairs and community relations at Delta Air Lines, attended the summit this year for the first time. “It has been absolutely phenomenal. I expected a lot. It met my expectations far beyond anything I would have imagined. The women here are truly focused. They’re driven. They’re getting it right and they’re sharing their expertise. They’re sharing their insight. It’s about sisterhood and they’re making sure that we all get there together,” she said.
Melody T. McCloud, longtime Atlanta obstetrician-gynecologist and founder of Atlanta Women’s Health Care, also participated as a guest speaker on a panel about women’s health. During the session titled The Naked Truth: Uncovering our Sex, Weight, Health and Beauty, McCloud spoke candidly about women’s stress levels and sexual well-being and shared insights from her book “Living Well Despite Catching Hell: Black Woman’s Guide to Health, Sex and Happiness.”
A popular discussion during the summit covered the topic “rule-breakers and game changers.” Pressley-Brown, who says she plans to leave Delta effective March 15 to become the vice president of marketing for the Center for Civil and Human Rights, expressed enthusiasm for moving into the next chapter of her career and seeing what the future holds for her.
She stated that the rule-breaker/game-changer session was one of her favorites, as it embraced the notion of taking risks and reaching your highest ability.
“We were reminded that that’s what corporate America is all about. That’s what life is all about,” said Pressley-Brown. “But when you do find that there are obstacles in the way. When you do find that there are those who would try and prevent you from having what you truly want, need and desire, she [the presenter] used a cliché. She said “when they’re throwing bricks at you, to use that as a foundation for building. So just catch the bricks and keep stacking them up and getting higher and higher,” said Pressley-Brown.
“So, I planted that in the back of my mind. Because I’m with Delta Air Lines and it’s been a wonderful 12 years
but even I realize that there are probably bigger and better and greater things out there that I should try and aspire to and not to become comfortable. You know you will not know what your full potential is unless you try to maximize that and continue to explore. So that’s where I am right now, in an exploratory kind of frame of mind. To see just what am I capable of. Just where is the height of where I can go and what I can do,” she stated.
Pressley-Brown said that groundbreaking for the highly anticipated Center for Civil and Human Rights will take place this June and will officially open in two years. “I hope that I am able to help them stake their claim and take their place in the nation and then in the world as one of the finest centers for civil and human rights ever built.”
Derek T. Dingle, senior vice president and editor in chief for Black Enterprise magazine stated that the summit is valuable because it helps women manage business challenges that are unique to women. “Many times they are in corporate settings where they are not as valued as they should be, where they need to navigate through office politics, where they need to find mentorship, that’s important,” said Dingle.
Networking and gaining professional and personal contacts are other benefits Dingle says are extremely beneficial to attendees. He also touts the summit as one of their most engaged and refreshing for participants.
“I found over the seven years that we’ve done this conference that people have not only developed strong business relationships but seemingly lifelong friendships. Also, it’s rejuvenating,” said “Butch” Graves. “One thing that our CEO, Earl G. Graves Jr. said, and it’s true. This event more so than any of our other events, is the most passionate event.”
“For me, coming to this event as a male, I am floored by how open, how spirited the conversations are. Because a lot of times when you come to business conferences, people tend to share the successes and the achievements, but not challenges and the failures. This is a forum that’s designed to elevate women and then have them share their experiences, [and] create a network so that they can move forward,” said Dingle.
According to Dingle, companies should send their employees because of the diverse career development sessions the summit provides that can propel their staff to the next stage in management. He also said, the training develops employees who are more focused and that “it’s important for corporations to engage in that level of career development so they can gain the benefits of that.”
The Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit also recognized rising African-American female leaders 40 and under, as well as pioneers who have led the way for other women of color. The pinnacle of the event was a Women of Power Legacy Award dinner honoring Amsale Aberra, co-founder/co-CEO and creative director, Amsale Design Group; Anita Hill, professor of Social Policy, Law, and Women’s Studies, Brandeis University; Rachel Robinson, founder, Jackie Robinson Foundation; Carole Simpson, veteran news reporter; and singer and activist Dionne Warwick.