Hundreds of women are expected to gather in Dallas for the Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS) 2022, which will be held this weekend. The two-day event, on August 5 and 6 at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel, hopes to educate and encourage professional women.

The Summit, created in partnership with UNT Dallas, is described as a “high energy” event for established and emerging female leaders. There will be sessions on cryptocurrency, entrepreneurship, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) opportunities, and more. Overall, there will be 11 Interactive learning and sharing sessions on various topics.

“WLS brings together women who have risen to leadership positions with younger leaders forming stronger networks, sharing knowledge and skills, celebrating achievements, and addressing challenges,” the official Summit website states. “WLS intends to inspire and motivate women to become full participants in our world, sharing their leadership skills, resulting in a better society for all.”

Helen Giddings, a businesswoman and former Texas House representative, founded the Women’s Leadership Summit in 2018, according to WFAA.

Some of the featured speakers include Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor of Baton Rouge Deryl McKissack, the CEO and president of McKissack & McKissack, and former U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore.

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Before becoming mayor of Baton Rouge, Broome was a Louisiana state senator, Louisiana state representative, and a Rouge Metro City Council member. The conference profile on Mayor Broome called her “a firm believer in achieving progress through inclusion, innovation, and information.”

“Since taking office,” the website claims, “Mayor Broome has placed a heavy focus on improving the quality of life for citizens while building resiliency through infrastructure improvements. She has focused on addressing transportation, drainage, public safety, education, economic development, and revitalizing neighborhoods.”

Deryl McKissack’s company manages more than $15 billion in nationwide projects.

According to the Summit website, “During the past 30 years under her leadership, McKissack & McKissack has managed such landmark projects as the new Museum of African-American History and Culture on the National Mall, MGM National Harbor Casino, Navy Pier Centennial Projects in Chicago, and served as the architectural firm of record for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC.”

Judge Gilmore explained, “I hope to share with the young women that none of us –  not any of us got where we are without the assistance or help of others. … That other people laid stepping stones for us and that we are the beneficiaries of that.”

Gilmore was sworn in as a federal judge in 1994 after having graduated from the University of Houston Law Center. She currently serves on the boards for the Texas Children’s Hospital and the DePelchin Children’s Center.

The Summit received funding from many private and corporate sponsors, including the Dallas Mavericks, the City of Dallas, Dallas College, H-E-B, the T.D. Jakes Foundation, and others.

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