WOMEN ON THE RISE 2020

Every March, in honor of Women’s History Month, BRA honors three women who are either trailblazers and have paved the way for other women, or who are “up-and-comers” successfully following in their footsteps. Watch the highlights below and savor the memories of the last time we were all together!

March 12, 2020 | Annenberg Community Beach House

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographer: BRA Member, Rachael Buechler of Rachael B Photography

THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Founder of Olivia Christian Co. and Own Your Story

Olivia coaches professional teams, corporations and one-on-one clients in a methodology for crafting a personal brand story that incorporates both the logical—the head, and the emotional—the heart. Olivia has touched and empowered thousands with her Own Your Story workshop and will truly kick off the event with style and insightfulness. Olivia Christian has been working as a brand strategist since 2005. While based in Los Angeles, she shares her personal brand story workshop, Own Your Story, across the country for corporate teams like Google, Visa, and Facebook, at conferences like Girlboss Rally and The Best Me, and at co-working spaces like The Wing. Olivia is also the Executive Producer and Host of The Game Last Night, her self-funded sportscast that features her in conversation with professional athletes, analysts and fans from various leagues and franchises from coast to coast. Olivia also works as a freelance sports reporter for National Public Radio’s Only a Game, named one of Esquire’s Top 15 sports podcasts of 2019.

THE HONOREES

VISIONARY WOMAN OF THE YEAR Award Recipient

This award recognizes a businesswoman who, through her entrepreneurial success, has woven social impact strategy into her business model for the betterment of a marginalized population.

Gabriele Almon

Brain & Bullish + The Storytellers Summit

Gabriele Almon is a former emergency responder turned story whisperer. She founded Brain+Bullish to spark ground-breaking, transformational partnerships between the creative industry and the public sector. Her company produces The Storyteller’s Summit, an annual conference for do-good professionals to learn how to create action-inspiring, story-based content.

Previously, Gabriele worked in humanitarian nonprofits and local government, supporting a variety of emergency response efforts around the globe. In 2016, she was appointed to FEMA’s National Advisory Council, where she served as a foresight subject matter expert.

EMPOWERMENT LEADER Award Recipient

This award honors a woman who is a positive leader among her entrepreneurial peers. She embodies and implements BRA’s mission of fostering collaboration over competition.

Stacey Beaman

Plyojam Dance Fitness

As Co-Founder of PlyoJam Dance Fitness, Stacey is committed to lead, encourage and empower women to pursue a fit and healthy lifestyle at any size and to discover their own beauty and their worth through the power of movement.

WOMAN ON THE RISE Award Recipient

This award honors a BRA member on the cusp of greatness; a woman who is using all opportunities (including those provided to her as a BRA member) to her greatest advantage.

Misty Castañeda

For Purpose Kids

A quarterly Toolkit subscription that helps parents, teachers and community leaders teach children how to be kind, do good and make the world a better place for others, animals and the environment through simple, fun and easy-to-do activities.

THE BENEFICIARY

The Women’s Empowerment Network

The Women’s Empowerment Network was founded by Cancer Survivor, Christina Brophy, so that no woman “Fights Alone”. Christina Brophy is a 31 year old multi-passionate entrepreneur with a background in marketing and event planning. She is also a cancer warrior which has sparked her passion for helping women.

She founded The Women’s Empowerment Network, a 501 c3 non-profit organization, with a mission is to inspire, motivate and empower women overcoming adversity. Her organization is dedicated to ensuring that women impacted by cancer and domestic violence become empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. The organization offers support through free workshops, mental health services, financial services, beauty services and free classes to support physical/mental wellness.

Through partnerships with industry professionals we are able to work together to make a difference and serve women in our communities. We thank our partners Glamour Studio, Pureza Wellness, Villasenor Counseling, Babes of Wellness, Beyond Polished, Carter and Company Insurance Solutions, and now The BRA Network for helping us make a bigger impact.

THE SPONSORS

Thank you to all of our sponsors for their generosity and contributions that help make this event possible and maximize the donation we can provide!