There’s power in community, and in an effort to inspire others to pursue their passions, Rachel DesRochers, Kyla Woods, Whitney Ellison, and Stevi Carr are doing that through the women’s entrepreneurial and empowerment summit Power to Pursue.
“Perhaps the first of its kind for women in our region, Power to Pursue is a space for us to come together in community, just right where you are in your journey whether you’re an entrepreneur, and intrepreneur, or just looking for like-minded community,” explains Co-Founder Rachel DesRochers. “Through the lens of empower and inclusivity, we will have a day jam-packed with fireside chats, panels, and keynotes to motivate, inspire, and celebrate the work we are all doing in our region.”
When the four women knew they wanted to create something powerful, it was about creating a mirror of the community.
“It’s improtant to us that the atmosphere we are creating is a mirror of our community, and a place to connect women in a way that they might not otherwise be able to,” said co-founder Kyla Woods. “We want every woman who is committed to empowering other women to feel like she belongs in this room.”
The idea for Power to Pursue came about before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but has finally come to fruition. “Pre-pandemic we had started flushing out a vision that we all had, and I think we can all agree the best thing that happened to us was the pandemic,” explains DesRochers. “It gave us – ALL WOMEN – this collective experience. It allowed us to come with fresh eyes in this collective experience and I think it widens how we need to be seen and supported.”
The main goal for Power to Pursue is to create inspiration from their own stories to encourage others to live and create their biggest dreams while also supporting each other along the way.
The team behind Power to Pursue wants to show some the resources that are available to them, as well as introduce them to the plethora of resources available through the organization itself. To introduce women to the resources available in the Tri-State, Power to Pursue will host micro events throughout the year as well as Power Hours, which allow women to connect and build a community, as well as the Power to Pursue summit.
DesRochers says that what makes this new collaboration unique is the leadership team behind it all. “We are four diverse, unique, and smart women,” she says. “We are done with silo working and all believe we are better together. We also believe pulling that leadership to the front of the room is really important. We want to build a really big table, one that will fit everyone who wants to sit at it.”
Power to Pursue summit will be held May 20, with the doors opening at 8:00am. General admission tickets for the event are $149 and include a boxed lunch, a full day of speakers, and a swag bag including Power Packs. the VIP Experience is sold in bundles of 5, 6, 7, or 10, and are $200 each. This experience also includes a VIP Swag Bag and VIP Lunch Experience with some of the speakers.
Learn more about Power to Pursue, or purchase your tickets when they go on sale March 1, at powertopurse.org. You can also follow along on Facebook and Instagram.