The Texas Women’s Foundation has turned its Leadership Forum & Awards Celebration on April 27 into a daylong event of learning and leadership, culminated by an awards program led by Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of ex-President George W. and Laura Bush, and a best-selling author and co-host of NBC’s Today.

Texas Women’s Foundation has announced special pricing for tickets to its program. Along with the awards celebration, the $144 price includes a day of learning and leadership at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

Hilda Galvan, the chairwoman and selection co-chair of TXWF, says the organization is inviting people to attend an empowering event where they can listen to inspiring stories of women who have broken barriers in various fields such as education, nonprofits, finance, and law, with a focus on women and girls.

“Plus, our tickets are less than half of what they were last year, so that more can attend,” Galvan said in a statement.

The foundation said earlier this year that Jenna Bush Hager’s Texas roots and successful career in journalism, coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit, make the program a “must-attend” event.

Hager said that women in her family were her examples.

“I look forward to emceeing this event honoring women who have elevated women and girls and created opportunities for advancement and leadership,” Hager said in a statement. “I’m fortunate to have learned from my grandmothers, Barbara Bush and Jenna Welch, and my mother, Laura, who showed me how to be an impactful woman who lifts up others to achieve their potential.”

Empowerment Program and Leadership Forums

The event at the Omni will begin with #BESTSELF, a half-day empowerment program for girls ages 13 to 16, including invited students from Young Women’s Preparatory Network schools in Fort Worth and Dallas, Richardson ISD, Solar Preparatory for Girls (Dallas ISD), and the nonprofitx Lemon Aide Society and Stand 4 Sisterhood.

It will then feature Leadership Forums, followed by the 2023 Maura Women Helping Women and Young Leader award recipients discussing their journeys in forums (Topics and times listed below).

The program will culminate with an Awards Celebration and dinner that will showcase Hager and the award winners.

Hager will moderate the following discussions at the awards dinner: 

• Leaders in Advocacy: Dr. Froswá Booker-Drew, Aimee Boone Cunningham, Jill Louis, Mary Pat Higgins
• Leaders in Education: Bee Nance, Madeline Burillo-Hopkins, Ann Sheu

Maura Women Helping Women Award

The Maura Women Helping Women Award has been presented for 44 years to more than 220 individuals who have catalyzed change for women and girls. The committee was led by Brenda Jackson, selection co-chair, and Hilda Galvan, TXWF chairwoman and selection co-chair.

Here are the honorees and their forums (program information provided by TWF):

Froswá Booker-Drew, Ph.D. (Dallas) is the CEO of Soulstice Consultancy, LLC providing DEI, leadership training, community engagement strategies and philanthropic/partnership guidance for institutions. She is also the CEO of R2 Foundation (Restoration and Reconciliation Foundation) providing support for Black led nonprofits. As a connector of networks, Booker-Drew has led the effort in building partnerships supporting growth for organizations led by people of color.

• 4:00-4:45 p.m. Breaking Economic Barriers, sponsored by Texas Capital Bank
  Building meaningful and fruitful collaborations for the betterment of the community is what Dr. Booker-Drew has spearheaded for years. This conversation will cover how organizations can thrive with measurable and meaningful impact, and how their philanthropic investment can drive that impact. It will be centered around the importance of making connections in order to break down barriers and build partnerships to support the economic growth of the non-profit community to make the necessary change we all seek in our communities.

Madeline Burillo-Hopkins, Ed.D. (Houston) is the Vice Chancellor Workforce Instruction for the Houston Community College System and College President where she has been an advocate for workforce education, diversity, and equity. She initiated innovative educational workforce programs and partnerships to improve upper economic mobility in underserved communities. She also has been instrumental in developing technology summer camps for girls and increasing female participation in computer science and non-traditional areas.

• 5:00-5:45 p.m. Building Potential, sponsored by Comerica Bank

  The belief that with guidance and support, women can be the best at whatever they put their minds to has driven Dr. Burillo-Hopkins to create opportunities for young students to thrive. This conversation will focus on the power of education and how it has the ability change the trajectory of lives. Discussions will focus on providing accessibility for all – especially women and girls – so they can realize their full potential to be leaders.

Aimee Cunningham (Austin) is the president and CEO of The Boone Family Foundation and a highly experienced principal in the progressive movement. She leads its mission to create equity for women and girls to drive innovation and justice for students in public schools; and to steward and create accessible green spaces. She has led the charge supporting policies that impact women and families.

• 5:00-5:45 p.m. Amplifying Activism, sponsored by Cecilia and Garrett Boone
  

  Fighting for the rights of all people to live quality lives has been the driving force for Cunningham. This discussion will give voice to the importance of everyone speaking up and speaking out to create equity for women and girls. As a leader in philanthropy, Cunningham will shed a light on how advocacy plays an important role in making impact and how anyone can all take part in amplifying their voices for change.

Mary Pat Higgins (Dallas) is the President and CEO of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum where she leads its mission to teach the history of the Holocaust and champion human rights to combat prejudice, hatred, and indifference. Under her leadership, the Museum opened a new state-of-the-art facility on September 18, 2019, accommodating an expanded core exhibit focused on the Holocaust, other genocides, and human and civil rights in the U.S.

• 5:00-5:45 p.m. Building Potential, sponsored by Comerica Bank

  The belief that with guidance and support, women can be the best at whatever they put their minds to has driven Dr. Burillo-Hopkins to create opportunities for young students to thrive. This conversation will focus on the power of education and how it has the ability change the trajectory of lives. Discussions will focus on providing accessibility for all – especially women and girls – so they can realize their full potential to be leaders.

Jill Louis (Dallas) is managing partner of Perkins Coie’s Dallas office, a member of the firm’s Corporate & Securities practice, and co-chair of the Infrastructure Development practice. Her practice focuses on advising companies with growth-oriented, liquidity-creating, and transformational strategies. She is also the host of RelevantNOW, an environmental, social, and corporate governance-focused podcast examining the intersection of business and public interest.

• 5:00-5:45 p.m. Elevating Representation, sponsored by Thrivent
  Opening the doors for more opportunities, voices and journeys to be heard is key to creating a more vital workforce. This forum will be centered around the work Louis continues to do creating a platform to discuss and give solutions to relevant issues organizations and institutions face. The talk will focus on the power of public and private partnerships to create programs that provide access to the underserved in order to build more diverse and inclusive working environments.

Young Leader Award

The Young Leader Award recognizes breakthrough leadership from a trailblazer who is achieving success in a field, initiative, or sector, and creating a path of opportunity for other women to follow, the foundation said.

This year’s recipients are:

Ann Sheu (Dallas) is the founder of Mpowered Families, a training and coaching company with a unique approach to empowering individuals with tools to have a family life filled with purpose, alignment, and connection. A highly sought-after keynote speaker, she inspires audiences to create a strategic plan toward achieving their Decade Dream.

Prof. “Bee” Nance (Katy) is the COO of Generation Teach, a multimillion-dollar educational nonprofit whose vision is to end racial injustice and inequity in education. She is also the author of a children’s financial literacy book called “Sunny Gets Money,” and the founder of The Rising Sunny, an organization that teaches families how to build wealth.

• 4:00-4:45 p.m. Young Leader Forum: Empowering Community & Teaching Financial Freedom, sponsored by Amazon 
  For generations, women have invested the lion’s share of their resources into their families and communities, so they thrive. This sessions features the work Sheu and Professor Nance are doing to build up communities through their leadership and expertise. There will be a conversation about empowering families, businesses and communities to operate at their fullest potential with intentional practices. The forum will also cover the importance of empowering and building up generations by teaching the value of financial freedom.

To learn more about the event or get tickets, go here. 

This story was updated on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 8:49 p.m. with additional program and pricing information.

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