A coalition of groups in the Northland has organized the first ever Kansas City Women’s Freedom Forum at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at the LEAD Innovation Center.
Local residents, Kat Henry, founder of Do Something Mo., and Lynn Hinkle Roberts, co-founder of Winning Women Wednesday, shared their vision to inspire more women to step into leadership roles and organized Women’s Freedom Forum.
“We kicked around ideas about a leadership forum, and then discussed inspirational women who could share their path to power,” Roberts said. “Kat came up with the name: Women’s Freedom Forum.”
The event has been planned to be an evening of empowerment and inspiration, where the achievements and future of women in civic leadership will be celebrated.
“From past and current elected leaders to young leaders who are beginning to blaze their own trail, the evening is meant to acknowledge and inspire more women to step into their power at this critical time,” Roberts said. “You’ll have the opportunity to hear from incredible speakers and connect with like-minded women who are passionate about women’s rights and freedom.”
Henry and Roberts decided that former, first female mayor of Kansas City, Mo., Kay Barnes, would be a perfect keynote speaker for the event.
When the former mayor agreed to be a speaker at Women’s Freedom Forum, the planning began, and a date was set. They began working with Platte County Democratic Women, the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus and Democratic Women’s Coalition for Northern Platte County to secure a diverse array of speakers.
“Like-minded women need to support each other, and we need to uplift our younger generation of future leaders,” Henry said. “Democracy works best when we find ways to listen, learn and build a better union together. As women see political efforts to erode their power and in some cases remove their rights, they are rising up.”
The women scheduled to speak at the event include current and past elected leaders, who will talk about their journeys to power and the challenges they now face.
“In addition to Mayor Barnes, whose two terms in the early 2000s transformed downtown Kansas City, Mo., the first black woman elected to the Park Hill School Board, President Brandy Maltbia Woodley, will share her perspectives on leadership and legacy,” Roberts said. “By coming together there’s a special energy that builds, and by shining a light on the positive impact women of all ages have had on school boards, local government, and state government, we can see how important it is to bring more talented young women to leadership.”
The other speakers scheduled to speak at the event will be Alyssa Acuna, Associate Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion at Park University. She is pursuing a Masters Degree in organizational communication and leadership, and she will talk about what women of her generation can offer.
Joni Wickham was chief of staff for Kansas City Mayor Sly James and they are now partners in Wickham James consulting firm. She will share why she thinks women should run for elected office.
Ashley Aune, House Minority Leader and state representative from Parkville, will talk about why she decided to run for office and how she seeks collaboration in the contentious climate of Jefferson City.
State Senator Maggie Nurrenbern will also speak at the event.
“It takes women longer to decide to run for elected office,” Roberts said. “If we can show them how important it is to share their talents, and they can see a path for themselves like these trailblazing women, our communities will be better for it.”
The event will be at the Park Hill School District’s LEAD Innovation Center, 7201 N. Line Creek Parkway, Kansas City.
Tickets are required. For free tickets, go to EventBrite.com and search in Kansas City Events for Women’s Freedom Forum. Nearly 200 tickets have been reserved to date. Capacity is 300 for this event.
Commemorative “I’m with HER!” t-shirts are available for purchase at the following link, cheekybirdkc.com, or in person at: Cheeky Bird KC, 301 Main St, Parkville, (816) 500-8918.