MWF | Black HERstory Month, Pitch Competition winners, and more!

We hope you are staying safe and healthy. February is a busy time of year for us at MWF and we have many updates and invitations for you! Here's what's in today's email:

Black HERstory Month: Representation Matters
Announcing the WomanUp & Pitch Competition Winners!
Remembering Dr. Gladys Beckwith
Save the Date for WomanUp & Celebrate
Nominations for the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame are open!

Black HERStory Month: Representation Matters

In honor of Black HERstory Month, join us for a virtual event that will uplift the voices of five Black Michigan women and start a conversation about why representation matters in every industry

Join in the event LIVE on Monday, February 22 from 7-8:30 PM. This event is hosted collaboration with the Michigan Women's Commission.

Congratulations to the WomanUp & Pitch Winners!

We're proud to share our six first-place Pitch Competition winners! These finalists pitched their business idea, answered some tough questions from the judges flawlessly, and took home the grand prize of $10,000 each. Thank you to all who attended and voted for your favorite!

Grand Rapids First Place Winners:
Wear Your Curls- Felisha Rodriguez
GooGenius Draw Club Online- Eva Marie Gugino
Jackson First Place Winners:
Cultured Kombucha- Courtney Lorenz
Riker's Dog Treats- Leslie Cowell
Detroit First Place Winners:
Saliva Systems- Rebecca Altounian
Parker Avenue- Sally Moore

You can watch the recorded versions of all three WomanUp & Pitch events here!

Remembering Dr. Gladys Beckwith

Dr. Gladys Beckwith, the founder of our treasured Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame and one of the strongest and most tenacious women most people had ever met, lost her life to COVID-19 on December 8th, 2020.

MWF hosted a virtual memorial service last week for Dr. Beckwith which included some of her closest family and friends. The service was full of heartfelt, inspiring, and often funny stories about her incredible life and legacy. Katie Cavanaugh gave a beautiful eulogy about her mentor Gladys, which you can watch here. The memorial service also included surprise remarks from Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The full service was about an hour and a half, and it is worth the watch if you have time and especially if you knew Gladys. Watch the whole program here.

Sponsorship in Southeast Michigan

Sponsorship in West Michigan

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame Nominations Open

Do you know a Michigan woman whose story would inspire future generations? We're inviting you to nominate her to be inducted into the official Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. View full nomination criteria here.

Nominate a woman for the Hall of Fame

Michigan Women Forward's work to create a better world for women and girls isn't possible without the generosity of good people like you. Thank you!

Make a Donation

Thank you for reading our updates! Follow us on social media to keep up with us regularly.

In Partnership With