Events
We’d be delighted to host you at one of our future online or in-person gatherings. Events are the secret sauce behind our work at Ladies Who Launch.
Over 3,000 community members have shared laughs, authentic stories of grit and determination, business tips and tricks and bits of inspiration at 100+ LWL events…and we’re only getting started. Join us!
Ladies Who Launch | Helping Women Entrepreneurs Grow and Thrive
Join us for an evening of insights from industry experts, a little bit of inspiration, and networking with fellow Dallas entrepreneurs!
Let's face it -- we all know women and non-binary founders continue to encounter significant barriers accessing financing and funding opportunities as well as critical educational resources and a supportive community. Ladies Who Launch is here to change that.
Join us for our event in Dallas, powered by Pegasus Park and Lyda Hill Philanthropies, where we'll prepare you with the resources you need to access capital to grow your business, provide a healthy dose of inspiration and education from thought leaders and experts who have walked in your shoes and give you a chance to connect with others in the small business community.
You'll have the opportunity to:
Learn tips on how to strategically use the power of AI to grow your business.
Explore the emotions behind money while gaining insight into strategies for shifting your mindset around financial setbacks in life and in business.
Take your business to new heights with the know-how to tap into financial resources—from loans to venture capital—in your home state of Texas.
Connect and network with other hard-working entrepreneurs in the Dallas community.
A BIG thank you to Pegasus Park and Lyda Hill Philanthropies for their generous support of this event.
Doors will open for this event at 5:30 pm CST.
Pathways to Capital: Denver Event
Women and non-binary entrepreneurs and financing experts will inspire you to secure the capital you need to sustain and grow your business.
Resilient Leadership Summit
Resilient Leadership
Fall Hybrid Summit: Strategies to Sustain & Grow Your Small Business
The Ladies Who Launch 2022 Hybrid Resilient Leadership Summit convened financial institutions, capacity-building organizations, and small business owners for conversations to support your resilience as an entrepreneur.
Throughout panel discussions, we demystify the often daunting world of loans and credit with guidance on how to find the right fit for your business.
Education, Network, and Community
The Ladies Who Launch 2022 Hybrid Resilient Leadership Summit convened financial institutions, capacity-building organizations, and small business owners for conversations to support your resilience as an entrepreneur.
Throughout panel discussions, we demystify the often daunting world of loans and credit with guidance on how to find the right fit for your business.
Watch the San Francisco Sessions
Supporting Your Employees, Customers & Community →
Featuring United Airlines and Nana Joes Granola
As our community of small business owners and entrepreneurs tackle new challenges and crises—from inflation to the Great Resignation—investing in teams, expanding customer bases, and building community will be critical to our success. In this session, extraordinary leaders share how their respective companies are creating community-first cultures to navigate hard times and thrive.
Sarah Friar, Co-Founder of Ladies Who Launch, CEO of Nextdoor
Janet Lamkin, SVP of Global Market and Community Innovation, United Airlines
Michelle Pusateri, Founder of Nana Joes Granola
Featuring Mei Mei Dumplings, Rebel Nell, and SCORE San Francisco
Competing for and retaining top-tier talent in the current market is a major pain point for many small businesses and entrepreneurs. In this 2022 Ladies Who Launch Resilient Leadership Summit session, you’ll learn from those who are making strides in this space with limited resources, including what has worked (and not worked) and how to implement these tactics in your own business context.
Irene Li, Co-Founder, Mei Mei Restaurant Group & Co-Founder, Prepshift
Amy Peterson, Co-Founder & CEO, Rebel Nell
Susan Ruth Lundy, Chapter Chair & Certified Mentor, SCORE San Francisco
Expanding Your Customer Base →
Featuring Amazon and Harlem Cycle
Competing for and retaining top-tier talent in the current market is a major pain point for many small From curating a powerful online presence to expanding your brick & mortar footprint, it takes a multipronged approach to grow your customer base. In this 2022 Ladies Who Launch Resilient Leadership Summit session, you’ll hear from customer-centric leaders to learn strategies for acquiring new market share and growing brand loyalty in a highly competitive market and digital world.
Anna Collins, Operating Executive, Board Member, Ladies Who Launch, Ex-Amazon, Ex-Microsoft
Abby Malchow, Senior Business Manager, Small Business Partnerships for Small Business Empowerment, Amazon
Tammeca Rochester, Founder & Owner, Harlem Cycle
Building & Leveraging Community to Support Your Success →
Featuring NAACP and Circle Internet Financial
Identifying best-fit mentors and coaches and connecting with other small business owners can be overwhelming and time-consuming. You're not alone in facing these challenges! This 2022 Ladies Who Launch Resilient Leadership Summit session will dive into how to effectively cultivate communities, from your team, to your customers, and among your peers, to support your growth and sustainability.
Sarah Friar, Co-Founder of Ladies Who Launch, CEO of Nextdoor
Yumeka Rushing, Chief Strategy Officer, NAACP
Sherice Torres, Chief Marketing Officer, Circle Internet Financial
Watch the Virtual Sessions
Reimagining Banking to Support Small Businesses →
Featuring United Airlines & First Women's Bank
The overwhelming majority of women and non-binary small business owners bootstrap, and only 25% seek business financing. In the Ladies Who Launch 2022 Resilient Leadership Summit opening keynote, learn how trusted community banks and institutions across the U.S. are working to increase education and access to fair financing to help businesses grow.
Sarah Friar, Co-Founder of Ladies Who Launch and CEO, Nextdoor
Pam Hendry, Vice President & Treasurer, United Airlines
Melissa Widen, Co-Founder, Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel, First Women's Bank
Increasing Your Working Capital: Exploring Loans as An Option? →
Featuring Daintree Capital, Hugo Coffee & BlueHenry
Loans can provide small businesses with game-changing working capital, but figuring out which options are a good fit can be daunting. During the Ladies Who Launch 2022 Resilient Leadership Summit, small businesses and Daintree Capital, a working capital loan provider, share their challenges and the benefits of financing to help you find the right fit for your business.
Alisha Griffey, Founder & CEO, Daintree Capital, a working capital loan provider
Claudia McMullin, Founder & Owner, Hugo Coffee Roasters
Adrienne Walker, Founder & Owner, BlueHenry
Exploring Non-Bank Loan Options for Small Businesses →
Featuring Kabbage by American Express & PayPal Working Capital
Outside of traditional banks, there are other working capital options to meet the unique needs of your small business. This Ladies Who Launch 2022 Resilient Leadership Summit session explores a range of financial products, including Kabbage by American Express and PayPal Working Capital, and how small business owners have successfully built partnerships with providers to drive growth. Hear stories from small business owners and the institutions that helped them access financing.
Peggy Alford, Executive Vice President-Global Sales, PayPal
Julie Matzen, Founder & President, Team MayDay and Kabbage by AmEx customer
D’Shawn Russell, Founder & CEO, Southern Elegance Candle Company and PayPal customer
Gina Taylor, EVP & General Manager of US Small Business Banking and Kabbage, American Express
Jennifer Warren, Executive Director, Ladies Who Launch
The Power of Community & Capital: You Can Do This! →
Featuring Tory Burch Foundation & Ladies Who Launch
When you build and expand your community of support as a small business owner, you discover more and better opportunities. Both Ladies Who Launch and the Tory Burch Foundation help women small business owners access the resources and community that will help them thrive. This 2022 Ladies Who Launch Resilient Leadership Summit session discusses the powerful outcomes made possible by combining community and capital.
Sarah Friar, Co-Founder, Ladies Who Launch and CEO, Nextdoor
LaTeasha Gaither-Davis, Founder & CEO, Therapeutic Focus, LWL Grantee and Tory Burch Fellow
Heesun Lho, Director of Programs, the Tory Burch Foundation
Featured speakers: San Francisco
Senior Vice President, Market and Community Innovation, United Airlines
Founder, Nana Joes Granola
Chief Marketing Officer, Circle Internet Financial
Sarah Friar
Co-Founder, Ladies Who Launch
CEO, Nextdoor
Featured Speakers: Virtual Summit
Executive Vice President-Global Sales, PayPal
Director of Programs, Tory Burch Foundation
Founder & CEO, Southern Elegance Candle Company
Co-Founder, General Counsel & Chief Administrative Officer, First Women's Bank
Thanks to Our Partners
LWL’s free programming is made possible thanks to the generous support of our steadfast partners. Thank you for your support and for helping women and non-binary founders achieve their dreams!
Pathways to Capital Virtual Summit
Looking to fund your business?
Learn about the varying pathways to capital, and how to access the best-fits for YOU and YOUR business.
On March 24th, 2022, LWL hosted “Pathways to Capital,” a Free Virtual Summit that elevated varying pathways to public and private funding. Alongside leading funders and small business owners, attendees learned more about how to find and successfully navigate a variety of opportunities, and YOU CAN TOO!
Visit the Summit’s full recap, including recordings of all sessions, to:
Learn about grant and other programs (capital, community & education)
Dive into public funding opportunities and supports
Explore private financing to support growth and/or to navigate challenges
Leverage women and diverse-owned business certifications
Gain insight into venture capital and if this pathway is for you
Explore if and how to engage angel investors as business partners
Watch the sessions
Choosing the Right Funding for YOUR Business! →
Every business is unique, with its own pathway to growth and scale. There is no one “right” way to do it. Watch Sarah Friar, Co-Founder of Ladies Who Launch, in conversation with Kathryn Finney, Founder of Genius Guild, to explore her founder journey. Kathryn shares her extensive experience as a pioneering entrepreneur turned visionary Venture Capitalist and Angel Investor. Hear how she navigated both building and selling her own business, and how she’s now helping black women do the same! Be inspired to “Build the Damn Thing!,” while figuring out the best pathways for YOU and YOUR business!
Tapping into Programs that offer Capital, Community, & Education in the U.S. & Beyond →
Are you looking for a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to secure funding for your business? Are you in need of educational support to build and grow your business? Listen to this panel of entrepreneurs and small business owners who have participated in a variety of programs that offer capital, community, and/or education in the United States and beyond. Learn how they found these programs, why they applied, and how these opportunities have helped them scale!
Maximizing the Small Business Administration’s Resources: A Fireside Chat with Administrator Guzman →
Have you tapped into the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) extensive funding, coaching, and training opportunities to support your business’ success? Do you know what funding opportunities exist or have you leveraged your Community Navigator Program yet? Listen to Sarah Friar, Co-Founder of Ladies Who Launch, along with the Administrator of the SBA (i.e. the CEO!), Isabella Casillas Guzman, for a deep dive into the opportunities available to support you in starting and growing your business!
Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, 27th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration
Exploring Private Financing: Founder & Funder Success Stories →
Just 35 years ago, women couldn’t secure loans without a male co-signer, and today, only 25% of women business owners seek financing. Yet, private financing is an important pathway to support scaling, as well as navigate the hard and ever-changing times. Hear from two founders and their investor partners on how they successfully navigated identifying, accessing, securing & maximizing private financing opportunities - and how you can too!
Seeking Certification: Opening Doors to New Revenue & Resources →
As business owners seek to acquire new customers and revenue streams, Business Enterprise Certifications are an important consideration. More and more corporations are seeking to diversify their supply chains. This affords our business community an opportunity to gain critical exposure and access to corporations, education, and additional resources. Moderated by Deon Crayton, Supplier Diversity Specialist at United Airlines and a long-time advocate of women- and minority-owned businesses, you will hear from an expert panel of women who will share more about what certifications are, the benefits they offer, and how to navigate the application process.
Deon Crayton, Supplier Diversity Specialist, United Airlines
Cynthia J. Johnson, Director, Established Business Services, Women's Business Development Center
Lauren Schweppe, Director, Programs & Stakeholder Advocacy, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Demystifying Venture Capital and Identifying if it is a Good Fit For Your Business →
Do you want to scale your business and wonder if you should pursue Venture Capital (VC)? Do you worry about the risks associated with VC, and/or want to maintain 100% equity in your business, but aren’t sure what alternative pathways exist? Hear from an expert panel to learn more about what VC is, how to determine if it is for your business, and explore some of the pro’s and con’s.
Anna Collins, President and CEO, JetClosing, Board Member, Ladies Who Launch
Lovina McMurchy, COO, Kry10 Limited / formerly General Partner, Movac Capital
Ali Rosenthal, Founder and Managing Partner, Leadout Capital
Bring on the Angel (Investors!) →
Are you interested in finding an investor who will fund your business and be a close collaborator as you seek to scale? Have you ever considered finding an Angel Investor? Hear from a global panel to better understand what angel investing is, how you can find and access this important fundraising network, and how best to position yourself for success.
Thanks to Our Partners
LWL’s free programming is made possible thanks to the generous support of our steadfast partners. Thank you for your support and for helping women and non-binary founders achieve their dreams!
Jumpstart Virtual Summit 2021
This day-long event was crafted for women entrepreneurs in the early stages of business looking for tips and advice to navigate through the new normal.
What to expect:
Tools and resources exist to help manage their business
Growth hacks and strategies
Financial and accounting best practices to protect cash flow
Key trends as we move forward towards a post-pandemic life
Inspiration and motivation to jumpstart your business
Top 3 Takeaways
Ask for something that makes you feel uncomfortable
Perfection is a nice word for procrastination. If you're waiting until you're perfect you’re not doing anything
Expand Your Network! Push yourself to meet at least 5 new people at every chance you get!
We have included our wrap-up of the sessions here so you can watch again and get access to all the amazing content from our speakers.
Jumpstart Partners
Major thanks to all of our partners that made the Jumpstart Virtual Summit possible!
2020 Virtual Summit
2020 Virtual Summit for Women-Owned Businesses Recap!
Below you will find all of the inspiring sessions from our Summit. Our speakers & panelists focused on everything from VC funding for women-led businesses, launch your women-owned brand, navigating the business space as a minority founder, and so much more.
