On Wednesday, September 20th, Sonoma State University hosted their 8th annual event titled “Women in Conversation”. This event is put on through the Press Democrat, and highlights empowering women from the local community.
“This is an event that we are happy to put on every year.” said Charlene Lemon, the spokesperson for Sonoma State University at their information booth.
Vendors in small booths lined the lawn outside of the Green Music Center. From selling goods to giving away small tokens, dozens of booths were at the event, including groups like the Wild Honey Mercantile, a small Sonoma County boutique, and Crumbl, a worldwide business. Others included Avid Coffee, Crown Salon, Oliver’s Market, or Summit State Bank.
During this time, there were small daytime talks with successful women. The Editor-in-Chief of Sonoma Magazine moderated a small discussion on the field, as Christina Fifer, an Outpatient Dietitian at Kaiser Permanente, talked about her love for working one-on-one with people, and accommodating for each person’s own needs.
Stephanie Lee, CEO and founder of Selfmade, talked about the creation of her company, which is a skincare brand that incorporates mental health. Many people don’t realize how mental health can affect one’s skin, so she made her brand to not only inform them, but also help them. She spoke about how she overcame the struggles that she faced as an Asian-American living in New York. It was difficult for her to gain support, but that didn’t stop her from creating her company. This is one of the reasons she and her husband decided to move to the California area. She said, “I think for both of us recognizing doing this business wanted somewhere where we could actually like see nature and see green and really take care of our mental health.”
Following the vendors and daytime speakers, was the main guest speaker, Nicole Mann. She was commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission, which took place on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on October 5, 2022. They performed multiple experiments while aboard, with the main goal to take things that they learned in space and apply them to future expeditions into space. Since then, she has been speaking about her experience in different areas. Just last week she spoke at Petaluma High School, where many students had the opportunity to learn about life as a female astronaut. Junior Ella Steiner at the high school recalls the assembly and stating, “It was very inspiring to learn about her time in space.”
Overall, the event drew huge crowds of supportive guests who were able to hear and learn from multiple inspiring women.
The history of Women in Conversation began back in 2016, when Sonoma County first introduced the initiative, which has since become a cherished annual tradition. The first gathering was a resounding success, setting the stage for an enduring series of events that have continued to empower and inspire women. This event was born out of a collective desire to create a platform for women of all ages to come together, engage in meaningful discussions, and support one another.
Beyond the conversations, this event has evolved into so much more over the past seven years. It has become a celebration of women’s achievements, resilience, and contributions to our society. “Women in Conversation” showcases local women-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment and shining a light on the entrepreneurial spirit within our community. The event is now a place to connect and forge lasting relationships, ultimately creating a sense of camaraderie amongst those in attendance.
Having this conference every year symbolizes the enduring commitment to women’s empowerment and unity within Sonoma County.
