Real talk and real inspiration at Fire Dash Media’s ‘Power of Sisterhood’ event

25 Mar Real talk and real inspiration at Fire Dash Media’s ‘Power of Sisterhood’ event

“If one woman would stand up and tell her story the whole universe would break open.”

Those words were the inspiration for last Friday’s event ‘The Power of SIsterhood and How to Harness It In Your Life’ held at RiSE New York, an expansive coworking space in New York City’s Flatiron district.

The event focused on empowering and connecting women to “live out their best selves,”  and was packed to the brim beginning with an hour long networking session. Live painting from artists Marthalicia Matarrita and Giannina Gutierrez, with food and drink from sponsors Cloud 9, Daily Greens, Claw Daddy’s, & Sweet Bakes created a welcoming, laid back environment for attendees to mingle and connect.

Next came the panel speakers which were the highlight of the evening. Entrepreneurs, creatives, and activists, these successful women had truly incredible stories to tell. It should be noted, they were not without struggle and uncertainty. In fact tragedy was a uniting theme for all of the women on the stage – the moment that kickstarted them to pursue their passion was usually brought on by a life-changing event, whether it be the death of a close friend or the realization that you no longer want to support huge corporations.

Tachi Mieses, a committed social worker and single supermom of 4, spoke about on-the-job challenges (asking herself “What I can I do to change them, even when they’re giving up?”) to those off the job, like teaching her children values, morals, and respect and leaving a legacy in her family. At age 43 she acquired her B.A. in Social Work from Fairleigh Dickinson University, proving that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.“I am still learning who I am,” she said.

Nkechi Ogbodo was from childhood on a mission to prove something to her culture – that girls were equally important. After moving from Nigeria to the United States to attend college she went on to enjoy a career in fashion, but her priorities changed after her mother was kidnapped for ransom back home in Nigeria. She decided to found Kechie’s Project, Inc. a nonprofit focused on empowering underprivileged girls and providing them with educational resources. “It was no longer about money, but about finding purpose,” she said. “My mom was kidnapped as a way to lead me to that purpose.”

Jia Wertz told a similar story of finding success in the fashion industry, saying she eventually finding herself massively overworked, overtired, and no longer wanting to contribute to corporate greed. “You can decide one day that you want to do something different,” she explained. During a trip to Gulu, Uganda to volunteer in helping local women develop sustainable businesses, she was inspired to pursue her dreams and founded Studio 15, a women’s dress boutique that donates a portion of each sale to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries.

M. Nicole Siobai, originally from Spain and raised in Canada, dropped out of high school at age 17 — a source of shame that she would never admit to people in the past. M. NIcole went on to earn her GED, graduate from business school, and enjoy a successful corporate career in PR, but there was “something missing,” she says. After her best friend passed away, she founded en.JOYYE, a fashion-technology startup and social shopping community that helps “consumers feel good about shopping and gives nonprofits a platform to have a voice.”

Dior Vargas, a Latina Feminist Mental Health Activist, grew up in a domestic violence situation and experienced depression and anxiety from as young as age 8 which led to her being hospitalized. “In communities of color, it is considered bad if you seek help,” she said. She decided to create the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project, “a response to the invisibility of people of color in the media representation of mental illness.”

The evening ended with a slideshow from photographer Jelena Aleksich, founder of the Confetti Project, whose stunning images were at once vulnerable and celebratory — quite in line with the spirit of the event itself.  The Confetti Project is a photography series exploring how humans celebrate life through confetti.  After profiling 150+ subjects over the past year, The Confetti Project has evolved into a visual study on human identity and a therapy in surrender, play, and cultivating daily gratitude.

To the phenomenal and incredible artists Giannina Gutierrez & Marthalicia Matarrita.  You are both a gem.  “We declare the world as our canvas” Thank you for being part of our evening.

In preparing for the event we teamed up with the incredible Dreamers/Doers women. We felt fortunate to share this night of celebration with them.

20% of event proceeds were donated towards crowdfunding Sisterhood Day to ensure that women around the world have the tools and the platform needed to facilitate gatherings of their own. We want to thank all the sponsors, RISE NY, supporters, and attendees for making this a special night for us.  We are so lucky to have so many amazing women + men in our life. 
Subscribe to our mailing list to stay informed of Fire Dash Media’s future events!