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Premier Lacrosse League Launches Women’s Lacrosse League

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The Premier Lacrosse League launched the Women’s Lacrosse League, a new professional women’s lacrosse property set to debut at the 2025 PLL Championship Series, featuring the best lacrosse players in the world.

The WLL will feature four teams, playing in the Olympic Sixes format, competing for the inaugural WLL Championship Series trophy. The four teams’ home cities and players will be announced at a later date.

“We’re proud to announce the launch of the Women’s Lacrosse League, a groundbreaking step forward for the sport, giving elite women athletes a premier stage to compete, inspire, and make their mark as we move toward lacrosse’s reemergence at the Olympics in 2028,” said Paul Rabil, co-founder and president of the Premier Lacrosse League. “We can’t wait to welcome fans to the first WLL games at the 2025 Championship Series, where we’ll provide these exceptional athletes with a world-class experience alongside the best in the PLL.”

“We are filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards Paul Rabil, Mike Rabil, Rachael DeCecco, and the entire PLL organization for their endless hard work, dedication, and investment in the sport of professional lacrosse. We are honored to be a part of the WLL, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring this game to the fans in new ways than ever before,” said Charlotte North, gold medalist, NCAA Champion, and WLL Ambassador. “We firmly believe that this is the beginning of what will be a monumental movement in the game of professional women’s lacrosse, and for female athletes around the globe. We are determined to work tirelessly to grow the game and inspire the next generation of young girls, while ultimately competing for championships each season. It’s our time.”

Building off an impactful inaugural season as a league partner, Whirlpool brand will expand their partnership with the PLL to become the first founding partner of the WLL.

“The Women’s Lacrosse League will inspire the next generation of women’s lacrosse players and we’re thrilled to grow our PLL partnership by way of the WLL,” said Shannon Blakely, CMO North America Region at Whirlpool. “The opportunity to expand the impact and support for the lacrosse fan base from our work with the PLL partnership with the WLL is one we believe in, as we continue to work to foster opportunities for more families and future generations.”

The WLL is the PLL’s largest investment in women’s lacrosse to date. In 2020, the PLL created Unleashed, a women’s lacrosse content and training platform designed to support the growth and visibility of girls and women’s lacrosse. Unleashed has helped over 1,000 girls lacrosse players access world class coaching from the most iconic pros of this generation: Charlotte North, Taylor Cummings, Lizzie Colson, Dempsey Arsenault, and Alex Aust Holman.

In 2024, the PLL hosted its first professional women’s lacrosse exhibition in the US – the Unleashed All-Star Game – after international exhibitions in Japan over the last three years. At the 2024 PLL All-Star Skills Competition, fans watched Charlotte North shoot a record 92 miles per hour in the Fastest Shot Competition, as well as Izzy Scane, Alex Aust Holman and Dana Dobbie compete in the lacrosse derby.

To learn more about the WLL and sign up for updates on tickets, teams and more, visit www.premierlacrosseleague.com/womens-lacrosse-league.

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Diversity & InclusionGender Diversity

Singleton McAllister Works for an Inclusive History with the National Women’s History Museum

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Though Singleton McAllister is an attorney by trade, her work extends far beyond the legal sector. One of her passions throughout her career has been her work on boards, where she’s made an impact on a large variety of organizations.

“I’ve spent many years on corporate and nonprofit boards, and I love that work,” McAllister said. “ I’ve done a lot of things in my career, and I’ve enjoyed them all, but this work is some of the most meaningful for me.”

McAllister currently serves as Of Counsel at Husch Blackwell, and has held a number of prestigious positions in the legal sector, including Senior Counsel for the House Budget Committee and General Counsel for USAID. In the latter role, she served as the chief attorney for over 72 missions around the world. She spent much of her time supporting international women’s and children’s programs, causes that remain near and dear to her heart.

“The womens’ programs showed me that women have been the backbone of most civil societies that I’ve had the opportunity to work with, and their stories have not been told in so many ways,” McAllister explained. The experience has continued to inform her current work, particularly with the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM). In her current role as Vice Chair of the museum’s Board of Directors, one of her goals is to amplify lesser known and undertold stories in American history.

In one of her latest endeavors with the museum, McAllister helped to create We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC, an exhibit on display now at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC. The exhibition focuses on the stories and voices of Black feminist organizers and theorists whose expansive work made a difference in the lives of Black women in their Washington, DC communities and for all people throughout the United States.  While she knew how powerful this exhibition would be, McAllister didn’t realize the extent to which it would also be groundbreaking.

“When we opened the exhibit, to my surprise – though it shouldn’t have been – I learned that this is the first time in history that there has ever been an exhibit that has covered this particular topic so extensively and explored the magnitude of these women’s contributions in this way,” she explained.

In the year since its opening in March 2023, McAllister has found it inspiring how many people have been able to learn about this crucial history, many for the first time. “I’ve talked to several people who didn’t know, prior to experiencing this exhibition, the extent to which our foremothers worked to challenge intersectional oppression, and the way that African American women were truly on the frontlines of liberation.”

As we approach the 2024 presidential election, McAllister emphasized, it’s important to highlight the role Black women have played and continue to play in civic engagement. “I think this is very timely, responsible, and necessary,” she said. “We see what’s happening now in the Black community, the work being led by our civil society and other groups. African American women today are huge leaders in the community, and to be able to connect the dots to the historical work that they have done is so important. I want my granddaughters, nieces, and others to be able to recognize the value of their foremothers’ work.”

Celebrating the contributions of the Black community has always been a throughline in McAllister’s work. On top of her nonprofit Board work, she is the co-chair of the Executive Leadership Council’s Corporate Diversity Navigators Program, which aims to increase the number of Black executives on corporate boards. This year, she will be helping to host the organization’s Black Economic Forum. McAllister hopes that she can provide some of her expertise to help Black executives make a positive impact on their communities.

“Having worked in government, law, and corporate, I’ve taken my skill sets and tried to be a thought leader in all of those areas,” she said. “I’ve learned that when we are combining our skills and working together, we can be unstoppable. We can be better people, a better planet, and create a better future.”

 

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Gender DiversityIndulge

CHARLES & KEITH launches special edition bag in support of Gender Equality project by UN Women for International Women’s Day

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CHARLES & KEITH is proud to celebrate International Women’s Day by supporting UN Women’s Storytelling for Gender Equality, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to empower women and forge an inclusive world.

CHARLES & KEITH is embarking on a mission to raise funds for the programme, with the launch of a special-coloured edition of one of its best-selling handbag styles: The Alia.

The bag, available within a selected physical retail network and on CHARLESKEITH.COM from 23 February, comes in a purple hue – the colour historically linked with efforts to achieve gender equality and widely associated with contemporary feminism.

CHARLES & KEITH believes that storytelling is a powerful tool for advocacy as well as promoting equality and positive gender norms. The brand hopes to support the amplification of women’s voices within the Asia-Pacific region through the partnership with non-profit organisation, UN Women. To demonstrate its commitment to the cause, CHARLES & KEITH has pledged a USD 100,000 donation, including 20% of all proceeds from this special edition handbag design, to fund Storytelling for Gender Equality. The project aims to build a network of women storytelling advocates around the region and bring their stories closer to a diversity of audiences to inspire positive social norms, policies to tackle violence, and create an environment in which survivors of violence against women feel free to speak up about their experiences.

“Storytelling transcends cultures, allowing people to connect with each other through shared experiences. Stories allow us to explore themes and topics that may otherwise be hidden or stigmatized, including women’s experiences with violence. Storytelling about the realities of women and girls across the region informs and amplifies advocacy for social change, by challenging mainstream narratives, diversifying perspectives, and strengthening a sense of community – ultimately, opening the door for changing policies,” Melissa Alvarado, Regional Manager on Ending Violence against Women, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

“In line with UN Women’s own direction for the IWD moment which focuses on innovation and technology for gender equality, this project will directly support the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and address online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence. It is also our belief that bringing women into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality,” she added.

This year’s International Women’s Day brand campaign is fronted by in-house talents from various market offices – who gathered to share what equity means to them. They were joined by a special addition to the CHARLES & KEITH family: TikTok content creator and brand community ambassador, Zoe Gabriel.

With the concerted efforts around International Women’s Day, CHARLES & KEITH hopes to create meaningful conversations, raise awareness on discrimination, and actively taking steps towards building a fair and equal society.

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EntrepreneurshipGender Diversity

Mary Kay Inspires Next Generation of Female STEAM Leaders at Youth Summit

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Mary Kay Inc., a global advocate for women’s empowerment and education, recently hosted a group of 25 young women from Dallas Independent School District’s Young Women’s Preparatory Network (YWPN) / Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School for an educational, inspirational exploration of Women in STEAM. The events led up to the celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11.

The high school-aged students spent the day at Mary Kay’s Richard R. Rogers Manufacturing / R&D Center (R3) in Lewisville, TX, where they toured the state-of-the-art facility and learned about the different aspects of STEAM-related manufacturing processes in a complex, global beauty company. Following the tour, students heard from a panel of female experts in their respective STEAM fields. The panel was comprised of experts in fields such as Upstream Innovation, Product Formulation, Information Technology, Product Research, Portfolio & Strategy Planning and Process Development. In the afternoon, students engaged in a mentoring lunch where they had the opportunity to discuss different career paths for women in STEAM, personal and professional aspirations, and how we can better encourage, prepare and bolster young women pursuing careers in STEAM fields.

“Mary Kay is committed to empowering and inspiring the next generation of women to pursue their passions—because the future is STEAM,” said Dr. Lucy Gildea, Chief Innovation Officer, Product and Science at Mary Kay. “Women are underrepresented in the STEAM workforce, but we can narrow that gap by providing critical early learning opportunities and exposure for young women to seek out and explore STEAM careers of interest.”

Young Women’s Preparatory Network is a nonprofit agency that partners with public school districts across the state of Texas to operate the largest network of all-girl, public, college preparatory schools in the nation. YWPN schools are located in struggling urban neighborhoods and have a proven track record of academic achievement, high school graduate and college acceptance rates. YWPN formed the first public/private partnership with the Dallas Independent School District, opening the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School in 2004.

“We are thrilled to have our young women participate in a day filled with meaningful connections to women in STEAM, and are grateful to Mary Kay for this opportunity,” said Lynn McBee, Chief Executive Officer, Young Women’s Preparatory Network. “These future leaders are bright, talented young women. To have exposure to other successful women in STEAM fields and see the impact they can make provides them that extra motivation to reach farther, achieve more, and hopefully, one day, change the world through STEAM.”

Mary Kay celebrates and encourages young women who are taking charge of their futures through leadership, innovation, and determination to excel in STEAM fields. Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math. [1] By offering continued support to young women in STEAM fields, the company is continuing Mary Kay’s mission, which is to improve the lives of women everywhere.

[1]Sources
National Girls Collaborative Project (2022). The State of Girls and Women in Stem. https://ngcproject.org/resources/state-girls-and-women-stem

 

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Diversity & InclusionEntrepreneurshipGender Diversity

Wells Fargo Delivers Mentorship for 1,000 Women-Owned Businesses

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Wells Fargo announced it is doubling our support for women-owned businesses through its Connect to More℠ program after providing over 500 mentorship opportunities to women last year. This year, Wells Fargo will expand its partnership with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center to provide over 1,000 complimentary mentorship opportunities through its signature 12-week Milestone Circles mentorship program and roughly 13,000 hours of technical assistance.

“We hear from so many women entrepreneurs that owning and operating a business is isolating and can be hard for those who don’t have access to the right resources,” said Derek Ellington, head of Small Business at Wells Fargo. “On top of that, 48% of women entrepreneurs report that a lack of available advisors and mentors limits their professional growth.1 By providing women business owners access to trusted experts who can help them solve business challenges, plan for the future, network, and grow, we are giving them the tools and opportunities to build a strong foundation and thrive.”

Connect to More program impact and next phase

Connect to More was a program launched last summer to support the success and sustainability of women-owned businesses through access to expertise and specialized resources. As part of the program, Wells Fargo partnered with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center to offer complimentary support through its signature Milestone Circles. Within the first year, over 500 women participated in the Circles and graduated – working through challenges, celebrating milestones, attending workshops, and connecting with small business experts and mentors to enhance their businesses:

  • “Through my 12 weeks in the Circles program, I was able to document a lot of processes and standard operating procedures that enabled me to onboard four new team members and step out of being directly involved in every single client deliverable. This has allowed me to scale my business from $9,000 in revenue to $20,000+ in revenue monthly and to a team of 11 amazing humans.” – Rachel Pereya, owner of Mastermind Business Services.
  • “The Milestone Circles program really blew me away with its approach to bridging ‘vision’ with ‘goals’. The team created an environment for success with exercises that challenged me to really dig deep into our vision, which opened up so many opportunities. I was able to clearly consider our desired funding journey and received expert feedback from mentors. As a result, our company has identified funding partners that support our vision and mission. The future of FeaturesFirst Auto is a lot brighter with more clarity and funding!” – Lisa Bailey, owner of FeaturesFirst Auto
  • “Thanks to the Milestone Circles, we implemented a new branding strategy and relaunched our brand. We also took the tools we learned and had a more assertive approach to our social media accounts. Our YouTube account increased from 1,500 views to more than 66,000 views in 2 months.” – Selmin Karatas, owner of Kazani Hair

“The Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center has been inspired by the learnings and outcomes of the incredible women we’ve been fortunate to support in this inaugural year of this program,” said Nicola Corzine, founding executive director of the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. “We are tremendously excited to be connecting with 1,000+ additional women business owners in the next 12 months thanks to the generous contributions of the Wells Fargo Foundation.”

This year, Connect to More will continue to offer Milestone Circles with the goal of helping over 1,000 women-owned businesses and adding more mentorship and individual technical assistance opportunities for participants, including milestone planning workshops, bi-weekly peer support groups, access to industry experts and mentors, and ongoing alumni networking opportunities. Each Circle is open to all women-identifying business owners in the U.S. Those interested in applying must complete an application, and upon acceptance, will be placed in a Circle.

Speaker series for women entrepreneurs

Wells Fargo is also reaching women entrepreneurs through a quarterly speaker series that covers a range of topics and challenges with small business experts and women founders. The next virtual panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, June 22 and will help women learn how to grow and cultivate a strong network that will support confidence building, key decision-making, and new business opportunities. More details are below:

When:

This virtual session will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Central Time / 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time).

Speakers:

Derek Ellington, Wells Fargo head of Small Business
Ann Marie Lynch, Wells Fargo head of Small Business Deposits and president of the Women’s Connection ERN
Kamy Taylor, Program Manager, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
Terriekka Cardenas, Founder, Perceptive Engineering and Construction Services
Theresa Bozhor, Founder, Momentum Tutoring

Registration:

Please click here to register. Please register no later than Wednesday, June 22, 2022.

Wells Fargo’s overarching support of women business owners

These latest initiatives build upon a Wells Fargo legacy of supporting diverse and women-owned small businesses. In 1995, the company first announced a $1 billion, four-year long lending goal to support small businesses owned by women. This goal was met in just one year and served as a catalyst for several additional diverse lending commitments to women, Hispanic/Latinx, Black/African Americans and Asian owned small businesses.

Wells Fargo also recently shared resources designed to help increase the growth of women-owned small businesses, including a $1.5 million grant to How Women Lead aimed at disrupting the unequal venture capital (VC) system for women founders and shared new data and an interactive tool-kit on closing the economic gaps facing women entrepreneurs.

Additionally, in 2020, Wells Fargo created a roughly $420 million national small business recovery effort called the Open for Business Fund. It donated $250 million for capital to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), more than $55 million to nonprofits providing technical assistance, and more than $100 million for long-term resiliency programs. As of December 2021, $420 million in grant funding to nonprofits has been deployed, which is estimated to serve more than 152,000 small businesses and preserve or create more than 255,000 jobs. Roughly 85% of small businesses served by Open for Business Fund grantees are projected to be those hardest hit by the pandemic, including Black, African American, Hispanic, Native American, women, and Asian American owned small businesses.

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