Mississippi Women's Summit Draws Nearly 1800 Women Entrepreneurs

The Mississippi Women’s Summit brought thousands of women together creating a platform across the state to help women connect, learn, and support one another. This two-day event held at Mississippi Coliseum and Trade Mart on Tuesday, aims at giving women opportunities to learn from together, build up their professional network, and focus on their personal well-being.

According to Lynn Fitch, Mississippi Attorney General who chaired the summit, nearly 1,800 women had registered in the current year's summit, showing the increasing enthusiasm of initiatives aimed at bringing women together.

“What an opportunity to showcase our women and the entrepreneurs and all of their accomplishments,” Lynn said. "It's great and we'll continue to do this."

Key Highlights:

• Mississippi Women’s Summit brings nearly 1,800 women together
• The two-day summit attracted over 130 women-owned businesses feature in the marketplace
• Women entrepreneurs connect, network, and support each other

In addition to the learning and networking sessions, the summit placed women’s wellness among its key themes to address the personal and professional needs of women. In addition to this, the event presented an opportunity for entrepreneurship in the region in terms of a marketplace that showcased over 130 women-owned businesses in Mississippi.

The third annual Mississippi Women's Summit saw participation by a variety of speakers and performers, representing successful women and women's rights supporters in the field of sports and entertainment. Notable guests included Sarah Thomas, who became the first female official of a Super Bowl game, and Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer and a well-known supporter of women's sport. Singer-songwriter Holly Williams and comedian Mary Ryan Brown also participated in the program, while Danica Hart, Mississippi country singer, played the event’s emcee.

For Lynn, the summit’s increased participation symbolizes the continued demand for spaces where Mississippi women can connect, gain knowledge, and find encouragement to pursue new opportunities. Furthermore, she added that the number of people attending the summit has increased each year along with its sponsors, positioning the event as an increasingly important gathering for Mississippi women.

The market place was also where entrepreneurs with already set public profiles were present, such as mother and daughter Sunjai Williams and Selena Johnson. The two rose to fame through the reality television show “Bring It!” on Lifetime that was aired in 2014. Their presences at the summit in Mississippi showcased the fact that women entrepreneurs use their fame to create businesses while still being part of the entrepreneurial network.

But for the duo, the summit was not only about selling their products. Instead, it became a platform to meet other women entrepreneurs, network and form relationships within the business community in Mississippi. Sunjai stated that she especially enjoyed networking opportunities and supporting other entrepreneurs who are selling in the market. Similarly, Selena expressed her thoughts and highlighted the significance of women gathering to motivate each other and network.

“And everybody is really helpful here," Nikki Williams, owner of House of Myers Boutique, said. "We’re not in competition. We’re supporting each other. We’re shopping with each other.”