Dear friend, 

Wow! What a truly amazing 2nd Annual National #WPLNSummit. I'm still on cloud 9 from all the amazing leaders I met, policy discussions had, and inspiring stories from women who lead every day.

Last weekend, WPLN gathered passionate women — and several men — from across the country in San Diego, where they shared wisdom, experiences, and advice with one another.

From elected officials to candidates to experts; from training sessions to free headshots and free childcare; from a welcome reception and VIP yacht cruise to luncheons and dinners — there was something for everyone. Our summit is designed to meet a woman wherever she is on her political journey, especially since we know that there are many ways to serve and lead.

I want to thank all our speakers, attendees, and sponsors for such an incredible weekend. We've loved seeing all the photos, videos, and stories being shared on social media using the hashtag #WPLNSummit. And as a bonus, if you're looking for ways to stay in touch with the women you met, the hashtag can help you out!

Another way to stay in touch is through our WPLN Facebook Group. Please join the group for additional photos from our professional photographer, updates throughout the year, and access to exclusive content!

If you want to be involved in helping to shape WPLN's programming and events going forward, be sure to apply to join the WPLN Board of Directors — the deadline for this first round of applications is Monday, May 1! 

Onward,

Larissa

WPLN President and Co-Founder

Our #WPLNSummit was a busy weekend — we held multiple panels, breakout sessions, skills building workshops, presentations, and even award ceremonies!

While we plan to share more details, quotes, and photos on social media and in upcoming blog posts, we wanted to share some highlights around the speakers and events in the meantime.

Read our 2023 #WPLNSummit recap!

At our summit, we announced our new Chair of our Board of Directors: Joel Noyes. We're beyond thrilled to welcome Joel; as WPLN President Larissa Martinez noted, men need to be a part of the efforts to empower women.

Lastly, we would like to express our gratitude to our 2023 #WPLNSummit sponsors:

Google

Hess Corporation | American Petroleum Institute

Advantage Capital | Chain Bridge Bank | HBW Resources | Sarver Strategies | State Government Leadership Foundation | Beautycounter 

National Retail Federation | DonorBureau

Cygnal | Majority Strategies | Big Fish | Run GenZ

In addition to our summit, in April we also held our #TipsFromTheTrail; this month, WPLN Fellow Delaney Ward was joined by Ellie Hockenbury, Deputy Executive Director and Communications Director of the California Republican Party. Watch it here!

WPLN is already prepping for Mother's Day next month. Our #MomsOnTheTrail programming and events for Mother's Day last year was such a success that we're excited to continue it this year. Stay tuned for it to begin on May 8!

And don't miss your chance to join the WPLN team!

• If empowering more women to lead, building your network, and meeting women leaders from across the country interests you, please submit your application to join the WPLN Board of Directors. The deadline for this first round is May 1. Apply today!
• This month, we've been introducing the new members of our WPLN National Impact Council on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn). If you'd like to join, apply now!
• We've appreciated the opportunity to get to know our WPLN Fellows and help develop their skills, and we hope you enjoyed all the content from them. Now is your chance to become a Fellow yourself! We're accepting applications for the 2023-2024 WPLN Fellowship for Nonprofit Management program until May 31. Apply today!

NPR | "Women are earning more money. But they're still picking up a heavier load at home": "Last year, 29% of marriages were "egalitarian," with husbands and wives each contributing roughly half of the couple's combined earnings. That compares to little more than 10% in 1972." Read more.

NEWSWEEK | "More chairmen named 'Mike' than women committee leaders in Congress": "Despite holding 29 percent of the seats in today's Congress, women have only 17 percent of committee leadership positions (both chairs and ranking members). In fact, in the 118th Congress, the chairs of House committees include more men named Michael than women of any name. This isn't just a matter of titles. In Congress, the committee system is where much of the legislative action happens, and committee chairs call many of the shots." Read more.

USA TODAY | "My mom was the most powerful woman in U.S. government. Here's what she taught me": "My mother, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, has an uncanny sense of what it is to be American, full of optimism and possibilities, yet with a yearning to be of service to others in meaningful ways." Read more.

POPSUGAR | "This weekend's NCAA Championship was a win for all women athletes — not just LSU": "Left and right, fans shared content that shut down the outdated refrain that 'no one cares about women's sports' once and for all." Read more.

According to new Pew research, there's a difference between who typically asks for more pay — and who receives it:

"But men are slightly more likely than women (32% vs. 28%) to say they did ask for higher pay than what was offered.

Among workers who did ask for higher pay, 28% say they were given the pay they asked for, 38% say they were given more than was originally offered but less than they had asked for, and 35% say they were only given what was first offered.

Women are more likely than men (38% vs. 31%) to say that after asking for higher pay, they were only given what had initially been offered."

Read more.

READING | Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda Hirshman: Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were the first and second women to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, respectively, but took their own paths to the Court and often had different views. The New York Times called this 2016 book an "irresistible" read for "anyone interested in the court, women's history, or both." Learn more.

WATCHING | Tiny Beautiful Things on Hulu: This comedy drama television miniseries stars Kathryn Hahn and is based on a best-selling collection of essays from Cheryl Strayed's advice column. Learn more.

LISTENING TO | "Americans are Feeling Better These Days" episode of the FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast: This episode features Dan Witters, Director of Gallup's National Health and Well-Being Index, and discusses a recent survey in which the number of Americans who said they were lonely "a lot of the day yesterday" dropped from a pandemic high of 25% to 17%. Learn more.

EXCITED FOR | The future of women's sports: There's been a noticeable increase in interest in women's sports the last few years, and that interest was evident during the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament this year.

The women's March Madness finals between Louisiana State University and University of Iowa was the most watched women's college basketball game in history, with 12.6 million viewers tuning in to watch the final. According to Forbes, the game "was also the most streamed sporting event (women’s or men’s) to date, on ESPN+." The tournament also turned LSU's Angel Reese and Iowa's Caitlin Clark into household names.

BONUS EXCITED FOR | Mother's Day: With Mother's Day around the corner, WPLN is looking to highlight Moms On the Trail! This series, started in 2022, will include blog posts, video interviews, and a save the date for a Facebook Live conversation — all leading up to Mother's Day on May 14. If you'd like to be highlighted, let us know at hello@womenspublicleadership.net, and check in on our blog and social media to stay up to date on this series.

• Frances Perkins, who in 1933 became the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet and therefore the first woman in the presidential line of succession (April 10)
• Dolores Huerta, civil rights activist, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame (April 10) 
• Coretta Scott King, civil rights leader and the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr (April 27)

Visit our website to see the other women trailblazers and leaders who were born in April.

MAY 8 | WPLN Mother's Day Campaign begins! Be sure to follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn) so that you don't miss any of our programming and activities for Mother's Day this year!

Support WPLN programs and resources by making a contribution today!

Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.