Dear friend, 

July has reminded us of the fragility of the moment we're living in, while also revealing the profound strength of community.

We're devastated by the tragic and senseless violence in Minnesota that wounded a state senator and his wife and claimed the lives of a state representative and her husband. In their memory, we renew our commitment to building a political culture where public service is safe, respected, and nonviolent.

Just days before this act of political violence, WPLN held our annual National Summit, where leaders from across the country came together to build momentum for the future. In these rooms, where women encouraged one another to lead and make a difference, we're reminded of why our work matters now more than ever.

Onward,

Larissa

WPLN Founder and President

This year, WPLN convened leaders from across the country for our 4th annual National Summit in Orlando, Florida, where attendees listened to keynote speakers, participated in expert-led skills-building workshops, and were provided free professional headshots and childcare.

We were honored to be joined by women leaders from different states and industries for the following events:

• Kick-Off Luncheon with South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette
• Leadership Perspectives from Business Leaders Casandra Matej (President and CEO of Visit Orlando); Victoria Jaramillo (Chief Commercial Officer for Orlando International Airport); and Maribeth Bisienere (Senior Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World)
• Profiles in Leadership Luncheon with Allison Keller (Chief Administrative Officer of the PGA Tour)
• Fireside Chat on Candidate Perspectives with Mayor Sue Finkam of Carmel, Indiana
• Leadership Awards Dinner with Sandra Mortham (Founder and Chair of Maggie's List), Paul Mitchell (Principal at The Southern Group), and former U.S. Representative Mimi Walters

Our panels included the following topics:

• Freedom Conservatism in Action: What Leaders are Watching in Washington
• Veterans in Leadership
• The Future of Work and Opportunity: Policy, Practice, and New Talent Pathways
• Reaching the Hispanic Community
• Finding Your Voice: Authentic Communication

Our workshops focused on the following tools and skills:

• AI Essentials for Women in Business and Government, a workshop to help our attendees lead smarter, with real-world tools
• Elevate Your Brand, to provide attendees with the strategies and insights to build a consistent and compelling brand narrative
• Fundraise Like a Pro, to equip attendees with the insights and practical tools for building a robust fundraising plan to secure the necessary resources to lead
• Crafting Your "Why," to provide attendees with the steps necessary to identify their core beliefs and values, align their actions with that core motivation, and create a statement that communicates that to others

For the 5th episode of WPLN's Tips from the Trail podcast, WPLN President Larissa Martinez is joined by Joel Noyes, Chair of WPLN's Board of Directors.

They discuss practical advice for preparing support systems for public leadership challenges and how families, partners, and friends can provide support for women in leadership.

Listen to the episode below!

In addition to our own Summit, WPLN President Larissa Martinez was a speaker at the 2025 Women's Collective Summit held by Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS). 

WPLN was also honored by APAICS as one of their Spotlight Awardees. Thank you to APAICS for recognizing our work!

Mimi Walters

Former U.S. Representative and WPLN Honorary Co-Chair

Mimi Walters is a former U.S. Representative from California and is currently the Chief Commercial Officer of Leading Edge Power Solutions. Since 2023, she's served as WPLN Honorary Co-Chair. She joined the WPLN podcast Tips from the Trail for its inaugural episode — check it out here!

... More women are arguing that women can thrive both at home and in the workplace — and don’t have to choose between motherhood and a career!

At a time when the "tradwife" movement is gaining more visibility, more women on the right are pushing back against rigid "career-only" or "stay-at-home-only" categories, arguing that women can embrace both.

“I think especially now in the right wing, this messaging is coming across like, ‘You’re either an evil feminist career woman, or you’re a mother,’” said Kristan Hawkins, the president of the pro-life advocacy organization Students for Life of America. “I’m like, ‘What about women who want to do both of those things?’”

And with more women on the right acknowledging the complexity of balancing roles, trade-offs, and systemic challenges, this signals potential bipartisan support for measures that could make working motherhood more accessible to more women, so that they have the resources they need to make the choice that's best for themselves and their families.

And since we know you're busy, here are our top picks for other "must reads" this month!

• For the woman who prioritizes strong pipelines for women leadership, Forbes examined potential highs and lows for women governors in the next two years.
• For the woman whose husband knows parenting doesn't come with a "how to" manual, the Atlantic highlighted another side of modern fatherhood, highlighting that fathers today feel more involved with their children compared to their own childhood and that society's emphasis on maternal instinct (rather than paternal) means fathers feel less pressure and less judgment than mothers.
• For the woman who wants to Remember the Ladies, check out our monthly feature on key moments in women's representation and rights in the past during the month of June.

ICYMI... Episode 5 of WPLN's Tips from the Trail podcast dropped on 6/16! WPLN Board Chair Joel Noyes joined Larissa for a Father's Day episode on building strong support systems for women in leadership.

JULY 18 and 25 | Local Campaign Training for Women Leaders, hosted by WPLN: Join WPLN for a 2-part series that includes expert-led skills training, national networking, and exclusive access to training content post-event.

JULY 21 | Episode 6 of WPLN's Tips from the Trail podcast drops! Find out more details on our website.

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.