Dear friend, 

October is more than just the month of Halloween costumes and fall foliage — this year, it's the final stretch before Election Day on November 4. While there's no presidential race in 2025, tens of thousands of positions are up for election, from local offices to state legislatures and governors.

Whether or not you're running for office this year, now is the time to step up, speak out, and shape the future. Leadership isn't always about the title — it’s about taking action when it matters most. From volunteering on campaigns to hosting community events, there are many ways to flex your leadership muscles and make an impact.

We've highlighted several resources in this month's newsletter that we hope you find useful in your leadership journey. Be sure to check out our podcast, free online candidate training, and social media platforms for additional opportunities to grow your influence, support other women leaders, and stay informed.

Onward,

Larissa

WPLN Founder and President

Will you be on the ballot in November? We want to hear from you!

Celebrate America's 250th anniversary next year with WPLN in Philadelphia!

WPLN, in partnership with Level Up, invites you to join us for our Fifth Annual National Summit on June 4-5, 2026!

And Early-Bird Registration is now open! We're offering a limited number of Early-Bird tickets at 15% off regular pricing.

Buy now to save money while guaranteeing your place at the premier women's leadership event of the year!

Come celebrate the holiday season with WPLN as we highlight women in leadership at our Profiles in Leadership Reception! This event has been rescheduled to Wednesday, December 3.

This is an exclusive event for our supporters and partners who make it possible to do our work. If you've already confirmed your attendance with our team, your RSVP will automatically transfer to the new date. If you'd like to join us, become an annual supporter of WPLN by joining the Rankin Circle today! We also have limited individual tickets if you're in the D.C. area — contact our team.

The U.S. celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15, and WPLN Finance and Operations Advisor Andeliz Castillo was featured in “Champion Women: From Communism to the Land of the Free — Celebrating the Grit of Inspiring Women,” a IW Features series recognizing the strength and stories of Hispanic women who are shaping our communities. Learn more about Andeliz' leadership journey.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month — so in the latest episode of our WPLN podcast Tips From the Trail, WPLN President Larissa Martinez chatted with Michael Kaiser, President and CEO of Defending Digital Campaigns and an internationally known cybersecurity expert.

This episode covers how women can running for office can protect their political campaigns:

• Learn why campaigns are high-risk targets
• Learn the common cybersecurity mistakes that first-time candidates make
• Learn practical steps to protect your digital infrastructure

🎧 Listen now to learn more about how to protect yourself and your campaign!

Save the date: WPLN is coming to Texas in April 2026!

We're excited to announce WPLN's first-ever South Texas leadership training in McAllen, TX, on Friday, April 17, 2026.

More details coming soon!

For sponsorship information and opportunities, please contact our team.

Layla Zaidane

President and CEO of Future Caucus

As President and CEO of Future Caucus, one of WPLN's partner organizations, Layla leads the largest nonpartisan network of millennial and Gen Z lawmakers in the country. She was recently named to the 2025 Time100 Next list!

... There are so many powerful women in Washington, D.C., Washingtonian had a challenging time narrowing down its annual list of influential women!

Every year, Washingtonian puts out its list of "Most Powerful Women in Washington," and the magazine revealed that this year presented more difficulty than usual:

"Gone are the days when women in boardrooms or at the helm of major institutions were a rarity. In assembling our biennial list of the Most Powerful Women in Washington, we had the opposite problem: We came across so many impressive, talented, and influential women that we could have filled many more pages."

The list includes influential women who are shaping government, business, the arts, education, law, media, and nonprofits.

Read more.

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

• For the woman who needs a reason to fight for career flexibility, CNN recently reported that "another ‘she-cession’ is rearing its head: Women are leaving the workforce at alarming rates."
• For the woman who's ready for the top job, even if others aren't ready for her, a new poll revealed that most voters support electing more women and believe the government gets more done with women in office — but nearly one in five voters said they or someone they are close to would not elect a woman presidential candidate.
• 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 October.

NOVEMBER 14 | LBJ Women's Campaign School 50th Anniversary Women in Public Life Symposium: A Bipartisan Path Forward: Join WPLN and Founder and President Larissa Martinez at our Texas partner LBJ WCS's landmark gathering of leaders, changemakers, and trailblazers that will honor the past while forging the future.

NOVEMBER 19 | "Run Like A Woman" training by Level Up: Join our Pennsylvania partner Level Up for their one-day training to equip center-right women to run effective campaigns for public office, featuring Special Guest Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity!

DECEMBER 2 | Support WPLN on Giving Tuesday! Please consider donating to WPLN on Giving Tuesday! We are $5,000 away from our 2025 fundraising goal! Any amount you are able to donate is greatly appreciated and will enable us to expand our programming and advance our mission across the U.S. in 2026.

DECEMBER 3 | WPLN's Profiles in Leadership Reception: To receive an invitation to this exclusive D.C. event, become an annual supporter of WPLN by joining the Rankin Circle today!

JUNE 4-5, 2026 | 2026 #WPLNSummit: Join WPLN and women leaders from across the country in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 4 and 5 for our 5th annual National Summit!

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.