Milwaukee Women Leaders Inspire Through Personal Experiences

‘Women Inspired to Lead’ calls on, motivates young women

MILWAUKEE – On Thursday, March 1, PEARLS for Teen Girls, Inc. hosted “Women Inspired to Lead,” a special event highlighting Milwaukee women leaders. Five female leaders shared their personal stories about leadership experiences with more than 350 attendees and discussed how they were inspired to be a leader in the Milwaukee community.

The event’s panel featured Danae Davis, Chief Executive Officer of PEARLS for Teen Girls; Yvonne Brodsky, Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at Froedtert Health; Shaqueda Jenkins, PEARLS alumna and Benedict College junior; Kathy Mykleby, news anchor and journalist at WISN; and Diana Waterman, attorney and lobbyist. WISN news anchor Portia Young moderated the discussion.

“Most women don’t just find themselves in a leadership position, said Danae Davis, Chief Executive Officer of PEARLS for Teen Girls. “Rather, they were inspired to do great things. Every woman has a story and often that story can be the source of inspiration for others.”

The panelists, each in a different walk of life, spoke about a personal encounter with leadership, how that experience has influenced who they are today and how it continues to shape their life.

Women Inspired to Lead is the largest annual fundraiser for PEARLS. In 2011, 100 percent of active PEARLS senior girls graduated from high school and 100 percent of these girls were accepted to at least one college. Under Davis’s Leadership, PEARLS has grown from serving 120 girls annually to planning to serve over 1,100 girls in the Milwaukee area in 2012.