Honoring Businesswomen for Their Leadership and Accomplishments
The Ladies of Virtue (LOV) is celebrating its 8th anniversary by hosting “Leading with Virtue” Cocktail Reception on Thursday, November 7, at Venue Six 10 at 610 S. Michigan Avenue from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. LOV has served over 1,000 girls primarily from the south and west side of Chicago helping them to become confident and purpose-driven leaders.
A 2017 report from the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality found that adults view Black girls as in need of less nurturing, support and comfort. Ladies of Virtue stands in the gap through mentoring and by preparing girls for leadership through character development, career readiness and civic engagement. Ladies of Virtue invests in Black girls living in under-resourced communities, by instilling purpose, passion, and perseverance while preparing their participants, ages 9 to 18, for college, careers and to become change agents in their communities.
Seven dynamic women executives and entrepreneurs will be honored for their accomplishments and leadership principals. Recognitions will be presented to honorees: Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, attorney, federal defender, Program for the Northern District of Illinois; Elayne Granger, director, External Affairs, AT&T; Jamie-Clare Flaherty, director, Strategic Initiatives, Obama Foundation; Lena Lewis, head of Consumer and Digital Engagement, Ferrara Company; Nikki Hayes, owner of Pier 31 and president of Laborers’ Local 1001; Pamela Blackman, president & CEO, Joy Entertainment & Event Management LLC; Robin Beaman, president, Beaman Incorporated. Val Warner, co-host of Windy City Live, ABC 7 TV, will serve as the emcee.
“We are very excited, this year, to recognize such a dynamic group of women, as we celebrate eight years of serving over 1,000 girls to become confident and purpose-driven leaders.” said Jamila Trimuel, founder and CEO of Ladies of Virtue. “When you invest in a Black girl, you are also building up her family and community that have too often lacked the proper resources for her to grow and thrive. We want to inform the public about our programs and the work we do to transform girls’ lives and how they can contribute.”
The night will be an evening that showcases the accomplishments of the girls who have participated in LOV events throughout the year, and we will announce a new project in collaboration with AT&T entitled, LOV Girls Lead, that focuses on how to navigate corporate America as a young Black woman.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will support 150 girls across four programs offered, focused on mentoring, leadership development and building character. Ladies of Virtue has four program sites – Saturday Institute and LOV Club at Perspectives / IIT Math and Science Academy which are both located in Bronzeville. A LOV Club at Crane Medical Prep High School on Chicago’s Near West Side and a STEM Leadership Program at Chicago Park District-Douglas Park in North Lawndale.
Girls in 4th – 12th grade participate in 35+ hours of leadership development training, 30+ hours of career explorations, attend college tours, earn at least 12 hours of community service and are placed in summer jobs/internships. Additionally, girls are assigned mentors and have access to LOV’s network of mentors. Results for the nine-month program in FY 2017/2018 are impressive; 100 percent of senior girls went to college and 96 percent ages 16 and over were placed in summer internships. Since its inception, LOV has served over 1,000 young women and impacted the lives of thousands.
“Everything from education and sports to negative imagery and portrayal in the media impacts our girls,” explained event co-chair Charmaine V. Rickette, president, Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken. “We counter much of that with LOV programming and with a belief in the girls. Our expectations are they will maintain good attendance, complete their service-learning project and work with their mentor to accomplish their goals.”
Rickette serves as event co-chair along with Veronica Obianwa, director, Walmart. The goal is to raise $75,000 to support LOV’s 2019/2020 programs. Tickets for the fundraiser are $75/$125 VIP and includes open bar, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and raffle. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to: 2019leadingwithvirtue.eventbrite.com.
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About Ladies of Virtue
Ladies of Virtue launched on October 1, 2011 with six girls in the Grand Crossing community. Our mission is to instill purpose, passion, and perseverance in girls, ages 9 to 18, while preparing them for college, careers and to become change agents in their communities. We match our participants with mentors and prepare them for leadership through our culturally relevant character building, career readiness and civic engagement curriculum. We provide project management, collaboration and communication training via our two to four-month project experiences to empower girls to lead in the modern workforce. After graduating from high school, with successful completion of our leadership program, participants are mentored and supported for six additional years as LOV 4 Life alumni.
“A lady of virtue is not a perfect woman, but she strives to be the best that she can be in every aspect of her life. She knows that all things are possible through faith, perseverance, hard work and the willingness to succeed.”
– Founder, Jamila Trimuel
