Reflecting on last year’s Elevate Women’s Small Business Summit, speaker Cece Shabazz says one thing rose above the rest: the energy.
“We laughed, danced — and some even cried,” recalls Shabazz, creative director and brand strategist for Memorial Health System. “The room was filled with supportive, determined women, and the atmosphere was intentional and inspiring. Everyone was there ‘on purpose,’ and I loved that!”
Shabazz was one of several motivational presenters at Elevate, which returns this year on Jan. 16. Dozens of female professionals and entrepreneurs will fill the Coast Transit Event Center in Gulfport to learn, network and be empowered alongside other like-minded women.
Presented by Gulf Coast Woman magazine and Gather Gulf Coast and sponsored by Hancock Whitney and Mississippi Power, the summit is beneficial for seasoned entrepreneurs and burgeoning small business owners alike.
Attendees will have the chance to shop with local vendors and hear from a lineup of expert speakers — including Anthony Montgomery of Hancock Whitney; Fleurty Girl founder Lauren LeBlanc Haydel; Influencer Jaimee Dorris; entrepreneur and TV celeb Kerri Paul; AI specialist Dr. Alexandria White; brand strategists Cece Shabazz and Dorothy P. Wilson; and many others.
Additionally, two Elevate Small Business grants will be presented to two women-owned small businesses during the summit. The grant program is supported by Hancock Whitney, Mississippi Power and Gulf Coast Woman.
Wilson, Gulf Coast Woman CEO and publisher, remembers that when she left a corporate job and became an entrepreneur, the biggest challenge was “not knowing what I don’t know. Elevate’s goal is to help close the gaps for business owners.”
“Here at Gulf Coast Woman magazine, we always have been committed to empowering women,” she says, “and Elevate is an opportunity for small businesses and solopreneurs to come together and not only be inspired, but also to be trained, to discover new resources and to connect with new faces.”
NEW IDEAS, NEW ENERGY AND NEW CONNECTIONS
When Makenzie Crampton, marketing and graphic design specialist for the Mississippi Aquarium and owner of Word Out Digital Marketing and Mak Daddy Vintage, was asked to speak at Elevate last year, her answer was an immediate “yes.”
“I knew I’d be surrounded by strong, driven and deeply inspiring women,” she says.
Like Shabazz, Crampton says the day’s positive vibe was her favorite part. She recalls leaving Elevate feeling empowered, motivated and recharged.
“Being in a room full of women who are knowledgeable, hardworking and wildly talented was inspiring in the best possible way,” Crampton says. “I took away valuable insights from multiple speakers, and the networking opportunities were incredible. I walked out with new ideas, new energy and new connections that I genuinely cherish.”
‘IT’S NOT CALLED ELEVATE FOR NOTHING’
In Shabazz’s view, “every woman needs a room that believes in her” — which is what makes Elevate so powerful.
“Elevate creates that space, a place where you can meet women who understand your vision, your fears, your purpose and your potential,” she says. “Sometimes the only thing standing between you and your next level is being in the right room.”
To those planning to attend this year, Shabazz offers the following advice: come open to learning, connecting, stretching — and even being a bit uncomfortable. Growth, after all, doesn’t happen in comfortable places.
“You never know what opportunity or breakthrough is sitting in a room full of women ready to change their world or transform into the next version of themselves,” Shabazz says excitedly. “It’s not called Elevate for nothing.”