🌾 Inside the First Elevate Gather: Real Talk, Real Connection, Real Growth
Two Fridays ago, something powerful happened.
I hosted the very first Elevate Gather — a small, intentionally curated circle of professional women who came together to talk about the real stuff: leadership, layoffs, career transitions, influence, confidence, and navigating the messy, beautiful complexity of building a life and career on your terms.
To be honest? Pulling off an event of this scale was no small feat. I approached it with a mix of excitement and a healthy dose of nerves. But what unfolded in that room (and online!) was nothing short of magical.
✨ The energy was electric. The connections were deep. The learnings were real.
The room buzzed with incredible corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, and purpose-driven professionals. We laughed, reflected, and had conversations that don’t often happen in our fast-paced, hyper-networked world.
A huge thank you to our phenomenal speaker, Coach Rachael Maltiel Swenson, who led a brilliant session on:
Navigating career transitions & redefining leadership
Building influence and meaningful professional relationships
Balancing high standards with compassion and support
Framing layoffs with strength and integrity
Communication strategies that actually build trust
We crowd-sourced questions from attendees beforehand, ensuring every voice helped shape the conversation. And the engagement? Off the charts.
What this event confirmed for me is this:
People are craving authentic connection, thoughtful dialogue, and actionable tools — spaces where we’re not performing, but showing up exactly as we are. That’s what Gather is becoming.
🌿 What’s Next: Gather Is Growing
Because of the incredible response, I’m opening the next Elevate Gather to a wider audience. 🎉
It will be offered in a hybrid format (in-person in San Carlos and online via Zoom), with space intentionally limited to keep the experience intimate and impactful.
✨ The next event will be held on Friday, June 13 from 12–2 PM PST
🎤 Our speaker: Dr. Shalini Gopalkrishnan, a 7-time career reinventor and current AI strategist
🎟 Free to attend (just buy your own lunch for in-person)
You will leave with:
Clarity on career pivots and reinvention
Confidence to take your next step
A community of people who get it