Join Women’s Initiative for our annual fall event: Pursuing Inspiration! This year’s theme is Shattering the Glass Ceiling. We’re empowering women with actionable tools and insights that enable them to break through invisible barriers. These barriers often prevent women from holding leadership roles and receiving the recognition they deserve for their outstanding work. Our keynote speaker, Eleni Kelakos, a multifaceted talent—speaker, actor, singer/songwriter, and author—will deliver an impactful presentation to empower women at any stage of their careers. Discover practical steps, connect with like-minded individuals, and let’s shatter those glass ceilings together!

Attendees will also have the opportunity to arrive early and enjoy networking, lunch, and participate in our purse raffle. Proceeds will support the Family & Child Abuse Prevention Center, an organization that helps women and children experiencing any form of abuse.

Claim the Stage! Step into the Spotlight and Maximize Your Leadership Impact.

Too often talented women stay stuck in the wings– unnoticed, unexpressed, and unfulfilled. They decline offers to speak at key events, stay silent in critical conversations, and avoid applying for positions of greater leadership and influence. As a result, they diminish their impact, and the world loses out on their unique talents and perspectives.

In this interactive, entertaining presentation, The Speaker Whisperer®, Eleni Kelakos CSP, reveals the process that propelled her shift from waiting in the wings as a frustrated actress to taking center stage as a touring singer-songwriter, presentation skills expert, author, and motivational speaker. She’ll inspire leaders and emerging leaders alike to drop their coat of invisibility and boldly take the stage in their life and work, so they can share their valuable wisdom and big ideas with the people and audiences who need to hear them.

Audience members will:

· Learn tools and techniques to avoid sliding into the three pitfalls (Politeness, Pleasing and Perfectionism)

· Consider and examine the limiting beliefs that keep them from realizing their potential

· Pinpoint the next stage of their leadership and career development and what they need to do to step up and shine

· Rekindle and recommit to the passionate purpose that drives and defines them

To get a sneak peak of the insights that will be shared, check out Eleni's book: Claim the Stage! A Woman’s Guide to Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Taking Leadership

Super Purse Raffle

During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the Super Purse Raffle! We will have six beautiful purses filled with gift cards, experiences, and more! More information about the purse raffle will be available soon.

We are actively seeking donations for gently used purses and items to put in them! For more information about donating, please email womensinitiative@unitedwaytoledo.org.

Meet Eleni Kelakos, The Speaker Whisperer!

Eleni Kelakos CSP, The Speaker Whisperer®, is a presence and presentation expert, and the President of the Eleni Group, established in 2003. She uses performance techniques learned over twenty years as a professional actress and award-winning, nationally touring, singer/songwriter to help speakers and business leaders across the globe present with more authenticity, confidence, and impact.

When she’s not coaching individuals or facilitating training at companies like General Motors, Allstate, Little Caesar’s Pizza, and Kubota Tractors, Eleni practices what she preaches, firing up hearts and minds with her signature keynote presentations at conferences nationwide.

A double major in Theatre and Semiotics from Brown University, Eleni is a past president of the National Speakers Association of Michigan. She has sung the national anthem at Shea Stadium for three (winning!) Mets games, and produced four acclaimed CDs of her original songs. Eleni is the author of two books, Touch the Sky: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Truth, Make Your Mark (which was a gold medal winner of the 2014 Global e-Book Awards) and the 2022 #1 Amazon Bestseller/#1 Amazon Best New Release, Claim the Stage! A Woman’s Guide to Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Taking Leadership. Her third book, Charismatic Presence: 5 Principles for Magnetic Presentations will be released in late 2024.

She lives happily with her husband, and her big, red cat Max, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Sponsorship opportunities are available! Please contact womensinitiative@unitedwaytoledo.org for more information!

Thank you, Sponsors!