Nominations open to honor outstanding S.C. Women
June 21, 2023
Nominations for YWCA Greater Charleston’s highly visible 2023 #WhatWomenBring awards are now open.
#WhatWomenBring honors South Carolina women leaders in business, community, and culture. Award recipients will be recognized and interviewed on stage at the sixth annual #WhatWomenBring event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. The event, a true “power lunch,” will be held in person at The Conference Center at Trident Technical College, 7000 Rivers Avenue in North Charleston, and will honor women across the state.
This year, awards will be given across 13 fields: arts, business, community: eliminating racism, community: empowering women, education, entrepreneurship, faith-based, government & law, healthcare, hospitality & tourism, media & communications, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), and a wildcard category encompassing fields not included above.
The faith-based and wildcard categories are new this year.
During the event, which is known for its candor and high energy, award recipients will field questions from the audience and event emcees Octavia Mitchell and Ann McGill, each an award-winning news anchor, about the benefits women bring to the professional sphere and challenges they have faced as women leaders.
Greenville, S.C. resident Ilsia Muñiz took home a #WhatWomenBring award in the community category last year. A U.S. Department of Justice-accredited representative for Immigrant Connection, she acts as a legal representative for people in need as they file U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services paperwork. She also volunteers her time and expertise at Latino schools and churches.
She knew from a young age that she wanted to do something about the barriers to immigration. “I grew up hearing grown-ups talking about their immigration stories,” she said in an interview after the event. “I was just always aware of all the barriers there were.”
Prior in-person #WhatWomenBring events have packed ballrooms, each year with a diverse audience of hundreds of women and men of all ages in attendance. This year’s event will be chaired by the award-winning Kenya Dunn, CEO of The Power Filled Woman and COO of African American tech company Lifetagger.
#WhatWomenBring honorees are also recognized throughout the year. Award recipients have appeared in the media and a monthly interview series titled “What Women Bring: A Closer Look” produced by YWCA Greater Charleston.
Nominations of outstanding South Carolina women can be made at www.ywcagc.org/wwb until midnight, Friday, July 7, 2023.
About YWCA Greater Charleston
For 115 years, YWCA Greater Charleston has worked to eliminate racism and empower women in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester Counties.
Among its initiatives to eliminate racism are its multi-day MLK Celebration, one of the first MLK tributes in the nation and one of Charleston’s longest running events; its Racial Equity & Inclusion trainings by nationally renowned facilitators equipping local leaders and laypeople to address racism; and more. It empowers women with its annual What Women Bring event honoring South Carolina’s women in business, community, and culture; WE 360°, helping women of color overcome barriers in entrepreneurship; and more. It brought the first Girls Who Code club for middle school girls to Charleston; today its Y Girls Code program includes students of all ages. Its SheStrong program equips young women in high school to develop as leaders and changemakers. For more information, visit ywcagc.org.
