What exactly is the Women + Girls Research Alliance? First and foremost, W+GRA has a goal to improve the lives of Charlotte region girls and women through unbiased research and analysis.
With help from Executive Director Heather Brown and team, W+GRA provides data and analysis around earnings and economic security, political engagement, health and more. Every two years, its findings are presented to the community with a forum known as The Summit.
The 2016 Summit will focus on economic mobility for women in Charlotte on April 14 and 15. It kicks off Thursday, April 14, at 1:00 PM with an impressive community panel on "Women’s Leadership in Economic Mobility and Community Development". Panelists include Carol Hardison, Tracy Russ and Dr. Brenda Tindal, who recently took over for Tom Hanchett at the Levine Museum of the New South.
Community legend Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown jump starts Friday’s sessions with "Why Talk about Economic Mobility for Women and Girls?" Additional conversations explore entrepreneurship, work and wages, violence against women, education and community building. Panelists include Jill Dinwiddie, Dr. Amy Hawn Nelson, Sonja Gantt and Bishop Claude Alexander Jr.
Following a networking lunch and afternoon plenary on STEM careers featuring retired NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham, the 2016 Summit will wrap with a celebration of Charlotte-area, women-owned food and beverage companies.