Girls Inc. Of Pinellas To Host Fuel Her Fire Virtual Gala

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — On Saturday, May 15, Girls Inc. Pinellas will hold its first Fuel Her Fire Virtual Gala to fund summer camp scholarships for first responder and military families.

The event will livestream simultaneously on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube at 7 p.m. Girls Inc. of Pinellas is the leading nonprofit that inspires and benefits 500 girls annually through services designed to teach all girls to be strong, smar and bold.

Girls Inc.’s approach to STEAM enrichment inspires girls through hands-on, interactive workshops and exposes them to leaders in fields of study in which women, particularly women of color, are underrepresented. STEAM programming takes place daily across all age groups, with a focus on middle and high school students.

Girls Inc. Pinellas announced that Raymond James is the $10,000 presenting sponsor of the Fuel Her Fire Virtual Gala, and Renée Baker is the keynote speaker.

Baker is head of PCG Advisor Inclusion Networks at Raymond James, providing corporate support and leadership for the Women Financial Advisors Network, Black Financial Advisors Network and Pride Financial Advisors Network. In her role, she focuses on increasing representation of diverse advisors within the firm and the industry as a whole, working closely with Raymond James PCG Education & Practice Management and the firm’s head of diversity and inclusion.

Previously, she served as chief marketing officer for Carillon Tower Advisers, a subsidiary of Raymond James, where she was responsible for the global marketing strategy for seven brands while leading a team of marketing professionals across several departments. She also has extensive asset management marketing experience across a variety of channels and geographies. Prior to joining Raymond James, she held senior-level marketing roles at various financial services firms, most recently at Aberdeen Standard Investments.

In addition to her role, Baker is part of the Raymond James Diversity Council, serves as the firm’s national co-leader for the Mosaic Multicultural Inclusion Network and is a mentor for the Emerging Professionals Inclusion Network. Active in the community, she serves as a board member for Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA) and as a trustee for American Stage. She is also an adjunct instructor at the University of South Florida where she teaches advertising management.