Loudoun 8th Grader Organizes Young Women's Empowerment Summit

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — The Loudoun Commission on Women and Girls is holding its inaugural Girl emPower Summit on Saturday, Sept. 26 where speakers will focus on issues ranging from leadership to entrepreneurship to violence prevention.

The event, which will be held virtually, will feature women of all ages speaking about their personal success stories as well as the history of women fighting for their rights. The event starts at 10 a.m. on Sept. 26 and is free for attendees aged 12 to 18.

Mahsa Riar, an 8th grader in the Loudoun County Public Schools system and the event's organizer, said she cannot imagine a "more pivotal moment" to hold the Girl emPower Summit. “In addition to typical social and emotional stress, we’re unable to meet up with our friends due to the pandemic," Riar said in a statement. "My goal for the summit is to provide some much-needed connection and inspiration.”

Along with attending middle school, Riar runs her own business called Limitless Limb LLC. The company creates personalized prosthetics for children with limb differences using 3D technology. The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce recognized Riar as its 2019 Saunders Scholar.

The Loudoun Commission on Women and Girls promotes leadership development for the county's women and girls. The group was founded in 2017 by Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall and is managed by a volunteer leadership board.

Maimah Karmo, founder and CEO of the Tigerlily Foundation, will lead off the Girl emPower Summit with a keynote speech. The Tigerlily Foundation works to empower young women in the fight against breast cancer. Other confirmed speakers include Herndon High School and University of Virginia graduate Chanel Parks, social media editor for Pat McGrath Cosmetics, and Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder and CEO of Generation Hope.

Other speakers include Jenni Dakes, violence prevention and outreach program manager at Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter, Dr. Yarelis Guzman, member of the Psych Associates of Maryland, and Randall.

The summit’s sponsors are exclusively woman-owned businesses based in Loudoun County: the Music Loft, Orblynx Academy, Backflow Technology LLC and ARM Consulting LLC.

The event’s logo celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage. The purple, gold and white stand for the continued fight for gender equity and the golden rose symbolizes a century of women achieving the right to vote after decades of agitation and protest.

Registration is still open for the event. Companies and organizations also can sign up to become event and session sponsors.