Celebrating 10 Years of Women Who Roar – Honoring Leadership, Legacy, and Her Story
October 2025
Celebrating 10 Years of Women Who Roar Honoring Leadership, Legacy, and Her Story
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Women Who Roar Awards, created and produced by our IWF sister Lisl Liang, CEO of SRQ Media Group. What began as a bold vision to celebrate women leaders has grown into a powerful tradition of honoring those who lead with courage, conviction, and heart--women who embody the very essence of the IWF mission: advancing women's leadership and empowering the next generation.
We are especially proud that 12 members of IWF Florida Suncoast have been recognized as Women Who Roar Leadership Circle Members. I am deeply honored to be one of the five inaugural winners, and to stand alongside my extraordinary IWF sisters recognized as Leadership Circle Members: Cheri Coryea, Dr. Laurey Stryker, Roxie Jerde, Melissa Larkin-Skinner, Lee-En Chung, Jennifer Vigne, Lorrie Liang, Christine Johnson, Dr. Kameron Hodgens, Karin Grablin, and Terri Hansen.
What makes Women Who Roar so powerful is not just the recognition--it's what comes next. Winners are nominated by their peers and selected by a national jury for their capacity for change, leadership style, professional achievement, and community impact. Once inducted into the Leadership Circle, each woman begins a journey of mentorship and giving back through programs like SkillSHARE, which helps women advance in their careers or launch bold new ventures, and SMARTgirl, an annual program that is especially close to my heart.
Each year at SMARTgirl, we sit shoulder-to-shoulder with brilliant middle school girls from Sarasota and Manatee counties, including those active in the Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, Girls Inc., and the Girl Scouts. These girls bring their questions, their dreams, and their boundless energy, and we have the privilege of encouraging them, answering their toughest questions, and showing them what's possible. It's part networking, part storytelling, and fully transformative.
This year's celebration adds another extraordinary dimension--the Inaugural Her Story Exhibition: Moments That Made Her. This intimate exhibition invites Leadership Circle members to share an artifact and personal story representing a defining moment, passion, or influence in their lives. Together, these artifacts form a living gallery of resilience, vision, and leadership that will inspire us all and serves as a tribute to the many ways women shape our world.
We invite you to join Lisl Liang and your IWF sisters on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Michael's On East for the Women Who Roar Awards Luncheon. Come celebrate the newest inductees, honor the legacy of leadership we as women share, and be inspired by the ways our IWF sisters are lifting up future leaders.
Because when women lead and lift each other, the whole world moves forward. This celebration is not only about honoring women who lead--it's about carrying forward a legacy that empowers the next generation to rise and roar.
Joy Randels