By Elise Robinson
For more than 20 years, I’ve stood on stages across the country. I’ve used my voice to moderate panels, lead newsrooms, and speak to packed audiences. But nothing quite compares to what happened at Woman Evolve.
Standing on that stage, in my hometown, was a divine appointment.
I was invited to speak in the Wells Fargo space at the Georgia World Congress Center, and I’m deeply grateful to Wells Fargo, the title sponsor, and RICE, for making it possible. I’m an entrepreneur first, but at RICE I’m also working to shape and tell stories of business owners who pour into their purpose every single day.
Within the first few moments, my session, Your Voice, Your Value, became a powerful exchange. A moment where clarity met calling. Sure, we talked about media and storytelling, but we also talked about God, grace, fear, and freedom. We talked about how clarity, confidence, and consistency are key for branding but are also spiritual practices. We got honest about what it means to really own your voice and walk in your divine identity.
I met extraordinary women from Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and beyond. Many of them are entrepreneurs who carry so much brilliance but are often too busy building to stop and see themselves. We cried together. We laughed. We released shame and picked up strength. There was a level of vulnerability in that room that you don’t often get in professional spaces.
But Woman Evolve isn’t just another conference, it’s sacred ground. Sarah is really doing her thing!
Even I found myself getting emotional as I shared the woman God is still calling me to be. Not the titles. Not the resume. Not the bank accounts. But the vessel. The one who trusts that her voice is enough. That her story is worth telling. That her unwavering strength and commitment to Black women is her superpower.
Proverbs 31:25 reminds us, “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” That verse lived and breathed in every woman I met at the conference.
To stand in front of all of those women, representing RICE and the city that raised me, while speaking life into the next generation of purpose-driven women, was a blessing I’ll never forget.
To every woman in that room and every woman who reads this: keep showing up. Keep speaking truth. Keep building in boldness. Because your voice matters, and your value is beyond measure.
And to Wells Fargo, Sarah Jakes Roberts and Woman Evolve—thank you for creating space for voices like mine.
