Women’s Leadership

April marks the return of the New Orleans Chamber’s Power Up: Women’s Leadership Conference. As I helped organizers promote the event this year, I also reflected on powerful women in my life.

We have so many incredible women making a difference in our region and city. Think about it – four of the metro’s chamber leaders are women. (New Orleans’ Sandra Lindquist, St. Tammany’s Lacey Osborne, St. Bernard’s Elizabeth Dauterive and Jefferson’s Ruth Lawson.)

This may reflect the rapid rise of women-owned businesses in the nation. It's estimated that 849 new women-owned businesses open every day. Since the early 2000s, women-owned companies have increased by 114%. In 2020, the average annual revenue for women-owned businesses was $330,226, according to Incfile.com.

It is an honor to work for a woman-owned company and to assist other female leaders and business owners with public relations.

Real estate investors, chamber executives, advocates of youth and the homeless, and even second-generation leadership of a family-operated carnival supply company are the women I help daily to shape and deliver narratives of brighter futures.   

While these leaders come from a variety of backgrounds, they have many things in common.

Collaborative. They are inclusive and cooperative in their efforts to grow their businesses and deliver vital public services. For instance, the Power Up Conference is an event orchestrated by 16 women’s groups in the region. Any one of these organizations could have hosted the event alone, but they knew it would be better if presented together.

Optimistic. The ladies are bullish on the future despite working to tackle some of the most difficult challenges facing us. For instance, homelessness. I have watched one tireless leader tackle this systemic problem one family at a time, helping more than 4,000 parents and their children towards self-sufficiency.

Committed. The leaders have all been faithful to a region and city they call their home. Whether natives or transplants, they show up and influence positive outcomes.

This month, I am feeling powered-up by these shining examples of leaders. I hope you will join me in reflecting on the powerful women in your life. Here’s to them!