YWCA Greater Charleston is thrilled to announce the powerhouse lineup of women leaders who will be honored at the eighth annual What Women Bring (#WWB), taking place Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 11 a.m. at The Conference Center at the at Trident Technical College's Thornley Campus.
This year's inspiring celebration, presented by Google, will spotlight eight trailblazing women from across South Carolina, each making waves in their industries—from business and tech to education, law, healthcare, and beyond.
At this high-energy, thought-provoking event, the honorees will take center stage to answer candid questions from beloved and award-winning journalists Octavia Mitchell (WCBD News 2) and Ann McGill (WCSC Live 5 News), as well as from an engaged audience of all ages, races, and genders. No topic is off the table—including gender bias, pay equity, leadership as a woman of color, mentorship, and breaking barriers in male-dominated fields.
The two-hour experience will kick off with powerful networking opportunities and photo ops, including the chance for attendees to get professional headshots.
Join us as we celebrate eight years of amplifying women's voices, honoring game changers, and building bridges across communities.
Honorees to be announced at the press conference on July 24:
Community: Eliminating Racism
- Adrian Capers-Swinton - Human Affairs & Racial Conciliation Manager, City of Charleston
Healthcare
- Dr. Jeannelle Perkins - Founder & CEO of Haruki- Resilience & Recovery and TMI Counseling & Coaching
Entrepreneurship
- Isis Spann - CEO of FUNdamentals of Learning | Executive Director of A Home For School (Micro-school)
Rising Star
- JenVon Cherry - Founder of Epitome of Epilepsy Nonprofit Organization
Community: Empowering Women
- Katrina Carpenter - Founder of Jean’s Angels Non-profit Organization
Wildcard
- Lady Joi - Founder of POJE Cosmetics | ZoLam Communications | D.R.E.A.M Pushers INC.
Education
- Niki Smith - Parent Advocate/Title I Coordinator, Charleston County School District
Business
- Yajaira Torres- Bess - Public Relations Specialist at Berkley Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Sponsorships Are Now Open
Sponsorship opportunities for the 2025 #WhatWomenBring event are now available! This highly anticipated celebration will also include a virtual component to ensure accessibility for attendees beyond the Charleston region and those on the event waitlist.
In addition to spotlighting remarkable women leaders, this annual event raises crucial funds to power YWCA Greater Charleston’s year-round programs empowering women and girls—including WE 360°, which equips women entrepreneurs of color for business success, and SheStrong, which cultivates leadership in high school girls.
For more information, visit www.ywcagc.org/whatwomenbring.