Held at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Largo, Maryland, InnovatHer LIVE at The MET brought together nearly 100 women for a powerful afternoon of faith, leadership, strategy, and sisterhood. More than just a women’s empowerment event, the gathering offered a timely reminder that in today’s political, economic, and cultural climate, Black women are being called not only to endure — but to innovate, heal, and build.
The event was emceed by Victoria Christopher Murray, whose warmth, humor, and dynamic personality kept the room engaged from start to finish. Blending wit with wisdom, the nationally bestselling author brought an energy that made the day feel both intimate and impactful.
One of the most memorable conversations of the event came during a panel moderated by Dru Ealons and featuring Nicole Elam, LaTosha Brown, and Ronne Brown. The discussion addressed the realities Black women are facing in today’s economy, including job loss, burnout, caregiving pressures, and the urgent need for wealth-building strategies rooted in ownership.
Nicole Elam delivered one of the day’s most quotable reminders: “Rest is a strategy. It is not a weakness.” In a culture that glorifies overwork and constant motion, Elam reframed rest as a leadership tool, explaining that when she is not well-rested, her leadership suffers. She spoke candidly about the difference between constantly operating in execution mode and knowing when to show up in relationship mode — a distinction she said became clearer during her own season of rest.
LaTosha Brown brought both personal testimony and collective truth to the conversation, reflecting on grief, family, and how Black communities must rethink their relationship to wealth. She challenged the idea that success should be measured only through individual gain, noting that Black people have historically survived and built through shared resources, collective responsibility, and community-based economics. Brown urged attendees to think beyond paychecks and job titles and to instead consider inherited property, family planning, and the deeper meaning of wealth. As she powerfully reminded the audience, “Our wealth is our health. Our wealth is our relationships and our love. Our wealth is our institutions.”
Ronne Brown added another deeply resonant layer, speaking to the emotional toll of caregiving, loss, and trying to show up for everyone else while silently falling apart. Reflecting on a difficult season in her own life, she shared that healing required her to recognize that “this is not your time to pour.” Her honesty struck a chord with many women in the room who know what it means to carry family, career, and community all at once.
In a breakout session that blended scripture, strategy, and self-reflection, Rev. Trisch Smith delivered a message centered on the acronym HER: Healed, Empowered, and Redeemed. Using women from the Bible as examples, she challenged attendees to see their own lives through a lens of faith and preparation. Drawing particularly from the story of Esther, Smith emphasized that “the core of being unapologetically her is a willingness to lose something for the sake of something bigger.” She also urged the audience to think strategically, comparing this season to a game of chess rather than checkers. In other words: be patient, think ahead, and move with intention.
The keynote address from Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever broadened the conversation even further, placing Black women’s leadership in the context of history, policy, and the current sociopolitical climate. Her message made clear that this is not a moment for fear-driven retreat, but for bold and intentional action. She called for three things in particular: innovation, collaboration, and equipping the next generation.
Rather than simply rebuilding what has been lost or attacked, Dr. Jones-DeWeever challenged attendees to think creatively and boldly enough to create something entirely new. She also stressed the importance of collaboration, reminding women that they are often each other’s greatest assets and that collective success can become a lifeline in hard times. Just as importantly, she called for deeper investment in children and young people, emphasizing the need to prepare them not only with the tools to build wealth, but with the emotional resilience to navigate an increasingly hostile world.
Taken together, the messages throughout InnovatHer LIVE formed a clear call: Black women must rest, heal, strategize, collaborate, and own. Whether through business, community, faith, or family, the day’s speakers made it plain that the future will require more than ambition. It will require intention.
In the end, InnovatHer LIVE was not just about motivation. It was about movement. It was about reminding Black women that healing is necessary, strategy is sacred, collaboration is powerful, and ownership is essential. In a season demanding courage and clarity, the event affirmed what many in the room already knew: Black women are not waiting to be saved. They are preparing to build what comes next.
Photography by Metropolitan Photo Archives.
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