Local business leaders are bringing a female-centric event with a theme of “ambition meets opportunity” to downtown St. Petersburg.
The Women’s Power Forum is coming to the Mahaffey Theater Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event’s mission is to empower ambitious women to “protect their power and own their success.” The Women’s Power Forum was created by local residents Julianna Bertrand, a real estate broker, and Gina Tedesco, a financial planner, to help women make strides in their personal and professional development.
“We had a meeting together, and to our surprise, our type A personalities really hit it off,” Tedesco said. “We discovered that we have a shared vision to create an empire of massive impact, and that’s how the Women’s Power Forum was essentially born.”
Debbie Lundberg. Photo provided.
The upcoming event will be the third in the Women’s Power Forum series, and the first in St. Pete. Previous events have been held in Bradenton and Sarasota. While the event is targeted at women, men are welcome to attend.
Headlining the event is Debbie Lundberg, a two-time TED speaker, author and performance coach. The former University of South Florida corporate training educator runs her own public speaking firm in Tampa called Presenting Powerfully. Lundberg will deliver a keynote address titled “Elevate Your Confidence: Crush Imposter Syndrome and Own Your Success.”
The forum will also feature special guests, including Lisa Vickers, CEO of the Speer Dream Foundation, who will be honored as the 2025 Power Woman of St. Petersburg. The St. Petersburg Police Department and SWAT Team will make an appearance, accompanied by their robotic dog, and the event will include a DJ, fashion show, catered lunch and a full bar.
While past events have run from four to five hours, the upcoming Women’s Power Forum, at three hours, is billed as a “power lunch” for local business leaders and entrepreneurs.
“We created this because we really felt like there was absolutely nothing out there like what we do,” Tedesco said. “It’s an experience, and we’re very strategic about making connections at this event. Everyone who comes to our forum, whether a man or a woman, they’re ambitious. They’re looking for opportunity, and that’s what they get.”
“And if they came there not knowing [what to expect], they definitely feel the ambition and opportunity,” Bertrand added. “We’re curating this for the experience, but also for generating meaningful, genuine and long-lasting relationships, instead of just going to a typical networking event and maybe you’ll never see them again.”
Participants will receive a Powerplay Workbook, designed to be interactive throughout the event and help participants apply the insights gained during the forum to their personal and professional lives. The event’s theme, “Protect Your Power – Own Your Success,” focuses on embracing strengths, setting boundaries and taking charge of one’s future with confidence.
Tickets for the event are $105 and can be purchased online here.
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