The We All Grow Conference
I’ve come back so refreshed from the We All Grow Summit in Long Beach California. If you’ve been following along on my Instagram, you’ve seen a little behind the scenes from my time there, but I wanted to do a more in-depth write up about how I was impacted last weekend.
I had purchased tickets to this conference last year. I am part of the Changemaker’s Collective, and when they announced tickets were open, I purchased right away on impulse. I’m so glad I did because it sold out in like 3 hours. 3 HOURS! The closer it came to the trip I started to get anxious. I didn’t know anyone who was going…well only virtually, so I was a little nervous about going solo. However, my husband encouraged me that it would be a great experience, and I would regret not going. So I went.
Two cancelled flights, a packed flight, and a layover later I got to the Hotel Maya, where the conference was being held; just in time to register and get ready for the welcome party.
Business
The We All Grow Summit is a conference for Latina creators and entrepreneurs. It’s three days of great sessions by actors, financial advisors, lawyers, tech gurus, media experts, writers, and small business owners sharing their expertise in hopes of inspiring, helping, and empowering other women in their own businesses.
I specifically went to a session on Shopify, LinkedIn, Building an online business, and one with a Tedx speaker. I left all of them with a page or two of notes.
The Keynote sessions were equally as enlightening. One of the sponsors was Dove, and they presented on their desire to show more diversity and representation with their own #showus campaign. The other Keynote presented by Wells Fargo helping us prepare today for a stronger financial future, and their campaign #latinaworth
Each speaker we heard on stage was either leaving us with a message of hope, empowerment, encouragement, or inspiration.
Latina
I’m always desiring to grow my mindset when it comes to business, but this conference caught my eye for the fact that it’s a Latina conference. The theme for this year was “We Are CHANGEMAKERS” celebrating the power of Latinas as the driving force in this country.
This is something I have never experienced before. It was the most amazing experience to be surrounded and uplifted by so many Latinas. This might not make sense to everyone, but to be surrounded by people who share the same cultural experiences, and to be understood without having to explain yourself is a powerful thing. I felt safe. I was able to laugh, dance, and share my story with others who share in that same story. The conference was bilingual. Some talks were in Spanish, some were in English, and some were both! It was beautiful.
Community
Lastly, the We All Grow Summit has a “mission of elevating the voices and stories of Latinas via the power of community.” Like I mentioned before, I went solo. I knew a handful of people through social media which I thought was great, however when I got to meet these friends in person, the whole relationship just grew deeper.
A shoutout to a few of my instagram friends who are now in real life friends:
Analily from Raising Español, Carolina a homeschooling mom and photographer, Paty, my wonderful roommate and fashion stylist/MUA, Yreina, a papel picado designer, and Renata, a hand lettering artist (just to name a few.)
I came away from this weekend with many more relationships that I know will only grow over time. Each day I sat at a different table and heard other people’s stories, and passions.
I hope to have the opportunity to go back next year, and hopefully inspire others to join me from Chicago. I seriously can’t recommend this conference enough. I know this will keep me pushing my own boundaries, because my dreams matter.
If you’re interested, they have a digital pass to all the sessions for sale. I’d love to chat about it, so ask me anything, or let me know you want to join me next year! Let’s make it happen!
SIGN UP
Join the mailing list to be the first to know when there's a new collection launch, exclusive promotions, blog posts, and to get a behind-the-scenes look as Karina travels to capture work for new print offerings. Plus I share a new downloadable calendar each month for your desktop & your phone as a thank you for following along. Don’t miss out!