What an amazing year we had in the Southeast! From localized mixers to philanthropic events, we bolstered our usual programming this year with a range of opportunities to CONNECT to your peers, your industry and everything around you! The Marketing & Communications team would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank everyone we partnered with during what was a year of more change and surprises…but also continued growth and movement for our members!

 

Membership

Our membership team kicked off the year with a Taste of WICT in Atlanta, followed by two mixers sprinkled throughout the year to keep members connected and engaged.

 

In Tennessee, we hosted a mixer in Nashville and another in Knoxville to expand our reach into the Southeast footprint. These mixers were amazing, low-stress opportunities to connect with other members and simply enjoy time together.

 

Finally, we closed out the year with a little Jingle Mingle, where sponsor UP Entertainment gave us one last chance to convene and connect with one another.

 

Mentoring

Our mentoring team hosted our two keystone programs, Student Mentoring and Global Mentoring Circles. Both programs are free to members and wonderful opportunities to connect and grow with The WICT Network! 

 

Programming

Programming brought us another fantastic Bookmarked reading & discussion group that challenged us to reach across the aisle to engage those who think differently from us. Hidden Figures was a hybrid event that highlighted game changers in the industry, while Remain Relevant, Resilient and Ready offered encouragement from Vicki Wright Hamilton and practical LinkedIn skills from Rachel Scott (and updated headshots!) Our Signature Events, Speed Mentoring & Tech It Out (re-branding next year to Techquity), offered members a chance to get facetime with executives and learn tech skills from standouts in the industry.

 

Philanthropy

The WICT Network: Southeast was incredibly proud to have multiple opportunities to give back in 2025. We participated in the REaDy to Run 5k in Atlanta, where all proceeds benefited both Girls of Excellence (GOE) and Hope Floats Foundation. We laced our shoes back up in both Atlanta & Nashville later in the year for the More than Pink walks benefiting Susan G. Komen. And we gathered together to help feed 97 neighbors via Hope Atlanta.

 

Our commitment to philanthropy will continue in 2026, so be on the lookout next year for more opportunities to give back while connecting with your fellow members of The WICT Network: Southeast!

 

Inspire

Our Inspire Awards team once again gave us a dazzling evening we will never forget, a chance to recognize and celebrate women and men in our industry who inspire us with their dedication, generosity and commitment to empowering others. We mixed, we mingled, we watched stars take the stage and we shared both laughter and tears. We cannot wait to see which trailblazers are part of the 2026 Inspire Awards ceremony!

 

Partnerships

Our Partnerships team was hard at work this year, securing both new and returning sponsors who continue to power everything we do at The WICT Network: Southeast. None of these amazing events or opportunities would be possible without our sponsors. Their commitment to empowering women in the media & technology industries is an essential part of our organization, and we are so very grateful to all of them for their continued dedication to our chapter of The WICT Network.

 

A huge thank you to everyone on the board, from the teams mentioned above to the Directors-at-Large, but most especially thank you to my Marketing & Communications team for the many volunteer hours spent promoting these events!

 

~Jennifer Porterfield

Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications