The SheBelieves Summit was hosted at Hatback Bar and Grill on April 14-15, with the main event being held inside Victory Hall. The SheBelieves Summit is an annual two-day event conference presented by Deloitte, aimed to foster for leadership, networking and empowerment of the next generation of women in sports. The event featured influential leaders and executives from business, sports, athletes, and philanthropy. The goal for the event was to not only inspire but to also discuss how to succeed on and off the field.
Hatback Bar and Grill is known for premium dining and for having high energy located right across the stadiums and owned by our local Seattle baseball team, the Mariners. The entire building was bought out for this event, hosting over 700 people including attendees, speakers, PR teams and event workers.
The first day was hosted specifically for networking facilitated by VOICEINSPORT. The event started before the main match, USA V.S Japan at 4:30 PM. The event was designed to have small group sessions to foster connections with participants. It gave opportunities to everyone that attend to connect and build relationships with one another.
The second day started brightly and early on a rainy day, with check-in at 8:15 AM. Hatback Bar and Grill presented a variety of breakfast options for everyone.
The conference officially started in Victory Hall (Hatback Bar and Grill’s event space) with TNT sports anchor and host Sarah Walsh, opening the day and introducing the head coach of the USA Women’s Soccer team (USWNT), Emma Hayes. Mediating this conversation with Emma Hayes, philanthropist and founder Melinda Gates. The conversation was nothing short of inspiring. Both Emma Hayes and Melinda Gates were hopeful about making “cosmic changes” in women’s sports.
Emma Hayes was born in London, U.K, and moved to the United States to accept her position as head coach of the USA National Women’s Soccer team. During Emma Haye’s first year as the USWNT coach, her team won the 2024 Olympics. Growing up, Hayes was very inspired by her father and spoke about how his support encouraged her to dream big. However, Hayes realized that she didn’t have a system that uplifted her and supported her endeavors in England.
The conversation between Hayes and Gates was stirring. Hayes made perspicacious connections between women’s health, society, and sports, illustrating how it’s all interconnected to performance. Hayes is driven to research how leadership and coaching can turn it into a tangible reality for not only her athletes but for future women generations. She ends this illuminating conversation with this statement, “Women need to be lifted up because they lift up the rest of society.”
Additional panelist discussions featured additional influential leaders such as the Founder of Dead Dirt, Domo Wells and five-time hockey Olympic medalist, Hilary Knight. They both mentioned similar ideologies for embracing women’s sports and changing how our society not only supports but also embodies a new way of thinking. All the speakers at the event used their cultural lenses and personal experience to help shape the culture of the new generation of upcoming women athletes.
Other speakers at the conference included Lex Chalat, Dr. Colleen Hacker, Sarah Gregorius, Rosie White, and Ally Sentnor. Together, they offered insight on topics ranging from personal growth to reshaping the narrative around women’s sports.
Throughout the discussion, speakers shared powerful reminders that extended beyond athletics and into everyday life, “Never eliminate yourself.”
“Don’t let other people take the opportunity from you.”
During the intermission, Hatback Bar and Grill offered a selection of sandwiches, beverages and snacks while guests networked and mingled. While I was eating, I pondered over the thought of my colleagues and I being an all-women team. It wasn’t until the 19th-century that women were legally allowed to call themselves publishers, let alone run an entire newspaper. Ashley Tsang (Editor-in-Chief), Aysha Siddiqui (Assistant Editor), and I all recognized this and felt a deeper sense of accomplishment and appreciation for the women who came before us and helped make this possible.
After the intermission, another set of panelists joined the stage which included Haley Rosen, Jen Barnes and Domo Wells. Wells’ experience was nothing short from fascinating, especially for young, expressive women. Wells embodies a sense of confidence which intrigued the audience. Wells studied at the University of Pennsylvania, concentrating in energy and sustainable policy. She then went to work at Spotify where she explored her music career and was an Editorial Lead of Black Music and Culture. Wells then launched her brand, Dead Dirt in 2023, selling unisex jerseys of women’s soccer teams, such as the Seattle Reign. The brand is centered around street style.
During this conference, I had the privilege of interviewing her. When asked how she expanded her brand early on and what key decisions or strategies she responded, “I would say by nature, I am a creative role, and I think the storytelling part feels like marketing, ” This is inspiring because some students may feel intimidated going into a field they studied and not liking it or discovering a passion they would rather pursue. As seen by Wells, it’s never too late to change fields, and it is possible to succeed as long as you keep an open mind.
The final speaker at this illuminating event was hockey legend, Hilary Knight. Hilary Knight is a five-time Olympic medalist and has won 10 World Championship gold medals. This conversation began with her teammates from the Seattle Torrent who all mentioned how they grew up watching Hilary Knight and had posters of her in their bedrooms. Several teammates revealed how it’s been a dream come true to play beside her.
Knight then entered the stage with eruption from the audience and began the conversation by mentioning her ambitions, hopes and dreams, discussing topics surrounding team dynamics and earning a livable wage. She goes on to mention how important chemistry is between a team and how to build trust to be able to perform well during games. Knight also briefly mentions how she proposed to Brittany Bowe, who also spoke at this conference, during the Olympics Cortina Games. Knight ends this empowering conversation with the notion of what equality and feminism is all about; both genders being equal. Knight wants to build a generation not just for young girls but for boys as well, ensuring boys have women leaders to look up to.
This event was nothing short of an inspiring experience. It empowered women to feel uplifted, supported and motivated to shape the new generation, no matter what career field they were in. It was not just about getting young girls into sports but also about ensuring they have the long-term resources to succeed in sports. After this conference, I am excited to see and contribute to the evolving world of women in sports. It is important to embrace our differences, celebrate our bodies, and push through boundaries that society may not be ready to embrace.
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