Whether it be through music or civic leadership, our team was able to experience a wonderful week in Cincinnati. Check out the happenings of the week reported by our team below.

Lauren Eylise Headlines Woodward Theater

Reporting and photography Laura Kinney.

I was given the exclusive opportunity to accompany Lauren Eylise as she prepared for her headlining show at downtown Cincinnati’s Woodward Theater. I took a moment to ask Lauren a few questions before she went on stage for sound check.

What are some of your pre-show rituals?

Well, I have to have my tea with honey, sometimes with bourbon, and honestly, I just like to be alone. I like to find a corner or room and just have time to sort of listen to my own thoughts and calm my own spirit, barefoot. And of course, vocal warmup. I would say that those are my steady rituals: vocal warmup, alone time, and tea time.

Do you find yourself nervous before going on stage?

Every single time! I'm always nervous.

How do you push yourself on stage when you’re nervous?

I remember what I'm doing this for. This is what I love to do and I've got to go through it. I'm not going to quit, and I'm not going to stop, so it's just working through those nerves. Honestly, the nerves help. They push you and before you know it, they're gone, and I'm just in another world.

Other than yourself, who else can the audience expect to see tonight?

I've got some amazing openers. I have Chris Crooks, Siri Imani, and Macho Means. I've also got some guest appearances from Triiibe and Jon Schuyler.

Honestly, the nerves help.

Once the show started, the opening acts helped set the tone for Lauren's grand entrance. Starting with her hit single "Loud Afternoon" from her debut EP, Life/Death/Life, the songstress immediately began to pull the audience in as the crowd sang along. From that point on, it was apparent that Lauren holds a great following of fans and support. Between singles from her EP, Lauren also incorporated covers such as "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child, "He Loves Me" by Jill Scott, "Any Time Any Place" by Janet Jackson, and "Don't Hurt Yourself" by Beyoncè.

The show came to an end when Lauren introduced her band, The Part Time Lovers, and background singers, The Suga Savages, to a resounding ovation. Without a doubt, Lauren Eylise's Friday night performance was much more than a show; it was an experience, and I look forward to what's to come next for this local soul singer-songwriter.

All In Together’s Gretchen Carlson Leadership Initiative Community Workshop

Reporting by Kiersten Feuchter. Photography by Heather Willins

Lauren Leader-Chivée kicked off the morning with a simple statement: “There’s a lot of work to do in terms of representation in our democracy.”

The CEO and co-founder of All In Together outlined the problem – one we’re all aware of, but perhaps not one that we can all quantify – with startling statistics: Despite educating more women than anywhere else in the world, the U.S. ranks 96th in terms of political empowerment for women, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report. And it’s certainly not that we don’t care. Women are still more likely to volunteer and work in their communities than men, Leader-Chivée said. The problem is: Women don’t see political participation as a way to make a difference.

All In Together is an organization that equips American women with action-oriented, nonpartisan civic education. The Gretchen Carlson Leadership Initiative is a year-long national program to bring civic leadership and advocacy training to underserved women across the country.

And train we did. Some key facts, lessons, and takeaways:

Most of the major decisions in this country get made at the state and local level.
There are roughly 500,000 elected offices in the U.S.
Roughly 470 women are running for office this year.
85 percent of op-eds are written by men, according to The OpEd Project.
“Expertise is personal. It’s about who we are.” –Leader-Chivée
Sending physical mail to the U.S. Congress can be a waste of time; because of security concerns, the Congressional mailroom is immensely backed up.
The best way to prioritize the political issues you want to act on is by finding the intersection of passion, experience/expertise, and urgency.
According to Desiré Bennett, advocacy manager, YWCA Greater Cincinnati, talking to the aide in a political office is almost as powerful – if not more so – as talking to your representative.
Monica Turner, VP North America, Procter & Gamble, reminded us that men have to be part of the conversation.
“We can’t talk about parity; we can’t talk about gender equity if we’re not talking about gender-based violence. … If we don’t have autonomy of our bodies, there is no equity.” –Kristin Shrimplin, Women Helping Women
“Nine Council members. Two women. Absolutely unacceptable.” –Councilwoman Amy Murray
“What drives decisions? It’s money and power. Where’s our purchase power?” –Shrimplin
“I don’t think people fully appreciate how much it matters when you call in to your reps. … The first thing my [former] boss would ask me is, ‘What are the callers saying?’” –Alea Brown-Hoffmeister, SW regional director, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s office, and former legislative counsel for in the office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
“You’re going to change minds by talking to people and giving them compelling reasons to do it. Even if it’s with someone of a different party. Get to know them and respect them and say, ‘I’d love to talk to you about this.’” –Murray

Check out our Twitter feed for more snapshots of the morning, including words from panelists Bianca Edwards of The Amos Project; Holly Hankinson of the Women’s Fund; and Kate Lawson of Xavier University’s Title IX Office.

Salon 21’s ‘Spotlight: Art of the Piano’

Reporting and photography by Angie Lipscomb.

Pianist and Enlight Prize winner Mi-Eun Kim performed powerful pieces for an enthusiastic and perfectly sized audience in the Weston Art Gallery on May 3. Salon 21 regularly features artists in intimate gatherings and presented Kim in partnership with Art of the Piano, an upcoming music festival for aspiring pianists.

Reported By Women: May 11