2020 Agenda

12th Annual Black Women's Wellness Day
REGISTER!

Important Ticket Information

Visit our registration page for all ticket options for attendees ages 13 and older.

Limited Scholarship seats available. Email bwwday@ffbww.org to inquire.

Get our official conference app
For Blackberry or Windows Phone, Click here

2020 Keynote Speakers & Featured Panelists

Nyra Jordan

Social Impact Investment Director
American Family Institute for Corporate and Social Impact

The Honorable Gwen S. Moore

United States Congresswoman

Abiola Abrams

Award-Winning Empowerment Coach, Speaker, Author, TV Personality and Spiritpreneur

Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, MD

Founder & President
National Birth Equity Collaborative

Angela Cudger, PhD

Founder & CEO
Legacy Holistic Health Institute

Kara Stevens

The Frugal Feminista

Linda Goler Blount

CEO & President
Black Women’s Health Imperative

Loretta Ross

Co-Founder
SisterSong Reproductive Justice Women of Color Collective

Sonya Young Aadam

CEO & President
California Black Women’s Health Project

Kelli Joy Richardson Lawson

CEO & Founder
The Joy Collective

Les Alfred

Founder
Balanced Black Girl

Dr. Afiya Mangum Mbilishaka

Founder & CEO, PsychoHairapy & Clinical Psychologist

Desi Carson

PsychoHairapy, Inc. & Mental Health Advocate

K Love the Poet

Spoken Word Artist, Speaker & Mentor

Featured Speakers, Presenters & Special Guests

Lisa Peyton-Caire

Founder, CEO & President
The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness & BWWDAY

Gale Johnson

Director
Wisconsin Well Woman Program

Vanessa McDowell

aka DJ ACE, & CEO
YWCA of Madison

Alia Stevenson

Chief Programs Officer
The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness

Adrian Jones

FFBWW Board Member & UW Health

Debbie Jones, MD

FFBWW Board Member &
Hospitalist, SSM Health – St Mary’s Hospital

Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH

Board Certified Pediatrician, Speaker, and Author

Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi

Geriatric Nurse and Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Shannon All Around

Personal Trainer, Coach & Owner, All Around Sports Fitness

Rosa Thompson, Founder

Black Girl Magic Conference 
Madison Metropolitan School District

Keena Atkinson

WERQ Instructor & Owner
R’oujie Wellness

Lilada Gee

Founder & President
Defending Black Girlhood

Sagashus Levingston, PHD

Founder & CEO
Infamous Mothers

Monique C. Minkens

Director of Coalition Programs

End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin

Gina Green-Harris, MBA, Director

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Tamara N. Thompson

Doula & Childbirth Educator
Maroon Calabash

Tracie Robinson, Owner

Essences of Wellness Authentic
Transformation, LLC

Dr. Tiffany Green

Assistant Professor, Population Health Sciences & Obstetrics and
Gynecology
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Daily Agenda Overview

Friday & Saturday, September 18 – 19, 2020

Visit often for Speaker Updates

REGISTER TODAY!

Daily Agenda — Day 1 — Friday, September 18, 2020
8:00 - 9:00am — Virtual Networking & Wellness Marketplace

Visit the FFBWW-BWWDAY Virtual Booth for Swag, Raffle Prize Entry & More!

Visit Our Virtual Photo Booth to snap your selfies!
Visit Vendors & Exhibitors to shop & explore (Marketplace open throughout day)

9:00 - 9:45am — Official Welcome, Opening & Acknowledgments

Welcome Message by Founding CEO & President Lisa Peyton-Caire

Sponsors Remarks & Special Greetings Governor Tony Evers and Nyra Jordan, American Family Institute for Corporate & Social Impact

Welcome Remarks by U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore

Spoken Word Performance by K Love the Poet

  

9:55 - 10:55am — Opening Expert Panel - The State of Black Women's Health in America: Where We Are, and the Thriving Path Forward

Join our opening Expert Panel Session session with three national powerhouses in Black women’s health to get a current, comprehensive, and urgent national view of the status of Black women’s health and well-being in the United States. This session will provide insight on how we carve a thriving path forward despite the challenges we face. Among key issues we will address are physical, mental and reproductive/maternal health, the triple pandemic of racism, police violence and COVID-19, social and economic justice, and voting rights. Do not miss! This is our CALL TO ACTION!

Linda Goler Blount, CEO & President, Black Women’s Health Imperative

Loretta Ross, Co-Founder, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective

Sonya Young Aadam, California Black Women’s Health Project

Moderated by Lisa Peyton-Caire, CEO & President, The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness

10:55 - 11:05am — Musical Interlude with Guest DJ Ace, Vanessa McDowell

The one & only DJ ACE, aka our community’s history-making YWCA of Dane County CEO Vanessa Rae McDowell will be spinning the turntables on Friday, Sept. 18th between sessions to keep us moving on that natural high! Tune in between keynotes and panels to get your groove on!

11:00 - 11:45am — Morning Plenary Address: The View from the Midwest - Black Women Leading Health Justice & Why Our Lives Depend on It

Join this fast-paced expert morning panel session for a current and urgent view of the status of Black women’s health and well-being in the Midwest (Wisconsin), and to provide insight on how we carve a thriving path forward to true health, birth and social equity in Wisconsin where we lead the nation in racial health, wealth and birth disparities, and rank #1 for Black infant mortality. Following on the heels of our opening national panel, our Midwest speakers will address the statewide outlook on reproductive justice, improving Black maternal and child health, emerging stronger from the triple pandemic of racism, police violence and COVID-19, and securing social and economic justice.

Gina Green-Harris, MBA, Director, LifeCourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Tiffany Green, PhD, Asst. Professor, Population Health Sciences & OBGYN, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Tamara N. Thompson, Doula & Childbirth Educator, Maroon Calabash

Moderated by:

Alia Stevenson, Chief Programs Officer, The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness

Lisa Peyton-Caire, CEO & Founder, The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness

11:45am - 12:00pm — Sponsor & Partner Messages and Exhibitor Spotlights

Special Video Greetings by:

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway

Tanya Atkinson, President & CEO, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin

12:00 - 1:00PM — Virtual Luncheon Keynote Address - The Urgency of Now - Transforming Black Mama & Baby Health in America: Why We Must, How We Can

Featuring Dr. Joia Crear Perry, MD, Founder & President, National Birth Equity Collaborative

Join pre-eminent national expert Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, for an urgent presentation offering a current and comprehensive view of the status of Black maternal and child health in the United States.  Get informed and activated to join the movement to improve Black maternal and child health as Dr. Crear-Perry points us toward the actions and solutions we must take to systemically save the lives of Black mothers and babies.

Why is this conversation so important right now? Wisconsin presently ranks #1 in the nation for racial inequality, and first in the nation for Black infant mortality. Likewise Black women in Wisconsin are 5 times more likely to die in childbirth than our white counterparts in WI, and to face the added burden of deep social and economic inequities that threaten family stability and security. This trend is reflected in states across America, and the time is now to turn the tide. Please see our website to read more about local work we are doing to address birth disparities here in Dane County, at www.ffbww.org/savingourbabies; and to review the Saving Our Babies Report.

Dr. Crear-Perry’s fearless leadership and advocacy to advance and spur greater public accountability for improving Black maternal and child health is advancing all of our efforts nationwide. 

Do not miss this session!

 

1:00 - 1:15pm — Musical Interlude with Guest DJ Ace, Vanessa McDowell

The one & only DJ ACE, aka our community’s history-making YWCA of Dane County CEO Vanessa Rae McDowell will be spinning the turntables on Friday, Sept. 18th between sessions to keep us moving on that natural high! Tune in between keynotes and panels to get your groove on!

1:15 - 1:45pm — Live WERQ Fitness Stage with Special Guest Keena Atkinson, Owner, R'oujie Wellness

Join fitness diva & wellness entrepreneur Keena ‘Stayflyy’ Atkinson, Owner of R’oujie Wellness, for an energetic WERQ session that will get you off your seat and moving to the beat for a fun and healthy sweat session! Have water nearby and wear appropriate shoes! 

*Note: Participation in fitness demos at BWWDAY are voluntary, not required, and done at your own risk. Be sure to consult your physician or healthcare provider to ensure you are well enough to participate in this or other classes. 

1:45 - 2:45pm — Afternoon Panel - Black Women Cultivating New Pathways to Mental Wellness, Featuring Special Guests

Maintaining and sustaining our mental health has never been more important as we face unprecedented personal and collective upheaval, uncertainty, and isolation in the midst of COVID-19 and ongoing threats to our mind-body-spirit wellness. Breaking the stigma and shame around mental health is critical if we are to maximize our resilience and ability to thrive and persist in the ‘new normal’.  Join this exciting and unique panel of diverse vocies in the mental health and wellness space for a candid and crucial conversation about Cultivating New Pathways to Mental Wellness!

Kelli Joy Richardson Lawson, CEO & Founder, The Joy Collective and the Sonrise Project

Dr. Afiya Mangum Mbilishaka, Founder & CEO, PsychoHairopy & Clinical Psychologist

Les Alfred, Founder, Balanced Black Girl & Host, Balanced Black Girl Podcast  

Moderated by Alia Stevenson, Chief Programs Officer, The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness

2:45 - 3:00pm — Musical Interlude with Guest DJ Ace, Vanessa McDowell

The one & only DJ ACE, aka our community’s history-making YWCA of Dane County CEO Vanessa Rae McDowell will be spinning the turntables on Friday, Sept. 18th between sessions to keep us moving on that natural high! Tune in between keynotes and panels to get your groove on!

3:00 - 4:00pm — Afternoon Panel - Supporting Black Girls to Be Healthy, Well & Free with Guest Experts

Join our expert panel for a candid and timely discussion about supporting young women to be healthy, well and free through the challenges of adolescence, rising racial unrest, and a global pandemic. Panelists will provide insight and empowering solutions to bolster young women’s mental and emotional wellness, sexual health, and confidence and preparation to succeed and thrive in the world.

Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH, Board Certified Pediatrian, Speaker and Author

Rosa Thompson, Founder, Black Girl Magic Conference, Madison Metropolitan School District

Desi Carson, PsychoHairopy, Inc. & Mental Health Advocate

Moderated by Adrian Jones, Founding Board Member, The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness; and Program Manager of Community Health Improvement, UW Health

4:00 - 4:15pm — Musical Interlude with Guest DJ Ace, Vanessa McDowell

The one & only DJ ACE, aka our community’s history-making YWCA of Dane County CEO Vanessa Rae McDowell will be spinning the turntables on Friday, Sept. 18th between sessions to keep us moving on that natural high! Tune in between keynotes and panels to get your groove on!

4:15 - 5:15pm — Closing SisterCircle with Special Guest Panel & PRIZE GIVEAWAYS!!!

Join members of the FFBWW-BWWDAY Team and guests as re-cap our powerful day, engage our guests in a talk-back session, foreshadow Saturday’s agenda, and ANNOUNCE SEVERAL AWESOME PRIZES!  

*Be sure to have entered our giveaways at our virtual booth in the Exhibitor tab of the event app!

Continue below for Day 2 Schedule!

Check tomorrow’s schedule here and on the event app to get ready for Day 2!

Daily Agenda — Day 2 — Saturday, September 19, 2020
7:30 - 8:00am (Day 2 only) — Morning Meditation & Yoga

Led by Tracie Renee Robinson, Owner, Essences of Wellness (Maryland, USA)

Join Tracie for a calming morning meditation and yoga session to ease into your day in perfect peace. Wear comfortable clothing and find a quiet place at home to take in this mind-body-spirit-centering experience.

*Note: Particpation in this and other fitness/physical movement demos at BWWDAY is voluntary and done at your own risk and discretion. By participating, you acknowledge that you are physically capable of participating and that you have consulted your doctor or healthcare provider in advance. 

8:00 - 9:15am — Concurrent Sessions: Morning Workshop OR Networking & Wellness Marketplace
* Special Morning Workshop - Aging Gracefully & Thriving Through & Beyond COVID-19 (for Women 62 & Up)

Join us for a special Morning Workshop for Senior Adult Women, ages 62 and older featuring three expert speakers who will inform, inspire and empower you to live your best, healthiest life through and beyond COVID-19. Discussion will cover a range of topics including cancer prevention,  mental health and memory health, physical wellness, and staying safe and strong through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gale Johnson, Director, Wisconsin Well Woman Program

Debbie Jones, MD, Hospitalist, SSM Health -Dean & St. Mary’s Health, & FFBWW Board Member

Andrea Gilmore Bykovskyi, Geriatric Nurse and Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Nursing

 

OR

 

8:00 – 9:00am — Virtual Networking & Wellness Marketplace

Visit the FFBWW-BWWDAY Virtual Booth for Swag, Raffle Prize Entry & More!

Visit Vendors & Exhibitors to shop & explore (Marketplace open throughout day). Enter Prize Giveaways!

Join our Community Boards to connect with other guests!

9:20 - 9:45am — Official Welcome, Opening & Acknowledgments

Welcome Message by Founding CEO & President Lisa Peyton, FFBWW Team & Sponsors

Special Video Messages by Madison Gas & Electric and Public Officials

Morning Prize Announcement!

  

9:45 - 10:45am — Opening Keynote Address - Thriving in A New World: Activating Your Inner Goddess for Transformational Living

Featuring Abiola Abrams, Award-Winning Empowerment Coach, Speaker, Author, Media
Personality, Spiritpreneur®

Join the energy-elevating Abiola Abrams as she INSPIRES you to embrace your inner Goddess and manifest the TRANSFORMATIONAL life you deserve! Have paper and pen ready to take notes, and be sure to share your comments and breakthrough moments in the chat!

10:50 - 11:00am — Musical Interlude with Guest DJ M White!

Join Guest DJ Martinez “M” White, a Midwest favorite, as he spins the beats that make you bounce on this electrifying morning of information, inspiration and empowerment! 

Learn more about DJ M white at https://www.martinezwhite.com/about/ .

11:00am - 12:00pm — Morning Keynote #2 - Mapping Your Way to Wealth: The Black Woman's Blueprint to Financial Prosperity In A New World

Featuring Kara Stevens, The Frugal Feminista 

Join money expert Kara Stevens for a power-hour of financial wellness and guidance on mapping your way to wealth! Kara has coached thousands of women and clients into more stable and fulfilling financial lives through her Frugal Feminista brand, and now is your chance to benefit from her wisdom as you create your blueprint to financial freedom!

This session is proudly sponsored by Summit Credit Union!

*Note: Visit the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness virtual exhibit table on event days to access a FREE EXCERPT from Kara’s book, Heal Your Relationship with Money!

12:15 - 12:30pm — Sponsor & Exhibitor Spotlights

Special Video Greetings by:

State Representative Sheila Stubbs

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway

Jeff Keebler, Chairman, President & CEO, Madison Gas & Electric

*Be sure to visit our Exhibitor and Sponsor spaces in the event app to shop, connect and enter into prize giveaways!

12:30 - 1:30PM — Virtual Luncheon Keynote #3-- Ignite Your Life! Steps to Powerful Mind, Body, Spirit Wellness for A New Age

Featuring Dr. Angela Cudger, Founder & Director of the Legacy Holistic Health Institute & Metaphysical Practitioner!

Be first in line to hear this life-bearing message from one of our country’s top wellness coaches and holistic health experts! Dr. Angela Cudger will MOVE US to new levels as we TRANSCEND our present circumstances and commit to THRIVING IN A NEW WORLD as #WellBlackWomen !

Angela will offer a powerful session,Ignite Your Life! Steps to Powerful Mind, Body, Spirit Wellness for A New Age!’ We suggest you have no distractions during this session, and grab your paper and pen to capture the powerful wisdom and tangible tools Dr. Cudger will share! 
If you need transformational, invigorating, soul-shifting energy in your life right now, grab your seat and get ready to be ELEVATED! 

1:30 - 2:00pm — Live Fitness Stage with Special Guest Trainer Shannon All Around

Join Milwaukee-based fitness phenom Coach Shannon Johnson, aka Shannon All Around, Owner of All Around Sports Fitness, for a 30-min power session to move your body and lift your soul! Wear proper shoes and have water nearby. Move at your own pace, stop if you need to, and make sure your Doctor/health care provider has cleared you for physical activity prior to the session. 

*Note: Participation in fitness demos at BWWDAY are voluntary, not required, and done at your own risk. Be sure to consult your physician or healthcare provider to ensure you are well enough to participate in this or other classes. 

2:00 - 3:00pm — Afternoon Session: Defending Black Girls, Raising Well Black Women in a New World We Create!

Defending Black Girls, Raising Well Black Women in a New World We Create!

Join this powerful panel of fierce leaders as we close our formal presentations with a rallying call to DEFEND BLACK GIRLHOOD as we raise a generation of WELL BLACK WOMEN!

As Black women, we begin our lives as Black girls. Too often, we lack the protection and security we deserve in a world wrought with institutional violence, police violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, and a culture of silence that threatens to drown out our voices.

We’ll talk solutions, unapologetic advocacy, healing and RESILIENCE as we take back our freedom and  create a world where Black girls grow into women who are healthy, well and free!

With special guests:

Lilada Gee, Founder, Defending Black Girlhood

Sagashus Levingston, Founder & CEO, Infamous Mothers, LLC

Monique Minkens, Director of Coalition Programs, End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin

Moderated by Lisa Peyton-Caire and Alia Stevenson, The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness

3:00- 3:15pm — Musical Interlude with Guest DJ M White

Join Guest DJ Martinez “M” White, a Midwest favorite, as he spins the beats that make you bounce on this electrifying morning of information, inspiration and empowerment! 

Learn more about DJ M white at https://www.martinezwhite.com/about/ .

3:20 - 4:30pm — Closing SisterCircle & Prize Giveaways!

Join us as we wrap-up #BWWDAY together with a collective conversation and commitment to forging ahead as #WellBlackWomen! Enjoy a riveting closing Spoken Word piece by artist K LOVE the Poet, and be present as we announce a few INCREDIBLE GIVEAWAYS!

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!