Greater Fayetteville Business Journal >>
March 4, 2022 - March 17, 2022
bizfayetteville.com
By Jenna Shackelford
Page 19
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The inaugural event’s guest list is capped at 50 guests. Local sponsorships will cover the cost of the fun event so attendees need only show up ready to network and to have fun.
Women Mean Business HOPE MILLS AREA CHAMBER PREPARES FOR ITS FIRST-EVER, INVITE-ONLY WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT BRUNCH
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or a couple of years, Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce President Casey Ferris and Shawnelle Jones, special events and communications coordinator at for the Town of Hope Mills, have dreamed of hosting a brunch that empowers women through a time of networking, fun and food. The chamber’s board discussed trying to put together a brunch last year, but in the midst of the pandemic, plans were put on the back burner. “We started planning our Women Mean Business Brunch … and we decided it was something we definitely wanted to make happen this year. Our board is almost 100% female. We have three men,” Ferris said. She recognizes what the men bring to the table, saying they are “fantastic, great business owners.” But since March is Women’s History Month, the board wanted to embrace the opportunity to hold an event that uplifts female entrepreneurs. “We really really wanted to do something for Women’s Month, for March, to thank, highlight, empower, and encourage our female business owners that we’ve got in the area, our entrepreneurs, our profes-
sionals,” Ferris said. “We want all of our strong, forward-thinking women to come for a morning of networking and empowerment, really. We were able to line up the comedian – her name is Hilliary Begley. She was in the Netflix Original [movie], “Dumplin’” with Jennifer Anniston.” The movie, a 2018 coming-of-age comedy, boasts an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, and received nominations for the Critics’ Choice Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Grammy Awards and more. The star-studded movie also featured six musical tracks that Dolly Parton wrote exclusively for the film. Begley is based out of Asheville, and currently on a comedy tour. She will provide the laughs with a halfhour comedy show on women in the workforce. The event will also feature a keynote speaker, Mary Morketter. “She owns all of the Short Stop convenience stores in Cumberland County and the surrounding area – I think that’s 47 of them,” Ferris said. “She started off working behind the counter of her dad’s first Short Stop. She’s dealt with quite a few challenges making her way to
the top, getting taken seriously as a woman, raising children, and now having to figure out all of the mess with COVID and employment and keeping her stores open. So, I think she’ll be a great speaker to hear talk about some of those struggles.” Morketter is the company’s vice president. She graduated from Fayetteville State University with a degree in business administration before working at the family business, which she has been at for 23 years. In 2011, Morketter served on a committee of the North Carolina Petroleum & Convenience Marketers. In 2016, she was awarded the “Rising Star” in Top Women in Convenience by Convenience Store News. The fun doesn’t stop there. “Then, we’re going to have some type of interactive, hands-on activity,” Ferris said. The event will also feature a raffle for a “super cute” Kate Spade tote bag. The event will be held at Gates Four, which will provide the food. “They are, I think, 60 percent women-owned,” she said. The Hope Mills Chamber is trying to mainly include women-owned businesses in their planning for
Women Mean Business. A local vendor is providing sweet treats as a party favor. “We are drawing the line at 50 [guests]. We’ve not done this before. I don’t want to charge people. I think it’s counterintuitive. ‘Hey, come to this awesome women’s empowerment event, but you also have to give me money to come.’ So we were able to line up enough sponsors that everyone we invited is able to attend for free,” Ferris said. Sponsorship opportunities went out to the Chamber membership, which will make up most of the guest list. In addition, the Chamber board, the Mayor, the county commissioners, and a list of female-owned businesses in the area were invited to attend. “We’ve got a plethora of female-owned businesses that have gotten on board with sponsorships already,” she said. “I think it’ll be a really great event.” For the month of March, the Hope Mills Chamber will also be featuring women-owned businesses on its Facebook page.
