One Week Until The United State Of Women Summit

In just seven days, thousands of women from across the country will gather at the Walter E. Washington Convention center for the first-ever United State of Women Summit. And believe me when I tell you, it is about to be LIT. 

Women leaders from the worlds of technology, government, politics, science and business will convene not only share their special powers with one another, but to uplift and make very plain that we are the force that continues to push America forward. The day will include various break-out sessions covering six topics: economic empowerment, health and wellness, educational opportunity, entrepreneurship and innovation, violence against women and leadership + civic engagement.

Guest appearances will be made by President Obama and The First Lady (faints), Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden (wall slides), Valerie Jarrett (tears up) and so many more bosses that I'll probably just be in a daze by the end of the day.

Yesterday, the White House dropped this powerful two-minute film which featured the likes of First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington, Shonda Rhimes, Laverne Cox, Tina Fey, Jessica Matthews and so many more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFyd0H0tpes

Each of them share their experience about what it means to be a powerful woman and why we must unite so that our voices are heard in across sectors and industries.

Not only did this short film bring a tear to my eye, but it got me all the more excited to share the room with so many amazing women who are change-makers, go-getters and risk takers.

Are you attending next week's summit? If so, leave a comment below or send me a tweet! I want to take the largest photo in the life with some of my favorite women of all time. If not, be sure to follow @USWomen2016 for all updates. I will also provide a re-cap next week, so stay tuned for that as well!

Because together, we can change tomorrow. 

EVENT RE-CAP: The First-Ever White House Instameet

Happy Monday, folks! As many of you could tell from my Instagram photos, I had the awesome opportunity to visit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this weekend, and share my entire experience.

For my second time visiting the White House, I must say that I was pretty excited, but very curious as to what exactly we were going to see. For those of you all that have visited before, typically the tours are subject to the East Wing (primarily where FLOTUS hangs out.) And while that remained the same route for ours, it's always a little different when there aren't as many people snapping selfies, asking the same questions, and trying to scoot pass you to get a closer look at an important artifact.

Along with about 20 other Instagrammers (some of which traveled as far as California), not only did we get an up-close-and-personal tour of the East Wing, but we were guided by Pete Souza, THE Chief Official White House Photographer. During our visit, he shared his experiences as a photographer, how he balances using his regular camera and Instagram with his iPhone 6, and shared shared tips on what to look for during our tour.

It was truly a gratifying experience to view such a major part of our nation's history from a different lens. And my fellow tour mates made the tour just as fun with their insightful questions, amazing photographs and overall excitement. A picture is truly worth a thousand words, but I'm grateful to have memories that will last me a lifetime of this awesome day.

For more awesome images from the White House Instameet, search #WHInstameet on Instagram.