From idea to movement: The Power to Pursue Summit returns for 5th year Power-versary

What began as an idea rooted in lived experience has grown into one of the region’s most distinctive gatherings for women.

Now in its fifth year, the Power to Pursue Summit returns this May with what organizers are calling a “Power-versary,” marking both the event’s growth and the community that has formed around it.

Founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Rachel DesRochers, Power to Pursue was created to offer something she felt was missing from traditional women’s programming.

“It was truly a vision out of I think going my whole life to ‘things for women’ and just always being told, you know, it wasn’t enough,” DesRochers said. “We’ve created a ‘women’s empowerment movement’ is the way that I say it, with a mission to create a safe space for women to be seen, heard and loved.”

That mission has taken shape through a range of programming, including the annual summit, workshops, partnerships, and ongoing events throughout the year. Still, the summit remains the centerpiece.

The first event, held in 2022 after pandemic delays, drew just over 400 attendees. This year, organizers expect nearly 900.

DesRochers said the timing of the launch, emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately helped define the event’s tone and purpose. “I think COVID is one of the best things that happened for Power to Pursue,” she said. “I think what it did was it gave all women a universal experience.” That shared experience, she said, created a deeper need for connection. “They’re like, are you crazy? We need it now more than ever.”

A summit built around the whole person

While many conferences focus on career development or entrepreneurship alone, Power to Pursue intentionally takes a broader approach.

“We serve entrepreneurs. We serve corporate women, we serve the human,” said Tara Litmer, Chief Operating Officer. “I think that’s the differentiator.”

Programming reflects that philosophy. Sessions span topics from executive presence and finance to mental health, creativity and play. This year’s summit includes panels on women’s health, brain health, and leadership, alongside interactive sessions designed to encourage participation and reflection. One breakout invites attendees to step away from traditional programming altogether.

“What if you just went and danced for 45?” DesRochers said. “It’s important to have those breaks where you can just live in that moment.”

Litmer said that balance between structured content and personal experience is intentional and shaped by conversations with the community throughout the year.

“We show up, we hear what the women need. We see what the women need. We bring what the women need.”

That feedback loop extends beyond the summit itself. Power to Pursue hosts programming year-round, including partnerships with local organizations, speaker series, and events designed to support women at different stages of life and career. Additional programs include free-to-attend events like Power Hour, the MakeHers Market, and The HERizon Series, giving women the chance to share stories, build connections, and empower the next generation.

Real stories, not polished narratives

At the center of the summit is a focus on authenticity, something organizers say sets it apart from more traditional conferences. In 2025, Katie Couric was the keynote speaker, touching on her experiences as the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast, founding her own company, and balancing entrepreneurship with life. 

“There’s just something so raw and authentic about the discussions on our stages,” DesRochers said.

Speakers are encouraged to share not only their successes, but the realities behind them, the challenges faced, and everything it took to get there. That approach often leads to conversations that are rarely addressed in professional settings.

“They’re talking about things like if they cried in a meeting,” DesRochers said. “We haven’t necessarily had a safe space for that to be true.”

This year, speakers include Jackie Reau, CEO of Game Day Communications; Christy White, CEO of Whirlybird Granola; Rickell Howard Smith, Esq., President & CEO of YWCA Greater Cincinnati; Julie Kirkpatrick, President & CEO of meetNKY; and so many others who have paved a path of female entrepreneurship in the area.

The goal of the summit overall, DesRochers said, is simple. “The only intention I hold on Friday, May 15th, is that every person that walks through those doors feels loved.”

Growth driven by connection

As attendance has grown, organizers say the summit’s impact is most visible in the relationships formed during the event.

“We’ve had women say, ‘I came, I didn’t know anybody,’” Litmer said. “‘And I left and I legit met like three women that I know I’m going to connect with for a lifetime.’”

That sense of connection is reinforced through intentional design, including open seating, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities that encourage interaction across industries and backgrounds. The event’s reach has also expanded through word of mouth and a network of volunteers who return each year.

“We are literally a team of two,” DesRochers said. “And 45 incredible volunteers.”

These volunteers have come through conversations and connections over the years. Many of those volunteers have been involved since the beginning, a reflection of the experience attendees have come to expect. “They’re calling us in November going, ‘when is it happening? Can I still volunteer?’”

As the summit celebrates its fifth year, organizers are introducing new elements while maintaining the core experience that has defined the event. “It’s really important to us that the women who have been there four years running feel a slightly different experience,” Litmer said.

Attendees can expect expanded programming, additional interactive elements, and new surprises throughout the day. Returning features, including professional headshots and curated networking opportunities, will continue.

The focus, however, remains consistent. “If those women walk into that room and something you say triggers that heart feel,” DesRochers said, “you hit the humanity.”

As the summit continues to grow, its organizers see it as part of a broader movement within Cincinnati, one centered on connection, collaboration and shared experience.

“I think the thing that Power to Pursue does is validates that,” DesRochers said. “We just normalize normal things.”

For DesRochers, the work has become deeply personal. “It’s the honor of my life that I get to build this work,” she said.

What: Power to Pursue, a one-day summit featuring panels, workshops, and interactive programming

When: May 15th, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Music Hall, Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati

Who it’s for: Women across industries, career stages, and backgrounds

Tickets: https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/power-to-pursue-26