2025 EMPOWERUS PROGRAM

EMPOWERUS SUMMIT EmpowerUS Summit is a campus wide event for students, faculty, and staff. Entering its seventh year, this annual event provides staff, faculty, and students an opportunity to build community connections, learn holistic wellness skills, and explore various professional development topics.

We hope that attendees leave the summit with a feeling of strength, encouragement, and empowerment. By focusing on developing confidence through our collective knowledge, we can own our power and find strength in ourselves and our community. In the spirit of moving forward to create the inclusive world we envision, we present our overall theme: Reclaiming Our Space.

EmpowerUS Summit 2025 Donors

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PROGRAM SCHEDULE Time

Topic

Room

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Check-In

The Beach

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Continental Breakfast

The Beach

9:45 am - 10:10 am

Welcome & Introductions

The Beach

10:10 am - 10:40 am

Keynote Speaker - Reclaiming Our Space, Tiffany Yu

The Beach

10:40 am - 10:50 am

Break

Various Locations

10:50 am - 11:50 am

Workshop Block #1

Various Locations

Reclaiming Your Space: Cultivating Authenticity and Empowerment

The Beach

Beyond Budgeting

Venture Cove A

The Power of Connections – Build Your Network, Build Your Future

Venture Cove B

The Art of Negotiation

Venture Cove C

11:50 am - 1:05 pm

Lunch: Buon Appetite

Lunch: Patio

11:50 am - 1:05 pm

Community Resource Hub

Exchange Area

1:05 pm - 2:05 pm

Workshop Block #2

Various Locations

Inner Child Altars & Rituals: Resourcing Safety and Joy from Within

The Beach

PROJECT YOU: a conversation + guide to loving and accepting yourself. Sad Girls Club at UCI Exclusive

Venture Cove A

Radical Well-being

Venture Cove B

Tuning In: A Sound Bath for Mindfulness

Venture Cove C

2:05 pm - 2:15 pm

Break

Various Locations

2:15 pm - 2:50 pm

Breaking Barriers Panel

The Beach

2:50 pm - 3:00 pm

Closing Remarks

The Beach

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MAP OF COVE ROOMS

LUNCH SPOTLIGHT

Buen Appetit Truck creates a global comfort cuisine. With over 15 years of combined experience, Buen Appetit truck brings an eclectic menu for all. Their passion for food, and really good food, comes from their parents and families experience in the culinary world. Owners, Lauryn and Alex, bring two continents to the palette with Lauryn’s French upbringing in high-end culinary cuisine and Alex’s Mexican inspired dishes to bring together a world of global cuisine.

The Womxn's Center for Success is intentional about supporting local womxn owned businesses at every opportunity we can!

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Lunch Choices Include: Protein bowl: Choice of grilled chicken or fish. Served with chipotle spiced, rice, and spring mix. Topped with house sauce. Served with chips and salsa Vegan bowl: Grilled vegetable medley, chipotle spiced rice and spring mix.

Served with chips and salsa Tacos (chicken and fish tacos): Grilled chicken or fish tacos. Topped with pico de gallo and house sauce. Served with chips and salsa

SHUTTLE SCHEDULE Shuttles will be leaving from the flagpoles

by Aldrich Hall to bring attendees to UCI Beall Innovations at 8:45AM 9:00 AM 9:15AM 9:30 AM 9:45AM

Shuttles will be leaving from UCI Beall Innovation to bring attendees to the flagpoles by Aldrich Hall at: 3:00PM 3:15 PM 3:30 PM 3:45 PM 5

“RECLAIMING OUR SPACE: Keynote by Tiffany Yu

Tiffany Yu is the CEO & Founder of Diversability, an award-winning entirely disabled-run and led social enterprise to elevate disability pride, and a content creator with 200k + followers across platforms.

She is a 3x TEDx speaker and has been named a TikTok API (Asian & Pacific Islander) Trailblazer, a LinkedIn Top Voice in Disability Advocacy, and a Well+Good Changemaker. Her first book, The AntiAbleist Manifesto, will be published by Hachette Go in Fall 2024.

Tiffany has helped to invest over $170,000 in disability initiatives through the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter and the Disability Empowerment Endowed Fund at Georgetown University.

She has been featured in Marie Claire, the Guardian, and Forbes.

She started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and has also worked at Bloomberg and Sean Diddy Combs' REVOLT Media & TV. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master's from the London School of Economics. At the age of 9, Tiffany became disabled as a result of a car accident that also took the life of her father.

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WORKSHOP BLOCK #1 10:50am - 11:50am

Workshop & Presenter Reclaiming Your Space: Cultivating Authenticity and Empowerment

Location & Description Location: The Beach Track: Student, Staff, Faculty Graduate Students, Staff/Faculty

In this one-hour workshop, participants will explore the importance of reclaiming personal and professional spaces to foster authenticity and empowerment. Through guided reflection, attendees will identify obstacles that hinder their ability to reclaim their space and the resulting impact on their well-being.

Participants will learn to embrace their authentic selves by aligning their actions with their vision, purpose, and values, unlocking Dr. Lori Ochoa new possibilities for growth and fulfillment.

Join us to start a fulfilling journey toward a more authentic and empowered life.

Location: Venture Cove B The Power of Connections - Build Track: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Your Network, Build Your Future Students

Liz Gustafson Heather DeLuca Katherine O’Connor

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In this workshop learn how to network from womxn in different food and service industries.

Practice, learn, and take this skill with you for your future networking! Networking is more than just exchanging business cards—it’s about building meaningful connections that can open doors to new opportunities, personal growth, and career success. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore the power of networking, understand its importance, and develop practical strategies to cultivate strong professional relationships.

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WORKSHOP BLOCK #1 10:50am - 11:50am

Workshop & Presenter

Location & Description

The Art of Negotiation

Location: Venture Cove C Track: Student, Staff, Faculty Graduate Students, Staff/Faculty

Sydney Torres (She/Her/Ella)

Alicen Bosley (She/Her)

In this one-hour workshop, participants will explore the importance of reclaiming personal and professional spaces to foster authenticity and empowerment.

Through guided reflection, attendees will identify obstacles that hinder their ability to reclaim their space and the resulting impact on their well-being. Participants will learn to embrace their authentic selves by aligning their actions with their vision, purpose, and values, unlocking new possibilities for growth and fulfillment. Join us to start a fulfilling journey toward a more authentic and empowered life.

Beyond Budgeting Location: Venture Cove A Track: Graduate Students, Staff/Faculty Dream big and make your money work for you! In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn to reframe your relationship with money, set financial goals with a clear plan, and embrace key principles like budgeting, paying yourself first, and avoiding the myth of timing the market. Walk away with the confidence to align your finances with your biggest life aspirations!

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Elizabeth Lee

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WORKSHOP BLOCK #2 1:05pm - 2:05pm

Workshop & Presenter

Inner Child Altars & Rituals: Resourcing Safety and Joy from Within

Cynthia Alonzo Perez, LCSW (she/her/ella)

Tuning In: A Sound Bath for Mindfulness

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Eli Pascal (they/them)

Location & Description Location: The Beach Track: Graduate Students, Staff/Faculty An Inner Child Altar is a physical space and/or a sacred inner portal to your inner child’s most delicate and precious wonders. Note that this space can be physical and literal, while at the same time being a portal to your creative consciousness through the inner child. This space is inherently sacred because it is your inner child’s intentions, curiosities, nostalgia and dreams. What goes in your physical inner child altar is personal and intimate and looks different for everyone but the energy it invites is safety, innocence, play and unjudged love.When you create a physical altar for your inner child’s encuentros, you say to the inner child with non-verbal details, symbolism and love letters, nuanced and grand that say, you matter, I want you to take up space and I will come daily and check in with you, I am happy to know you, come home here.

We will use guided visualization, inner resourcing and bilateral stimulation to create an inner child altar in our knowing field and discuss as a group our intentions for a physical inner child altar or ritual.

Location: Venture Cove C Track: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Staff/Faculty Immerse yourself in a restorative sound healing experience featuring the soothing sounds of crystal singing bowls designed to promote mindfulness, reduce stress and support overall well-being. During this workshop, you will be guided into a state of relaxation as the pure, harmonic tones of the crystal bowls fill the space. Participants can expect: a brief introduction to sound healing and its benefits, an immersive sound bath experience and time to for reflection and integration following the session.

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WORKSHOP BLOCK #2 1:05pm - 2:05pm

Workshop & Presenter

Location & Description

PROJECT YOU: A conversation + guide to loving and accepting yourself.

Location: Venture Cove A Track: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students Exclusive for Sad Girls Club. Join Today!

Bianka Gravillis (she/her)

You’re invited to a Tea Party for Sad Girls!

Together, we’ll develop strategies for identifying when we may need a little extra care and what we can do to fill our cups. This workshop isn't about "fixing" your feelings— it's about honoring them and responding with compassion! Through interactive discussions, you’ll learn new self-care strategies, build a personal joy menu you can return to again and again, and grow from sipping and spilling tea community with your fellow Sad Girls.

Come ready to share, listen, and discover new ways to prioritize your well-being so you can show up fully for yourself and your community!

Radical Well-Being Location: Venture Cove B Track: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Staff/Faculty

Destiny Nava (She/Her/Ella/They/Them/Elle)

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In this workshop, we will hold space to talk about our perceptions of well-being, suggestions and benefits for practicing taking care of ourselves, collect resources that can assist us and end with a guided meditation.

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BREAKING BARRIERS PANEL 2:15 pm - 2:50 pm

Sit in on the Breaking Barriers Panel where our attendees will be able to hear from womxn leaders on campus about overcoming barriers to leadership and tackling inequities in the workplace.

Dr. Stella Ko (She/Her) Senior Staff Psychologist at UCI Counseling Center

Dr. Benis Egoh, (she/her) Associate Professor, Dept. of Earth System Science

Gwendolyn Kuhns Black (Gwen/She/Ella) Assistant Vice Chancellor, Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action

Sherwynn Umali (She/her/hers) Deputy Chief of Staff, Student Affairs

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2023-2024 EMPOWERUS SUMMIT COMMITTEE Thank you to our amazing committee that worked hard since the start of Fall 2022 quarter to plan this in-person event.

Rasta Bagheri, CARE Advocate – UCI CARE Chasia Jeffries – Graduate Ph.D Student Sandy Wang, Assistant Director – International Center Christina K. Treble, Honors Advisor – Campuswide Honors Collegium Ta’hlia Davis, Undergraduate Student Shayla Ho, Creative Media Designer 2 – Womxn’s Center for Success Bowie Rivera, Transgender Care Specialist – LGBT Resource Center Saira Fazli, Assistant Director of Career Education – Career Pathways May Wilson, Associate Director, Alumni Relations – Alumni Association Erika Cortez, Assistant Director – Womxn’s Center for Success

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ABOUT THE WOMXN'S CENTER FOR SUCCESS Mission Statement The Womxn’s Center for Success at UC Irvine advances gender equity by raising consciousness on social justice concepts, fostering personal and professional growth, uplifting community success, building community connections, encouraging identity development, and creating space that supports holistic well-being.

Why ‘Womxn’?

“Womxn” is one of a few lexical and social phenomena, including the adoption of “x” in naming gender nonconforming individuals, genderqueer folx, two spirit people, femmes, transgender folx, and non-binary people.

Womxn acknowledges that gender identity exists in a sphere and one word has room for multiple gender expressions without weighing one more important. It highlights that more than one gender expression can be impacted by patriarchy, misogyny, and sexism.

Community Commitments We support each other in the real world, on campus, and in the digital space.

We listen, learn, and grow. Our community is continuously evolving and so are we.

We create brave spaces that are intersectional, inclusive, and non-judgmental.

We empower and amplify the voices that go unseen, unheard, and underappreciated.

We unapologetically stand up against racism, homophobia, anti-blackness, transphobia, ableism, classim, and xenophobia.

We take care of ourselves and each other because joy, self-care, and community empowerment are acts of resilience.

Services & Programs One on one appointments, We Rise Ambassador Program, Feel Good Moments, Reproductive Justice at UCI, Sad Girls Club at UCI (Hybrid), Affiliate Program, Menstruation Equity at UCI, Weekly Newsletter (Virtual)

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We hope you have enjoyed your time with us at the summit & hope to see you next year!

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