Ladies Lead returned to the Revolution Hotel in Boston's South End on Wednesday. The event brings women together using running as a point of connection (the workout isn't the point, it's just how we meet) then they share a discussion with special guests. The theme of Wednesday night's reboot was DIY - that's Do It Yourself - and what that means in leadership in run culture, in Boston's City Hall, and in the State House. Highlighted by deeply personal moments and a spirit of collective rise, notes on DIY included taking care of one's own mental health and boundaries first and leaning on & trusting a team when trying to go big. They also shared their measures of success in community and advice they'd wished they'd received as young people.
Our panelists included running community leaders, a city government official, and a state representative. The Trailblazhers, founded by Liz Rock, Abeo Powder, and Frances Ramirez, anchored the running side of the panel. City councilor at-large & rising political star Ruthzee Louijeune, a veteran of the Warren campaign, is the first person of Haitian descent to be elected in the city of Boston in spite of a robust Haitian community here since the 1950s. Liz Miranda, State Representative of the Suffolk 5th and candidate for State Senate, exemplified brave leadership by sharing deeply personal stories and also what it feels like to be a woman of color in the halls of the Massachusetts Statehouse. Boston media professional, Heartbreaker Captain, & Ladies Lead co-founder, Ellen London, moderated the panel and kept the conversation flowing.
Attendees included a host of Trailblazhers Run Co members, Heartbreakers, Pioneers Run Crew members, plus Jane Wilkinson, Nikla Emambokus, and Lanisha Harrison.
It was a night of much needed connection brought to you by your friends at Heartbreak. Special thank you to the Revolution Hotel for their continued sponsorship of this event series. Photos by Fidelis can be found here.
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PANEL BIOS:
CITY COUNCILOR AT-LARGE | BOSTON
RUTHZEE LOUIJEUNE
A grounded, thoughtful, and inclusive leader, Ruthzee is working to bring our neighborhoods together where shared prosperity is the foundation of a just and equitable Boston. The daughter of working-class immigrants from Haiti, Ruthzee was born and raised in Mattapan and Hyde Park and attended Boston Public Schools. Her first job at 14 was as a walking tour guide with the youth organization MYTOWN, offering a people-centered history of Boston’s neighborhoods. Mayor Menino appointed her to a committee to redesign the student assignment process. As a Ward Fellow, she also interned for former State Representative Marie St. Fleur.
Now, as an experienced lawyer, Ruthzee has practiced before Boston Housing Court representing families facing eviction and foreclosure, worked to elect progressive prosecutors around the country, and supported voting rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. She also served as the senior attorney on Senator Warren’s presidential campaign and drafted agreements netting millions of dollars for first-generation homeowners to help close the racial homeownership and wealth gaps with the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA).
As City Councilor At-Large, Ruthzee is fighting for affordable housing and homeownership, support for our immigrant communities, improved funding and teacher diversity at our schools, and using all the tools at the city’s disposal to address racial justice and equity. Her tenure is historic: she is the first Haitian American elected to represent Boston citywide. She is a graduate of Boston Public Schools, Columbia University, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is trilingual with French and Haitian Creole and is conversant in Spanish.
MASSACHUSETTS STATE REPRESENTATIVE | 5TH SUFFOLK
LIZ MIRANDA
Representative Liz Miranda is the State Representative of the 5th Suffolk and is running for State Senate in the 2nd Suffolk to build a district-wide agenda for community belonging, health equity, and economic opportunity. She is a community organizer, former youth worker, and entrepreneur who ran for office in 2018 after gun violence took the life of her brother. Since taking office, Representative Miranda has been a tireless fighter for the constituents of the 5th Suffolk and families across the Commonwealth.
CO-FOUNDER OF TRAILBLAZHERS | ORGANIZER | ADVOCATE
ELIZABETH ROCK
Elizabeth Rock is from Boston, MA. By day she's as an Application Analyst working for a Healthcare Organization. She is an avid cyclist and runner. She’s done numerous races, and she is currently chasing the World Marathon Majors. She’s run four marathons (Boston, NYC, Chicago, London) and has Berlin and Tokyo left to complete the big six. She's an organizer and an advocate for women in the fitness/wellness space. She is the Co-Founder / Co-Organizer of The Bra Run and TrailblazHers Run Co.
CO-FOUNDER TRAILBLAZHERS | EDUCATOR | CREATIVE
ABEO POWDER
Abeo Powder is a proud co-founder of TrailblazHers Run Co. an all female run crew in Boston, especially catering to BIPOC women. She is also an educator, creative and writer. She’s a 3-time marathoner and 17-time half marathoner. Abeo is also the in-house running coach for TrailblazHers Run Co.
CO-FOUNDER TRAILBLAZHERS | CULTURE CREATOR
FRANCES RAMIREZ
Born and raised in Boston, MA, Frances is a wholesale account manager for a cannabis distributor by trade but a community leader at heart. She has run the New York, Chicago Marathon, and 26.True. She is one of the Co-Founders of TrailblazHers Run Co and one of the Captains of Pioneers Run Crew, as well as the photographer for the culture.
MC | HEARTBREAK COACH/CAPTAIN | MEDIA PRO | MOM
ELLEN LONDON
Ellen London is the MC & co-founder of Ladies Lead, a Heartbreak coach, 16x marathoner, and media professional at one of Boston’s most beloved institutions, WGBH. She has even gone “ultra” - choosing to spend her 30th birthday running 30 miles - yes, for fun. Her love of running is contagious and her leadership style is as fun as it is informed and authentic. She’s a repeat Boston Qualifier in that “over 20min” category which, for the uninitiated, allows her to sign up for the Boston Marathon on the very first day registration opens.
Our panelists included running community leaders, a city government official, and a state representative. The Trailblazhers, founded by Liz Rock, Abeo Powder, and Frances Ramirez, anchored the running side of the panel. City councilor at-large & rising political star Ruthzee Louijeune, a veteran of the Warren campaign, is the first person of Haitian descent to be elected in the city of Boston in spite of a robust Haitian community here since the 1950s. Liz Miranda, State Representative of the Suffolk 5th and candidate for State Senate, exemplified brave leadership by sharing deeply personal stories and also what it feels like to be a woman of color in the halls of the Massachusetts Statehouse. Boston media professional, Heartbreaker Captain, & Ladies Lead co-founder, Ellen London, moderated the panel and kept the conversation flowing.
Attendees included a host of Trailblazhers Run Co members, Heartbreakers, Pioneers Run Crew members, plus Jane Wilkinson, Nikla Emambokus, and Lanisha Harrison.
It was a night of much needed connection brought to you by your friends at Heartbreak. Special thank you to the Revolution Hotel for their continued sponsorship of this event series. Photos by Fidelis can be found here.
-
PANEL BIOS:
CITY COUNCILOR AT-LARGE | BOSTON
RUTHZEE LOUIJEUNE
A grounded, thoughtful, and inclusive leader, Ruthzee is working to bring our neighborhoods together where shared prosperity is the foundation of a just and equitable Boston. The daughter of working-class immigrants from Haiti, Ruthzee was born and raised in Mattapan and Hyde Park and attended Boston Public Schools. Her first job at 14 was as a walking tour guide with the youth organization MYTOWN, offering a people-centered history of Boston’s neighborhoods. Mayor Menino appointed her to a committee to redesign the student assignment process. As a Ward Fellow, she also interned for former State Representative Marie St. Fleur.
Now, as an experienced lawyer, Ruthzee has practiced before Boston Housing Court representing families facing eviction and foreclosure, worked to elect progressive prosecutors around the country, and supported voting rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. She also served as the senior attorney on Senator Warren’s presidential campaign and drafted agreements netting millions of dollars for first-generation homeowners to help close the racial homeownership and wealth gaps with the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA).
As City Councilor At-Large, Ruthzee is fighting for affordable housing and homeownership, support for our immigrant communities, improved funding and teacher diversity at our schools, and using all the tools at the city’s disposal to address racial justice and equity. Her tenure is historic: she is the first Haitian American elected to represent Boston citywide. She is a graduate of Boston Public Schools, Columbia University, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is trilingual with French and Haitian Creole and is conversant in Spanish.
MASSACHUSETTS STATE REPRESENTATIVE | 5TH SUFFOLK
LIZ MIRANDA
Representative Liz Miranda is the State Representative of the 5th Suffolk and is running for State Senate in the 2nd Suffolk to build a district-wide agenda for community belonging, health equity, and economic opportunity. She is a community organizer, former youth worker, and entrepreneur who ran for office in 2018 after gun violence took the life of her brother. Since taking office, Representative Miranda has been a tireless fighter for the constituents of the 5th Suffolk and families across the Commonwealth.
CO-FOUNDER OF TRAILBLAZHERS | ORGANIZER | ADVOCATE
ELIZABETH ROCK
Elizabeth Rock is from Boston, MA. By day she's as an Application Analyst working for a Healthcare Organization. She is an avid cyclist and runner. She’s done numerous races, and she is currently chasing the World Marathon Majors. She’s run four marathons (Boston, NYC, Chicago, London) and has Berlin and Tokyo left to complete the big six. She's an organizer and an advocate for women in the fitness/wellness space. She is the Co-Founder / Co-Organizer of The Bra Run and TrailblazHers Run Co.
CO-FOUNDER TRAILBLAZHERS | EDUCATOR | CREATIVE
ABEO POWDER
Abeo Powder is a proud co-founder of TrailblazHers Run Co. an all female run crew in Boston, especially catering to BIPOC women. She is also an educator, creative and writer. She’s a 3-time marathoner and 17-time half marathoner. Abeo is also the in-house running coach for TrailblazHers Run Co.
CO-FOUNDER TRAILBLAZHERS | CULTURE CREATOR
FRANCES RAMIREZ
Born and raised in Boston, MA, Frances is a wholesale account manager for a cannabis distributor by trade but a community leader at heart. She has run the New York, Chicago Marathon, and 26.True. She is one of the Co-Founders of TrailblazHers Run Co and one of the Captains of Pioneers Run Crew, as well as the photographer for the culture.
MC | HEARTBREAK COACH/CAPTAIN | MEDIA PRO | MOM
ELLEN LONDON
Ellen London is the MC & co-founder of Ladies Lead, a Heartbreak coach, 16x marathoner, and media professional at one of Boston’s most beloved institutions, WGBH. She has even gone “ultra” - choosing to spend her 30th birthday running 30 miles - yes, for fun. Her love of running is contagious and her leadership style is as fun as it is informed and authentic. She’s a repeat Boston Qualifier in that “over 20min” category which, for the uninitiated, allows her to sign up for the Boston Marathon on the very first day registration opens.