Overview:
The 4th Annual Women of Influence Awards Luncheon was held at The Statler Hotel in Dallas, recognizing the achievements of impactful women in various fields. The event emphasized the importance of mentorship, visibility, and intentional support, and celebrated sisterhood as a strategy for progress. The honorees, including healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, and cultural influencers, shared a commitment to impact and the importance of sustained action beyond International Women's Month. The luncheon affirmed a shared vision where women rise and reach back, and where being seen, heard, and supported is the expectation.
Honoring Influence in the Heart of Downtown
Last Friday, March 20, the ballroom at The Statler Hotel transformed into a vibrant celebration of leadership, legacy, and sisterhood for the 4th Annual Women of Influence Awards Luncheon.
Hosted by media powerhouse and namesake of Cheryl Magazine, Cheryl Polote-Williamson, the event brought together a cross-section of Dallas’ most impactful women—from healthcare leaders and nonprofit executives to creatives, entrepreneurs, and cultural influencers.
Timed with International Women’s Month, the luncheon served as both a recognition of achievement and a call to sustain that influence far beyond March.
Red Carpet Reflections: “When Women Win, We All Win”
Before the program began, the red carpet offered a glimpse into the collective mindset shaping the afternoon: gratitude, purpose, and a shared responsibility to uplift others.
For Black Lives Matter Foundation Board Chairwoman Cicely Gay, the moment was about restoration as much as recognition. “Black women, we hold up the world on our shoulders,” she said. “To take a moment and pause and be celebrated means everything… I’m reignited to go and celebrate others.”
That sense of renewal echoed across interviews. Attendees consistently framed influence not as individual power, but as something deeply communal rooted in mentorship, visibility, and intentional support.
Karan Staggers and Sharan Allen, twin nurse practitioners and honorees, emphasized the connection between influence and legacy. For them, it begins with care: both in the exam room and in the community.
“When we educate one person, they go on to influence others,” they shared. “It’s about leaving something for the next generation.”
Sisterhood as Strategy, Not Sentiment
Throughout the red carpet, one idea stood out: sisterhood is not just emotional support, it is strategy.
Kelley Cornish, honored as The Influential Catalyst, described the room as a “powerhouse” of women capable of changing the world together. “If you can see what’s possible in this room,” she said, “you believe you can go out and do it.”
That belief was reinforced by voices across industries. Whether in corporate spaces, nonprofit leadership, or creative fields, attendees emphasized that progress requires collective effort.
Senior Manager of Client Services at Intuit, Adrienne Barrett, distilled it simply: “When you support another woman, when you say her name in a room where she isn’t there- that’s influence.”
Faith, Purpose, and the Personal Journey of Influence
For many in attendance, influence was inseparable from purpose, and often grounded in faith.
Actress and comedian B. Simone spoke candidly about stepping into a new season of identity, choosing to embrace her full name and deeper calling. “Platform doesn’t always equal purpose,” she said. “Purpose is in the everyday moments.”
That sentiment resonated with entrepreneurs like Tiffany Walker, who highlighted the importance of alignment, spiritually and relationally, in sustaining success.
Across conversations, women described influence as evolving. It is not a fixed destination, but a lifelong process of growth, refinement, and rediscovery.
Honorees Leading with Impact
Inside the ballroom, the honorees reflected the event’s central theme: influence as action. The afternoon’s Dallas-based honorees included:
- Sharan Allen – The Wellness Innovator
- Karan Staggers – The Community Health Champion
- Kelley Cornish – The Influential Catalyst
- Sara Madsen Miller – The Creative Visionary
- Marnese Barksdale Elder – The Strategic HR Powerhouse
Each honoree represents a different lane of leadership, yet all share a commitment to impact: whether through expanding healthcare access, shaping economic opportunity, or telling stories that shift culture here in the DFW.
The Media Sovereign Award was presented to Sheila Eldridge, CEO of Miles Ahead Entertainment and Broadcasting.
Beyond the Moment: Why This Gathering Matters
While the luncheon celebrated individual achievements, its broader significance lies in its timing. During International Women’s Month, events like this serve as both reflection and reinforcement- reminding communities that recognition must translate into sustained action.
Miss Black International 2026, Shevann Steuben, emphasized the importance of exposure for the next generation. “Knowing what you can be is based on what you see,” she said. “So be something that can be seen.”
That visibility, paired with mentorship and intentional community-building, was repeatedly cited as the key to long-term change.
As one attendee put it: “We need each other to survive.”
A Room That Reflects What’s Possible
By the close of the afternoon, the Women of Influence Awards Luncheon had done more than celebrate, it affirmed a shared vision. Walking in victory seems to be a large part of that vision for event host, Williamson:
A vision where influence starts small but scales through community.
Where women not only rise, but reach back.
And where being seen, heard, and supported is not the exception, but the expectation.
In a city as dynamic as Dallas, that vision feels less like aspiration and more like momentum.