Photos: Inside Mamas Making It Summit 2022
Photos: Monica Henriquez
On Sunday, March 6, 2022, Fashion Mamas hosted its sixth-annual Mamas Making It Summit at Lombardi House in Hollywood! You wouldn’t have been able to see it from the street, but behind that beautiful garden wall on Bronson Avenue, nearly one hundred vaccinated speakers and attendees gathered for a very special occasion. The day is meant to highlight the achievements of badass mothers who are leaders and disruptors in their respective fields. Through interactive experiences and thoughtful panel discussions led by founder Natalie Alcala, mamas in the audience (and on stage!) walked away feeling inspired and motivated to continue on their individual career path – knowing that anything is possible and that they deserve everything they want to achieve. This year’s event boasted 17 influential speakers who offered attendees a variety of enriching takeaways.
Attendees were greeted in the morning with fresh baked pastries from Clark Street Bakery, a delicious lunch from Chop Stop, and drinks from Boxed Water, De Soi and AMASS. Kids and adults enjoyed snacks provided by Sunnie. While the adults were snacking, kids got to play nearby in a supervised playspace led by The Nanny League with conscientious handcrafted wooden toys by Wiwiurka. Our friend Corrie In Color did an amazing job creating our stage backdrop, Love This Way brought the coolest “MAMA” marquee letters that everyone took a turn posing in front of, and The Picnic Style created the most stunning picnic seating area that was as functional as it was Instagram-worthy.
Memorable moments of the day included a mini meditation led by our opening keynote Kimberly Snyder, who drew from her latest book You Are More Than You Think You Are to impart upon everyone in the audience that we all have the potential to unlock our True Self, which has limitless potential.
When it comes to building your business, “Digital Gamechangers” panelist Zoila Darton offered unforgettable advice: “Run your business the way you live your life.” Other than Honesty and Authenticity, another prominent theme of the day among speakers was that it all comes back to Community. For “Unapologetic Voices” panelists Joey Ng and Anja Akhile, they’ve built resources that were born to address the urgent question of: “why are members of my community dying?” Joey saw the rise of anti-Asian sentiment following the pandemic and realized there was no one singular destination to document this rise, and so she built it. Anja didn’t understand why childbirth — a beautiful, natural process— resulted in so many Black women facing traumatic experiences. With only 2% of midwives in the US being Black women, Anja’s decision for her career was one rooted in community.
Self-Care and Mental Health were also prominent topics. On “The Lightbulb Moment” panel, Dr. Neela Sethi Young revealed that she co-founded her bestselling brand Jaanuu in an effort to disrupt “the unflattering world of scrubs” — because essential workers are human, too, and they deserve to feel good while saving lives. This also meant that Dr. Neela wanted to dress essential workers when they’re off-duty, offering them cozy, comfy loungewear to remind that their own well-being is also, in fact, essential. On the “Protecting Your Energy” panel, Melanie Fiona shared the healing power of music, which is why she is considered “The Singing Nurse.” And on the “Powerful Partnerships” panel, new mama Samantha Duenas aka SOSUPERSAM shared how mother has changed her: at a recent DJ gig, she stopped the music and encouraged everyone be safe and text their parents.
The day ended with our incredible closing keynote, Grammy-nominated artist and leading actress Christina Milian! She was glowing from the inside out, and shared so much of her inspiring story, from what it was like growing up in her “Dip It Low” era and how she stayed grounded, to giving her own mama props for always being supportive of her passions and never putting her down, to what it’s like raising three children of her own. Our biggest takeaway from speaking to Christina was that, despite having more than six million Instagram followers, she is one down-to-earth, fun and free-spirited woman, and it was a true honor to be in her orbit.
Last but certainly not least, a big shout out to Jaanuu for being our official mask sponsor! Not only did they provide adult and child masks to every attendee, all speakers received their NEW line of loungewear.
You did not have to be on stage to leave with even more goodies, though. All GA gift bags came with Versed overnight peel, our limited-edition Mamas Making It embroidered raw hem bandana, and in the case of VIP ticket-holders, FM’s limited-edition Mamas Making It embroidered denim and suede hat.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at this memorable day! We already can’t wait for next year.
Opening Keynote & Meditation
Kimberly Snyder
New York Times Bestselling Author
Panel: The Lightbulb Moment
Morgan McLachlan
Co-founder, AMASS Brands Group
Dr. Neela Sethi Young
Co-founder, Jaanuu
Erin Falconer
Author, Psychotherapist & Digital Entrepreneur
Panel: Digital Gamechangers
Julia Vaughn
Founder, JULIA Jewelry & Content Creator
Zoila Darton
Founder and Creative Director, WORD
Rachael “Steak” Finley
Owner, Steakworld
Panel: Unapologetic Voices
Joey Ng
Vice President of Marketing, Output
Anja Akhile
Life Design Specialist & Student Midwife
Nicki Sebastian
Film Photographer & Cancer Survivor
Panel: Powerful Partnerships
Samantha Duenas
DJ, Artist, Personality
Patty Othon
Celebrity Photographer and Content Creator
Elise Peterson
Visual Artist & Founder, Cool Moms Podcast
Panel: Protecting Your Energy
Melanie Fiona
Singer/Songwriter & Founder of Melly Belly
Shannon Nadj
Founder, Hot Pilates
Tara Sowlaty Lehrer
Co-Founder, How You Glow
Closing Keynote
Christina Milian
Singer, Songwriter, Actress