FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
100 Loudoun Girls to Gather for Sold-Out Girl emPower Summit
LEESBURG, Va. — The Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls (LCWAG) will host its seventh annual Girl emPower Summit on Saturday, August 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Northern Virginia Community College’s Loudoun Campus. The free event has already reached its capacity of 100 participants, drawing girls from across the county to spend a morning with women leaders, mentors, and professionals. This year’s program is built around four themes that have anchored the Summit since it began: confidence, leadership, career exploration, and personal growth. Registration filled well ahead of the event, a sign of how much demand has grown for the program since its first year.
LCWAG Executive Director Lisa McGrail said the Summit reflects “what’s possible when girls across Loudoun County come together” to learn from one another and from the women guiding them. She added that the goal is for every girl who attends to leave with a stronger sense of her own voice and the choices in front of her, and she thanked the sponsors, speakers, and volunteers who helped the event reach a full house this year.
Guiding the morning’s activities will be LCWAG board member Breana Turner, who returns for her second year as emcee. Turner will lead participants through the day’s conversations, connections, and hands-on sessions, helping keep the pace lively for a room full of girls ages 12 to 18.
This year’s keynote speaker is Ashley Koranteng, owner and general manager of Virginia Vitesse, Loudoun County’s only semi-professional women’s basketball team. Koranteng has spent more than a decade mentoring young people through coaching and community leadership, and her work in sports has earned her a spot in the 2025 NBA Future Basketball Operations Stars cohort as well as a fellowship with the San Antonio Spurs. A graduate of Loudoun County Public Schools and George Mason University, Koranteng will speak to the girls about building confidence through sport, leadership, and community involvement.
Also joining the Summit is Christina Blake, an active-duty officer in the U.S. Air Force and Miss District of Columbia Volunteer. Blake placed in the Top 12 nationally and earned the Impact Award through the Miss Volunteer America organization for her advocacy work. She is also the author of the “The Brave Little Raindrop” children’s book series and has made closing the Dream Gap, the age at which girls begin to lose confidence in their abilities, a central part of her advocacy.
Rounding out the speaker lineup is a panel from Amazon Web Services featuring Desiree Toler, Meredith Swisher, Brenna Lim, and Gwen Belliveau. The four will share their own career paths and offer perspective on opportunities in technology and professional fields, giving attendees a firsthand look at what a career in tech can look like.
Girls on the Run will lead an interactive workshop called “Finding Your Confidence,” designed to help participants identify their personal strengths and practice carrying that confidence into everyday situations, from the classroom to future job interviews.
The Summit remains free to every attendee thanks to its sponsors. Amazon is serving as the lead sponsor for 2026, with additional support from Backflow Technology, OPSPro, The CEO Woman, You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia, and Walmart’s Sterling location. LCWAG has noted that sponsor support is what allows the organization to keep the event free and accessible to Loudoun families year after year.
With all 100 spots claimed, the Summit is officially sold out for 2026. Families interested in future opportunities, or in being notified if a spot opens up, can email contact@lcwag.org to join the waitlist.
The Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls promotes leadership development and fosters an inclusive community for Loudoun’s women and girls through education, collaboration, and empowerment. The Girl emPower Summit is one of several signature programs the organization runs throughout the year to support girls and women across Loudoun County.
Source: Loudoun Now, “100 Loudoun Girls to Gather for Sold-Out Girl emPower Summit” (Aug. 16, 2026)
