Women’s Speak Up Event

By Ja’Bria Laster | Published November 19, 2022

The Women’s Speak Up Event has been held annually since 2018. It is also an organization which is a diversion of Abbysoul Productions, a platform and management service that helps artists, businesses, poets, and all creatives that are in the New Jersey and New York area. 

The goal of Women’s Speak Up is to find the right people to connect to whether that is professionally or personally. Also to encourage women to be positive while they search for their purpose or make spiritual connections with others.  

Women Speak Up has been able to provide many internships for the past two years, especially this year to give back to college students to be a part of this organization.

Yanel Rivera, creative director, helps orchestrate this event for resource exposure and campaigns that are provided for anyone who needs to get connected to the right companies and programs. 

Rivera has worked in the communication business for eight years and has had the pleasure in creating programs to help women to know what other resources are available around the listed states.

The thought of this organization came about when Rivera was 19-years-old, and she was diagnosed with cancer. She had a full-time scholarship to Rutgers University but because of her health, she did not have the chance to attend college. 

“I met someone through the ability to go to Chemotherapy and she was the only girl my age and the only person who was on the same path as I was. She inspired this event to come to life,” Rivera said. 

At this event, there were artists, poets, guest speakers, and over 13 small businesses that are owned by women showcasing their products and services on Oct. 9. 

A donation close to $500 was made to a woman-based cause. This year a donation was made to the Magee Woman’s Foundation and Research which benefits the changes in a woman’s body. 

It is important for women to know what happens to their bodies and what health risks could be living amongst them so that they could receive the right treatments to continue to be healthy. 

The mission statement of Women’s Speak Up is that they want to give women and men the space to feel creative, feel at ease, but also learn new things when moving forward in life.

Many times the internships that are provided by the Women’s Speak Up and partner organizations are created so that people could get the experience on what it is like to run these companies on the backend.

“We are grateful that for the past 5 or 6 years we have been expanding, but this year was different because we have provided free admission for any college student here at Kean University,” Rivera said. 

This is now a global organization which is open to anyone. Every year there has been a growing audience, especially through LinkedIn which provides resources for jobs and careers every day.

“As a Kean University Alumni, I am always grateful for the connections that I’ve made from school, which is another reason why I am where I am today,” Rivera said. 

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