SheBuildsLA: Leadership, Legacy, and the Power of Sisterhood
There’s a certain kind of electricity that happens when Black women come together — the kind that lifts conversations, opens doors, and quietly shifts what’s possible. That energy is exactly what’s gathering in Los Angeles.
As the new year begins, Kellie Todd Griffin — CEO of the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute — looked across the landscape and saw something beautiful rising: Black women founders, executives, innovators, dreamers, and doers… each building in her own lane, often quietly, often carrying more than the world will ever see.
She picked up the phone. Soon, Sarah Harris of the Black Business Association said yes. Angela Gibson-Shaw of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce said yes. Partners at Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, Los Angeles South Chamber of Commerce, and others said yes, too.
Not because it was another event. But because it was time. Time to gather the women who build. Time to create something rooted in sisterhood, not performance. Connection, not competition. Presence — not pressure.
And so,
SheBuildsLA was born.
On a January evening at 1010 Wine & Events in Inglewood, tables will be set. Conversations will open. Laughter will rise. Bread will be broken. There will be no pitches, no sales scripts, no pressure to impress. Just power in the room.
Because behind every organization — every nonprofit, every company, every vision — are women carrying strategies, budgets, dreams, families, responsibility, faith, and grit. And spaces like this remind them:
You don’t have to build alone.
The California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute has been doing this work for years — advancing the lives of Black women and girls across California, building pathways for economic mobility, leadership, and justice.
The Black Business Association has been standing in the gap for more than five decades — pushing policy, opening contracts, clearing barriers, and ensuring Black businesses don’t just exist, but thrive.
The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce has been there, as well— advocating, opening strategic doors, and keeping the engine of economic development moving. And together, they said: Let’s gather our sisters. Let’s pour back in. Let’s celebrate the builders.
So on January 12, 2026, from 6:00–9:00 PM, SheBuildsLA will welcome Black women entrepreneurs, leaders, and visionaries from across Los Angeles County — not for networking, but for nourishment. No ego. No hierarchy. Just sisterhood, joy, wisdom, collaboration — and the reminder that when Black women gather, communities transform.
As Kellie Todd Griffin shared, this moment is about starting the year with intention, unity, and strength — alongside powerful partners like GLAAACC, the Black Business Association, Los Angeles South Chamber of Commerce, and LAEDC.
Because when Black women build, cities rise. Because when Black women unite, futures shift. Because together —
we build differently.
For more information or to RSVP
click here.
Photo Credit:
Courtesy Sarah Harris, Facebook
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