Fortune Most Powerful Women's Summit

Posted by White House

Yesterday, I participated in events for the Fortune Most Powerful Women’s Summit - held for the first time ever in Washington, D.C.! The Summit included over 500 women leaders from business, government, philanthropy, media, education, and the arts. I started the evening at a Minute Mentoring session with 75 impressive high school girls from across the Washington, DC area. This lively group of girls was selected because they submitted applications where they were asked to write about their career aspirations. During the mentoring session, I got to spend one-on-one time with the girls, answering their questions, offering support and providing advice. They were remarkable young women!

After the mentoring session, the girls and I were off to the Fortune dinner. This event was attended by incredible women - including a number of senior level women from our Administration. President Obama keynoted the event and talked about the efforts we are undertaking to rebuild our economy, and the importance of women in business and the workforce. The President highlighted the 75 young women leaders and listed some of their career aspirations – "cultural anthropologist", "classical singer", "U.S. Senator" and a "professional race car driver". He spoke eloquently about the steps that the Administration has taken to support their dreams and make women and girls a priority. The President addressed more broadly our efforts on behalf of small businesses, our efforts to train and educate workers, make our workplace more flexible, and make America more competitive. It was a special evening and an important statement about the Administration's commitment to women and girls.