Women Connect Celebration - Elizabeth Smart - 2026

Description

The Women Connect Celebration is more than an event - it is a signature experience that brings together hundreds of women from across the region to elevate confidence, connection and leadership.

This annual gathering empowers women at every stage of their personal and professional journeys through meaningful connection and a message from a nationally recognized leader whose story inspires transformation. 

This year, Women Connect Celebration welcomes advocate, author and speaker Elizabeth Smart.

Elizabeth’s story first captured the attention of the nation following her abduction from her Salt Lake City home at age 14 and her rescue after nine months in captivity. In the years since, she has transformed unimaginable adversity into a life of advocacy, becoming a leading voice for survivors and a powerful champion for hope, healing and change.

But this will be much more than the story many people already know.

Elizabeth will share lessons drawn not only from what she survived, but from the life, family and mission she has intentionally built in the years since. Her message will explore what it means to persevere, navigate life’s unexpected turns and find the courage to create meaning and purpose following adversity.

Through Elizabeth’s powerful and deeply personal message, attendees will be encouraged to:

• Move beyond difficult chapters: Recognize that the experiences that shape us do not have to define the rest of our stories.
• Navigate the unexpected: Find the strength and perspective to continue forward when life takes an unanticipated turn.
• Reclaim your voice and worth: Replace shame, fear and silence with compassion, confidence and hope.
• Create meaning through adversity: Discover how purpose can emerge through the choices we make and the lives we intentionally build.

Elizabeth founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation in 2011 to help prevent sexual violence, support survivors and create a more compassionate and informed society. Through advocacy, education and storytelling, she has elevated important national conversations while empowering others to recognize their worth, reclaim their voices and move forward with hope.

You’ll leave feeling inspired to approach life’s challenges with greater courage, resilience and purpose - and reminded that even our most difficult chapters do not get to write the ending of our story.

Sponsorships available (deadline is September 11)
Contact Corey Eidem, Director of Sponsorship and Advertising at ceidem@fmwfchamber.com