The Whirl: WINnovation 2026

On Sept. 18, WALTER hosted its 12th annual WINnovation at The Umstead Hotel & Spa. This year’s celebration of women and innovation in Raleigh and the Triangle featured speakers Lauren Kennedy Brady, Stacey Buescher, Shirnetta Harrell, and Jean Gray Mohs, as well as Bank of America speakers Lauren Woodruff and Kari Stolz. The evening also included a cocktail hour and workshops with Liz Rossilli, Dr. Adrianne Pinkney, and Catherine Jonathan. Thank you to our partner Bank of America, supporting sponsor DWR, and workshop sponsors Campbell University and Wegmans.

Melinda Burrows, Sara Stewart, Katie Rekuc, Susan Murphy, Karla Campbell
Megan Barna, Katie Womble, Christina Serafino
Dawn Baker, Stacey Buescher, Kathryn Hollingshead, Hannah Smith, Melissa DeHont
Amelia Warner, Brenda Gibson, Marta Dziekanowska, Amy Barger
Shikha Gupta, Nicki D’Alessio, Idia Enogieru, Veronica Luna, Sarah Azeline, Karen Evans
Angela Silver, Anjanette Porter, Ashley Kearney, Shalan Juniel, Cordelia Brown, Vicki Irons
Cristina Baker, Ayn-Monique Klahre, Molly Asbill, Julie Nickens, Katie Mangee
Lauren Kennedy Brady
Shirnetta Harrell
Stacey Buescher
Jean Gray Mohs
Lauren Woodruff, Kari Stolz
Ayn-Monique Klahre, Shirnetta Harrell, Jean Gray Mohs, Stacey Buescher, Lauren Kennedy Brady

This article originally appeared in the November 2026 issue of WALTER magazine.