A program of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, WomanUP was created in 2016 with the help of Webb Investment Services President and Founder Laura Webb and her passion for supporting women in business, particularly those in male-dominated fields.

Vice President of Member Services and Director of WomanUP Leeanne Briggs said the program’s focus is on connectivity, support, and inspiration with a big celebration each November.

“This program is a passion for me,” Briggs said. “Women have been known to be mean to each other, but one of the things that struck me about this program is that it brings women together in sharing common goals, interests, and struggles. Sharing struggles is powerful, and to find the commonality in successful women and those struggling to be successful is the passion of it and what makes it worth doing every day.”

Annually, WomanUP events include two main workshops, the WomanUP In Action Series, and the WomanUP Awards ceremony. Asheville Chamber’s Vice President of Communications Erin Leonard said the WomanUP Awards brings a large number of attendees every year. With fewer than 350 attendees at the first ceremony in 2016, attendance has grown to as many as 750 people. 

“People talk about what it’s like to be in that room full of women and the energy that’s there,” Leonard said. “Attendance really closes the spectrum of industries, company size, and positions held within businesses. Lots of non-Chamber members also attend, and it’s always so inspirational.”

Briggs and Leonard work together to create content for the program based on surveys gauging interest in different areas. With a passion to diversify the program’s audience and that of the Chamber in general, they are intentionally reaching out to a wider variety of people, and they factor that goal into creating content and programming. Briggs said she has heard people say WomanUP is the reason they join the Asheville Chamber, and the workshops have created friendships, mentorships, and collaboration among attendees.