Girls with a dream become women with a vision.
On March 5th, I had the privilege of attending and receiving one of the Atlantic Business Magazine’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Business Awards.
What made the evening even more meaningful was sharing it with my daughter, Angelina Simmonds (Founder of Black Girls Pillow Talk). Sitting beside her, I found myself reflecting not just on the journey that brought me into those spaces, but on the deeper reason why we do this work.
As mothers, mentors, and leaders, we often move through rooms carrying more than our own aspirations. We carry the hopes of those who came before us and the responsibility of those who will come after us.
Angelina has grown into a woman who is thoughtful, courageous, and deeply committed to justice. Watching her engage with the world reminds me that leadership is not something we simply step into one day. It is something that is shaped over time through courage, faith, community, and the willingness to stand when it is easier to stay quiet.
I believe that being recognized in business is never about one person.
It’s about lifting as we climb. It’s about opening doors wider and making sure others can walk through them.
Breaking the glass ceiling is rarely a clean moment. Sometimes there are cuts and scars along the way. But often those marks are where the courage lives. They remind us that vulnerability, honesty, and persistence are part of what moves change forward.
As Audre Lorde reminds us,
💬 “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” 🗨️
That truth continues to guide how I think about leadership. Being a woman in business is not simply about occupying space. It is about transforming it. It is about showing up unapologetically. For me, that means showing up as a woman, as an African Nova Scotian woman, and as someone deeply committed to ensuring the next generation sees what is possible.
Last night reminded me that legacy is not built through titles or awards. It is built through moments like these, when daughters and mothers sit side by side, learning from one another, and imagining what the future can be.
To all the women leading, building, dreaming, and pushing forward even when the path is not easy, today we celebrate you. 🙏🏾 Congratulations to the other phenomenal winners. May we continue to rise, open doors, and make space for those coming behind us.
And to the young women watching closely, including my own daughter, keep dreaming boldly. Your vision will shape the world that comes next.
Angela
