As what the fabulous Minnie Mouse has said, “some days call for extra sparkle.” On January 25th and January 26th, there indeed was extra sparkle in the air as Create & Cultivate and Disney teamed up to present the first annual Polka Dot Summit at Forme in Burbank, California. Soccer superstar Alex Morgan, Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner, podcaster and author Meghan Rienks and many more gathered together to celebrate the OG #BossLady… none other than, Minnie Mouse!
Create & Cultivate, a platform for women creating and cultivating the career of their dreams, worked with Disney to put together a two-day summit filled with inspiring panels, keynotes and spectacular activities. The extraordinary event honored all the things that make Minnie Mouse special. Minnie Mouse is fashionable, bold, classic and fun. She has inspired generation after generation to celebrate self-love and to be confident in yourself. Minnie Mouse is the original influencer and she continues to show how she is positively herself – she is #PositivelyMinnie. From fashion to having fun, Minnie Mouse motivates everyone to live life to the fullest and live each day with extra sparkle.
Create & Cultivate and Disney got the party started at the Polka Dot Summit Kickoff Dinner on January 24th. Celebrities including Jamie Chung and Brad Goreski attended the dinner and helped welcome in an exceptional Minnie Mouse-filled weekend to come.
Attendees at the Polka Dot Summit kicked off day one with Minnie lattes and snapped some adorable photos at the many Instagram-worthy areas at the event. Guests also got the chance to meet Minnie Mouse, who rocked two, fantastic outfits at the summit – her classic, polka-dot dress and a chic and trendy, custom-made outfit by PAIGE. On day one of the Polka Dot Summit, attendees got up and active for a special, fitness workshop hosted by Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott, founders of Tone It Up.
After the energetic and exciting workout, attendees were able to sit in and listen to the “Positively You” panel, where Quigley, Aysha Harun, Jaci Marie, Paige Adams-Geller and Glen Coco spoke about how to cultivate confidence inside and out. The panel was hosted by Sacha Strebe. Happiness filled the air at the Polka Dot Summit and attendees were extra joyful for the “Jump for Joy” workshop hosted by Dr. Deepika Chopra. Chopra talked about how happiness is the key to success.
The brilliant Lindsay Peoples Wagner had a magnificent, keynote conversation at the event. The Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief gave advice to women of color about not waiting for a mentor when it comes to cultivating your career path. She said, “Don’t wait for someone to save you or give you the keys. Be open to things happening differently – I always thought I wanted to work at Essence or a black publication and it never happened.”
Day one came to a close in a marvelous way with some cocktails, sweet treats and cotton candy.
All of the excitement continued on day two of the Polka Dot Summit. Day two’s panel was all about being bold with your career goals. Jeannette Ogden, Meghan Rienks, Gemma Correll, Brittany Sky and Noelle Scaggs all talked about how to fashion the career you love. Sacha Strebe moderated the panel. After the sensational panel, guests were in for a treat as they got to see a live podcast recording with Katie Sturino and Jaclyn Johnson.
During both days of the summit, the immensely talented Character Art Director of Walt Disney Imagineering, Jeff Shelley taught guests how to create the iconic mouse we all know and love during live presentations at the Minnie Main Stage. The creative genius even drew custom sketches for attendees at the event. Not only was it so awe-inspiring to see the skillful Shelley at work, but all of his sketches were made with so much love and passion that everyone wanted to frame what he created.
Day two also featured a terrific, keynote presentation with U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team icon, Alex Morgan. The multi-faceted Alex Morgan made her event debut as a mom-to-be and was glowing as she took pictures with Minnie Mouse and Create & Cultivate founder, Jaclyn Johnson.
Morgan talked about her enthusiasm over having her baby girl, due in April. According to the press release, she also revealed that “she will be launching a content company in the coming months for women and girls to listen to podcasts, watch shows on tv, and learn the history of peers.”
The admirable Alex Morgan shows that women can truly do it all! She also discussed her plans to be on the pitch with her team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, three months after her daughter is born. Morgan said, “I was ready to start a family with my husband. As long as women feel comfortable in coming back [to work] and giving [themselves] some time after the baby’s born, to do what they want… if work is what you love and a part of you, you shouldn’t have to choose, you can do both.”
Create & Cultivate continues to host a countless amount of uplifting events for women to join together, network and learn encouraging things that will help them create the life they want to live. Create & Cultivate and Disney’s first-ever Polka Dot Summit was a big success and Alexisjoyvipaccess had a stellar time covering the outstanding event. The Polka Dot Summit created a space where women felt even more motivated to go after their dreams and support one another. There truly was a special feeling in the atmosphere to see all of these awesome women rooting for each other.
Check out some more photos below from Create & Cultivate and Disney’s Polka Dot Summit!
Photo Credits: Smith House Photo
