The Biggest Moments From the TIME100 Women’s Leadership Forum

F emale leaders gathered for the inaugural TIME100 Women’s Leadership Forum in Manhattan on Sept. 10 for an evening dedicated to spotlighting and empowering visionaries working to create a more equitable future.

The series of panels centered around the future of women’s sports, leadership, health, and advocacy. Activists, attorneys, and corporate leaders took to the stage to share insights on the topics fresh on the minds of many Americans, including the upcoming election and abortion access.

Songwriter and performer Shaina Taub kicked off the evening with a performance of “Keep Marching” from the Tony Award-winning musical Suffs , which was followed by a panel featuring

Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation; Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and head of dolls at Mattel; and actress, author, and entrepreneur Brooke Shields on leading with purpose.

“Go out there and use your voice to be a force for good,” Jarrett told TIME CEO Jessica Sibley, who moderated the first panel. “The world will be better if more women are forces for good and understand the power of their voices.”

Read More: How Progress Takes Time—and Women to Demand It

Former Olympians Aly Raisman and Ashlyn Harris joined NBC Sports host Maria Taylor and managing partner of women’s sports investment fund Monarch Collective Kara Nortman to discuss the value of investing in female athletes and teams. Though there has been some progress in the sports industry following settlements of pay gap lawsuits, panelists highlighted the importance of visibility and believing in the value of women. “It’s more about having the opportunity to be in that slot than it is about whether or not people will watch,” said Taylor, who spoke about the high viewership of the 2024 Paris Olympics, which largely spotlighted female athletes like Simone Biles and Sha’Carri Richardson. “If dudes are there, they’re going to watch; if women are there, they’re going to watch—and they’re going to be in awe.”

Read More: How Visibility Boosts Women’s Sports—and Mental Health

TIME senior health correspondent Alice Park moderated a panel with Dorothy Kilroy, chief commercial officer at ŌURA; Kate Ryder, CEO and founder of Maven Clinic; and Dr. Kulleni Gebreyes, managing principal of life sciences and health care at Deloitte; that focused on the critical moment taking place in women’s health and the opportunities for change. “I feel as if we are in a precarious situation, which means we’re not powerless, but if we don’t use our power, we’re going to regret it,” said Gebreyes.

Read More: How AI Can Help Bring Health Care Equity to Women

The evening continued with a performance from poet and activist Emi Mahmoud.

“My first understanding of feminism and the power of our matriarchs came from my grandmother, my mother, my father, and everything they've done. They taught me that to make change is to go beyond asking for it. You have to fight for it,” Mahmoud said as she introduced her poem.

In a final panel featuring civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, actor and activist Kerry Washington, organizer Angela Lang, and Voto Latino Foundation co-founder María Teresa Kumar, moderated by TIME editor in chief Sam Jacobs, the group called for greater participation not just in the upcoming presidential election, but also in local elections. “If you’re not voting for those school board elections, then your kids aren’t going to be able to read Toni Morrison books, right?” said Ifill. “We as people, all of us, each one of us, has the power to transform culture and democracy in our participation,” added Washington.

Read More: How Changemakers View the Importance of Voter Participation

The TIME100 Women’s Leadership Forum is the first in a new TIME series that will address crucial issues through conversations to spotlight solutions and encourage action. TIME will also convene the TIME100 Climate Leadership Forum in September and the TIME100 Health Leadership Forum in October.

The TIME100 Women's Leadership Forum was presented by Barbie, Deloitte, and ŌURA.

Write to Simmone Shah at simmone.shah@time.com .