2025 Pillar Awards
Friday, November 14, 2025
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Rivers Casino
Registration opens on
Friday, September 5!
Please download the instructions here:
A Celebration of Bravery and Impact
The Pillar Awards were established to honor women who exemplify the 5 Es for Life: Educate, Empower, Encourage, Engage, and Evolve in four core areas: Relationships, Professional Development, Impact, and Wellness. Each nominee and award recipient has demonstrated a commitment to making a difference within their sphere of influence, inspiring others to take bold steps in their own lives. As we enter our third year, the significance of these awards continues to deepen, creating a ripple effect of positive change across communities. What began as a vision to highlight the brave actions of women has transformed into a movement. The Pillar Awards have expanded in scope, recognition, and attendance, attracting influential leaders, advocates, and changemakers from diverse industries. The move to Rivers Casino reflects this exciting growth, providing a dynamic and vibrant setting to honor the accomplishments of these incredible women. The Pillar Awards serve as more than just a recognition event; they are a call to action.
By highlighting the inspiring journeys of our nominees and award recipients, we encourage all women to embrace their own bravery, step into leadership roles, and foster inclusive, supportive environments.
This event is a powerful reminder that every act of courage - big or small - creates lasting change.
BWP's 5 Es for Life
Educate – The Teacher
She helps other women grow by generously sharing her wisdom. Whether it’s through formal teaching or informal advice, she provides others with the knowledge, skills, and insights they need to succeed.
Empower – The Advocate
She guides women to reach their goals, equipping them with resources and real-world support.
Through her words and actions, she helps others find their voice and claim their power.
Encourage – The Cheerleader
She lifts others up with positivity and belief. Her heartfelt motivation sparks momentum, especially when the path gets hard, reminding women of their strength and helping them push forward.
Engage – The Connector
She brings the right people together at the right time. Through meaningful introductions and intentional networking, she opens doors to partnerships, opportunities, and shared success.
Evolve – The Changemaker
She’s always growing and brings others along with her. With intention, awareness, and courage, she leads change that uplifts her community and inspires transformation in those around her.
Meet the 2025
5 Es for Life Honorees
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Kim Adley
Educate
Kim Adley is an educator in the truest and most expansive sense of the word. Whether she's teaching in a traditional classroom, designing immersive tours, or producing community focused TV programming, Kim uses every platform she touches to spark curiosity, share knowledge, and inspire others.
Kim educates through story as well, whether she's in costume as a beloved character like the Queen of Hearts, speaking to college students about entrepreneurship, or leading senior women on confidence building day trips. Her storytelling workshops, curriculum writing, and public speaking engagements all reflect her deep belief that education should delight and empower.
In every endeavor, Kim models courage through creativity. She isn't afraid to try something new, be seen in full color, or chart her own path. And that visible boldness gives others permission to dream bigger, take risks, and live more fully, improving not only their quality of life, but the spirit of the community around them.
Sharise Nance
Empower
As a trauma recovery expert, leadership coach, and systems change advocate, Sharise equips women with the tools and mindset to rise in their personal and professional lives. Her impact is visible in the many women who, under her guidance, have launched private practices, earned clinical licenses, started businesses, and embraced their value by confidently charging their worth and pursuing leadership opportunities.
Sharise exemplifies empowerment by helping women rise through action, example, and accountability.
As a wife, entrepreneur, business owner, mentor, clinical supervisor, and community leader, she consistently equips women with tools, guidance, and the confidence to level up in their lives and careers.
Her advocacy is deeply rooted in community, and her message is always clear: You deserve to be well, valued, and whole.
Sunnie Fenk
Encourage
Sunnie Fenk leads with clarity, empathy, and purpose, bringing both operational excellence and people first leadership to every space she enters. Whether she's mentoring a colleague, running point on a critical project, or creating space for women to rise, Sunnie brings a rare balance of precision, purpose, and people centered leadership that sets her apart, and why she's such a beloved and respected leader in her field.
Sunnie is the embodiment of encouragement, not just in spirit, but in consistent, tangible action. She's the one who remembers your big presentation (and checks in afterwards to see how it went). The one who spots a challenge before it snowballs, and solves it without fanfare. The one who mentors behind the scenes and celebrates others in the spotlight.
Encouragement, to Sunnie, is a way of life. She leads with heart, models possibility, and cultivates a sense of community where everyone feels seen, valued, and capable of something greater.
Lynzy Groves
Engage
Lynzy Groves is the kind of leader who doesn't wait for opportunities - she creates them. When she stepped into her current role as Senior Development Manager, Walk to End Alzheimer's - Pittsburgh, she saw not just a program to manage but a community waiting to be ignited. In just two years, she transformed a tiny leadership team into a powerful coalition of nearly 60 active, engaged leaders.
Beyond her day to day work, Lynzy shares her leadership wisdom as one of the youngest professors at Chatham University. She teaches Managing Nonprofit Organizations in the School of Business & Enterprise, equipping students with the tools to lead with courage and clarity. She built new partnerships from scratch, cultivated fresh voices, and inspired people who never saw themselves as leaders to step forward and make a difference.
She forges new paths, invites new perspectives, and builds bridges between people who might never have met otherwise. She is living proof that great leadership is not about a title - it's about the courage to see what's possible and the grit to make it happen.
Kathi Elliott
Evolve
Dr. Kathi Elliott exemplifies the essence of Evolve - The Changemaker. As the CEO of Gwen's Girls, she has built upon her mother's legacy by transforming the organization into a regional leader for gender and racial equity.
Under her visionary leadership, Gwen's Girls has evolved beyond direct service to become a powerful force for systems change, advocacy, and empowerment for Black girls and young women in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Dr. Elliott is not afraid of disrupting harmful norms and reimagining what's possible. She does more than respond to injustice - she redefines power by centering the voices of those who have been historically silenced.
She cultivates leadership in others, especially youth, and consistently ensures that those closest to the pain are closest to the power and decision making. In doing so, she models what sustainable, intergenerational change looks like.
Dr. Elliott's work is rooted in a commitment to continuous growth - of herself, her team, and the community she serves.
Meet the 2025 Pillar Award Nominees:
60 women recognized for their courage, leadership, and impact.
Download the full list and be inspired by their
stories of bravery across our 5 Es for Life.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Our 2024 sponsors will receive the first right of refusal to continue their partnership for the 2025 BWP Pillar Awards. We deeply appreciate their support in making this event a success. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for 2025, we encourage you to reach out to us for more details on sponsorship opportunities and how you can play a vital role in this impactful event.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities and how you can support this incredible event, please contact us: Kelli A. Komondor: kelli@bwp.life | 412.302.3463 or Nicole Lerda: nmlerda8@gmail.com
The 2025 BWP Pillar Awards at Rivers Casino* promises to be our most impactful event yet!
This document is updated regularly,
but may not reflect the most current sponsorships available at the time of download.
Last update: 08.26.2025
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Meet the Voice & Vision Team
Dr. Christine Herring
Emcee
Jennifer "Jenny D." DiLucia
Pink Carpet Correspondent
*IMPORTANT: No one under 21 years of age is permitted on the Rivers Casino property without prior approval / authorization. If you have a guest under 21 you must email Kelli at kelli@bwp.life to complete documentation and get it approved by the Casino management before October 15.
Failure to comply with the Rivers Casino's under-21 policy will result in the guest being solely
responsible for any fines incurred.
Photo Disclaimer: By registering for and attending a Brave Women Project (BWP) event, you acknowledge and consent to being photographed or filmed. Your image may be used in BWP's social media, website, and other promotional materials. If you prefer not to be included, please inform a BWP board member at the event.
By purchasing a ticket to our events, you agree to the terms of our Refund Policy: All event registrations and sponsorships are non-refundable. In certain instances, registration may be transferable and may be granted at the discretion of our membership committee.