Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala

The 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala is just around the corner! As final preparations come together, excitement is building among our nominees as we prepare to celebrate excellence in leadership and community. This incredible event would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. We want to thank our amazing table sponsors for helping to make this special event possible. Get your ticket and join us for the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala on Thursday, March 27 at the Music City Center. Doors open at 6:00 PM with the Public Reception/Cash Bar and the program begins promptly at 7:00 PM. Buy Now! https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

We are just days away from celebrating the ATHENA Young Professional Nominees at the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! These outstanding women are among Nashville’s most promising emerging leaders, shaping the future of business and the community. Have you purchased your ticket to attend? You don't want to miss what we have planned to honor their outstanding achievements. Join us at the Music City Center on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Purchase your tickets or a table TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #YoungProfessionals #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

Meet ATHENA Traditional Nominee Tyler Yarbro who enjoys a broad litigation practice at the law firm of Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella, PC assisting clients in the courtroom and in resolving all manner of employment, probate, criminal, and business litigation matters. Tyler has been selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2016-2024 Editions of The Best Lawyers in America? and is listed in the fields of Criminal Defense: General Practice; Employment Law – Individuals; Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment; and Litigation – Trusts and Estates. Tyler is a seven-time Nashville Business Journal “Best of the Bar” honoree. Since 2016, Tyler has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University, teaching a course in trial advocacy. She has recently been elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors for the Nashville Bar Association. Each year since 2014, the Tennessee Supreme Court has named Tyler an “Attorney for Justice,” signifying that she has devoted at least 50 hours per year to pro bono legal work. Tyler has become an expert on Tennessee’s abortion law. She has worked with other lawyers to found and build the Tennessee Freedom Circle, an organization that advocates to change the laws in Tennessee that impair reproductive freedom. Tyler recently completed a three-year term on the Vestry of Christ Church Cathedral, where she served as Senior Warden for two years and helped lead the parish through a transition in clergy leadership. She is also active in the broader Nashville community, having previously served for nine years on the Community Corrections Advisory Board and for three years on the founding board of the Human Trafficking Survivors Court Foundation. Join us for the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Location: Music City Center Get your tickets or purchase a table TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

Meet ATHENA Young Professional Nominee Sarah Edwards, Director of Advocacy Through the Arts at Friends Life Community, where she has created opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to be the face of social change they want to see in the world through the arts. Leveraging the tactics of drama therapy, Sarah and her team facilitate programs that help individuals find their voice, tell their stories, and connect with others through shared experiences. As a registered drama therapist, she empowers each participant to create original work so that they build confidence, learn to self-advocate, and become more empowered in all aspects of their life. Enthusiastic and versatile, Sarah is attuned and responsive to the strengths, needs, and possibilities of an individual at any age and cognitive functioning. By using person-centered approaches that are clinically based, yet creatively implemented, clients create their own healing through original work, process, and performance reaching an overall deeper understanding of self and others. Join us for the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Location: Music City Center Get your tickets or purchase a table TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

Here's another peek at last week's stunning ATHENA Celebration Tea at The Hermitage Hotel, where we honored our incredible Traditional and Young Professional Nominees. Don't miss your chance to celebrate and connect with these inspiring nominees at the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Location: Music City Center Get your tickets or purchase a table TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

Meet ATHENA Young Professional Nominee Celestial Jones-Paris, Ph.D., a Clinical Scientist II at the Vanderbilt University Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, where she applies her expertise in biomedical research and translational science to drive resource innovation and strives to improve healthcare. With over a decade of experience, she has contributed to multiple leadership committees and advisory groups at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), including the Core Exchange and the Racial Equity Taskforce. She also serves on the Southeastern Association of Shared Resources (SEASR) Executive Board, helping to shape initiatives that support shared scientific resources, staff and leaders. Additionally, she has been an invited speaker and lecturer for several seminars and courses, including the Vanderbilt Masters in Genetic Counseling and Medical School programs. Her professional memberships include the American Society for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF). Beyond her scientific expertise, Dr. Jones-Paris is a passionate mentor and advocate for diversity in STEM and professional development. As leader and longtime mentor for the Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy, she has helped shape the academic and leadership development of young girls in STEM. She was a FASEB Reverse Mentor, providing insight to senior scientific leaders on diverse perspectives and societal implications. Dedicated to uplifting professional women, she actively works to support equitable representation in leadership and creates opportunities for the next generation of diverse scientists and professionals. Join us for the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Location: Music City Center Get your tickets or purchase a table TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

Meet ATHENA Traditional Nominee Jessica Jernigan, a Certified Holistic Health Coach with twenty-four years of experience as a Physician Assistant. Her focus is helping women struggling with hormonal imbalances that may be keeping them from reaching their health goals. She works with individuals to help them gain more energy, solve digestive issues, reduce inflammation and overcome obstacles that may be keeping them from being a higher version of themselves. Jessica helps them establish a clear vision of what healthy looks like for them because everyone has a different journey to health. As a medical professional, she has observed how lifestyle and eating habits can be a major factor in obesity and many other chronic diseases. In 2015, she faced her own health challenge. She had difficulty mentally, spiritually and physically because of it. She learned she could improve her condition by changing her nutrition and food choices. This journey prompted Jessica to further her education and become a Certified Holistic Health Coach. Her mission is to empower others to begin their journey to a healthier lifestyle. Jessica has served as a Panelist for the Breast Cancer event Pampering with a Purpose and has been a featured speaker for the Run Women’s Conference. She has also conducted workshops for local women's groups and local churches. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc, Kappa Lambda Omega Chapter. She has served as a featured speaker for AKA’s 88th Regional Conference and a speaker for its Virtual Women’s Health event in 2020. Jessica was also awarded Entrepreneur of the Year in January 2023 for Kappa Lambda Omega and the Jaunita Sims Entrepreneur Award in February 2023 at the Southeastern Regional Conference. Join us for the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Location: Music City Center Get your tickets TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

Meet ATHENA Young Professional Nominee Jennifer Watson, PhD ??, the CEO, CSO, and Co-Founder of Limuless, LLC, a biotech startup company focusing on developing sustainable bacterial contamination tests. A tenacious entrepreneur, Jennifer and her partner built their first laboratory in her great-grandmother’s attic. In a glow-up, the team now resides at the Cumberland Emerging Technologies incubator space and has submitted a patent for the Limuless technology. Jennifer serves as a mentor for Biobuilder, an organization that introduces high school students to synthetic biology. Her current project is led by a high school agricultural club that is utilizing biotechnology to reduce carbon emissions from livestock, an exciting scientific venture. Jennifer brings innovation and resilience to the political sector via her work with the Tennessee Women’s Political Caucus, Elect Black Women Pac, the Tennessee Democratic Party, the Middle Tennessee Women’s Political Caucus, and the Davidson County Democratic Women, where she leads and supports initiatives to advance women’s representation, including Women’s Day on the Hill, statewide political endorsements, voter registration campaigns, movement work, and political trainings. Jennifer graduated summa cum laude with a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She was a prolific researcher with 7 peer-reviewed publications; her seminal achievement was the discovery of a novel candidate gene for genetic peripheral neuropathies. Join us for the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Location: Music City Center Get your tickets or purchase a table TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

Meet ATHENA Traditional Nominee Cheryl J. Woodard. A native of Russellville, KY, Cheryl is a retired educator of over 30 years, recently retiring as a TDOC School Principal and Administrator in 2022 and a business owner. Cheryl is a strong family advocate for marginalized communities. She served her way to leadership for 10 years at the TN Dept. of Children’s Services. Ms. Woodard earned her Bachelor of Science, Masters, and Education Specialist (EdS) degree from THE Tennessee State University. She enjoys serving others, traveling, gardening, and football, especially Tennessee Titans games and aspires to ascend into leadership roles. Ms. Woodard is currently 3rd Vice President of the Nashville Branch of NAACP. She is the proud partner of three adult children and ‘“CeCe” to seven grandchildren. She lives by the motto: 'Whatever you want more of, give it away.' Join us for the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Location: Music City Center Get your tickets or purchase a table TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px #AthenaAwards #AthenaAwards2025 #NashvilleAthena #CelebrateWomen #WomenInLeadership #Leadership #NashvilleEvents #Nashville

Take a glimpse into the inspiring Athena Pinning Ceremony, a heartfelt moment where leaders were honored at the foot of the iconic Athena statue, symbolizing wisdom, courage, and strength.? The pinning represents more than just recognition, it’s a reminder of the impactful leadership and community spirit that defines the Athena mission.? Now, we invite YOU to be part of this incredible journey! Join us for the 35th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards & Scholarship Gala! Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Public Reception/Cash Bar and 7:00 PM Program Location: Music City Center Get your tickets or purchase a table TODAY: https://lnkd.in/g_AqY7Px