Where’s a woman’s place these days? In Miami, it’s at a coffeeshop for an entrepreneur meet-up or the streets of Wynwood for an empowering group run, though the list goes on thanks to this fresh crop of ladies-only communities in the city.
Women in Leadership League
Whether you’re leading a sorority fund-raiser or a multinational corporation, Anayancy Escarpanter wants you. Last year, she founded the Women in Leadership League, an organization designed to unite Miami’s female trailblazers. “We don’t define what a woman leader is,” says Escarpanter. WILL hosts monthly female-empowerment gatherings, which have included a panel discussion on ladies in the business world and a party highlighting women chefs. Escarpanter emphasizes programming that’s inspiring but also useful for busy women like herself. “My time is valuable,” she says. Membership $30/month, $300/year; womeninleadershipleague.com
Photograph: Alex Escarpanter & Daniel Velazquez
The Miami Girl Society
After a psychic told her to move to Miami to “find her tribe,” Candis Hickman packed up her belongings and left Chicago for the Magic City last year. Her psychic was on to something: In January, she formed the Miami Girl Society, a growing community of creative women focused on their careers. She hosts two events a month—think social-media strategy sessions with local influencers—and plans to offer educational services soon. “My mission is to help creative women turn their passion into profit,” Hickman says. For updates, follow @themiamigirlsociety.
Photograph: Sarah Paynter
Women RUN Wynwood Powered by Triple Threat FIT
Maybe it’s the endorphins, but Grisell Rodriguez insists you can feel the positive energy surrounding the 100 or so women who gather to complete a 5K run through Wynwood’s arty streets. Her jogging club, which meets on the first Sunday of the month, is free and open to all ladies. A female speaker motivates this sporty gang as they stretch, and then they’re off. “You run by yourself, but you meet a bunch of women going through the same things you are,” Rodriguez says. At the finish line, ladies are greeted with a live DJ, vendors and a chance to mingle. triplethreatfit.com/women-run-wynwood
Photograph: Courtesy Women RUN Wynwood
Lunch Box Miami
Octavia Yearwood and Najja Moon wondered the same thing for years: Where are all the lesbians in Miami? It was a nagging question that led the two artists to form a membership club for Miami’s queer and transgender women. Starting last June with bimonthly get-togethers at Yearwood’s Little Haiti apartment, it has now expanded to the Villain Theater, where women play games, chat and relax—and it’s still BYOB. “When women walk in, there’s no awkward moment of ‘Oh shit, I don’t know anyone,’ ” Yearwood says. “It’s always cool and engaging and a place to form a genuine connection.” Membership $11/month. For updates, follow @thisgirlslunchbox and #thisgirlslunchbox.
Photograph: Curtis Childs II
MIA Boss Babes
After years of holding informal meetings at coffeeshops, Christine Lazarevich decided to formalize her “boss babe meet-ups” and invite other women. Inaugurated last December, Lazarevich’s group, which caters to “female millennial entrepreneurs and businesswomen,” has brought out as many as 120 women to events, like a pitching seminar called Brunch and Brag. “It’s okay to be a multidimensional woman and to multitask,” she says. “We all are, and our own goal is to grow our businesses and help others along the way.” For updates, follow @miabossbabes.
Photograph: Courtesy MIA Boss Babes
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