Texas Women’s Foundation (TXWF) has raced to reveal its keynote speaker for the 37th Annual Luncheon: Allyson Felix, who reigns as the most decorated American Track & Field Athlete of all time after winning her bronze and gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Themed “Transforming Communities,” this year’s event will take place on October 6, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas.
A world record holder, Felix holds 13 global titles, 20 championship medals and 11 Olympic medals. Off the track, she is a fierce advocate for maternity rights for all women and founder and president of Saysh, which designs and manufactures athletic-inspired footwear made for and by women. (See below for full bio*).
In addition, the organization secured The Dallas Mavericks as the presenting sponsor of the luncheon along with its President and CEO, Cynt Marshall, as the moderator. Marshall also serves as a TXWF board member.
TXWF board members and business leaders, Laura Nieto and Rachel Vinson, are luncheon co-chairs. Nieto is director of community outreach for Southwest Airlines. Vinson is president of Debt & Structured Finance in the U.S. for CBRE.
Miki Woodard, Texas Women’s Foundation president and chief executive officer, said, “We’re excited about this all-star team, Allyson and Cynt, who will elevate the conversation of transforming communities with systems that support everyone, while they share sports and personal stories. We’re also thankful to the team of Laura and Rachel, co-chairs for our largest fundraiser, who are transforming their workplace communities. So run, don’t walk, to reserve your place at our event!”
With Marshall, Felix will participate in a moderated conversation discussing her work transforming communities across the world, fighting inequities by leading initiatives advocating for maternal policies, and providing access to education and helping the next generation of mothers and athletes. Felix may be retiring from competitive athletics, but she is amplifying her voice for women’s rights and launching her new brand for women, led by women, which attendees will hear more about at the luncheon.
About Texas Women’s Foundation’s Annual Luncheon: The Annual Luncheon is the Foundation’s principal fundraiser in support of its work to advance women’s economic security, leadership, education, health and safety in Texas through research, advocacy, programs and grantmaking. Sponsorship For those interested in supporting the event through sponsorship, contact Joy Busch at luncheon@txwf.org. Visit https://www.txwfluncheon.org/ for more details.
About Texas Women’s Foundation: Texas Women’s Foundation is Transforming Texas for Women and Girls, empowering them to build stronger, more equitable communities. One of the world’s largest women’s foundations, the Foundation raises funding from a broad base of donors, including individuals, foundations and corporations. These resources support more than $7 million in investments that advance economic security and leadership for Texas women and girls through groundbreaking research, advocacy, grants and programs. Since inception in 1985, the Foundation has invested $57 million in women and girls, including $43 million since 2011. The Foundation’s statewide research on issues affecting women and girls provides decision-makers and lawmakers with critical data to inform policies, practices and programs in the state. Its advocacy, grantmaking and innovative programs support solutions that help Texas women and girls thrive. In addition, Texas Women’s Foundation is an acknowledged leader and advocate in the gender lens investing movement and has deployed 100 percent of its assets – endowments, operating investments and donor-advised funds – in a gendered impact portfolio that yields strong financial returns and social benefits to women and girls. For more information, visit www.txwf.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram or donate now
Allyson Felix Bio*
Allyson Felix reigns as the most decorated American Track & Field Olympian of all time after winning her bronze and gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics—her fifth and final Olympic games. Felix closes this chapter of her life with a mind-blowing, twenty-seven global medals at the Olympics and World Championships and titles as both a World Record Holder and a Master’s World Record Holder. This year marks her last season, in which she has dedicated to fellow women athletes, especially mothers.
Felix continued to make history in Tokyo, by sporting racing spikes created by her company – lifestyle brand, Saysh – becoming the first athlete to race in their own spike. Launched post Games in June 2021, Saysh not only aims to create an encouraging and supportive community for women, but it also designs and manufactures athletic-inspired footwear made for and by women, unlike most brands, whose shoes are created based off of men’s feet and footwear. Running in her own spikes on the largest stage in the world, Felix exemplified that she is about more than just medals – she was running for change, equity and acceptance for women and girls everywhere. In keeping with its mission to empower and serve women, Saysh sought out women-led, women-funded partners for the brand’s recent Series A fundraising round, which brought in $8 million and was led by the Gap Inc.-owned Athleta brand.
Off the track, Felix is a fierce advocate for maternity rights for all women. In 2019, she wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times that called out Nike, her former sponsor, for not providing guaranteed protections for pregnant athletes and new moms. (Felix gave birth to her daughter Camryn in 2018.) The public reaction to the piece put pregnancy discrimination in athletics in the spotlight, and the practice was heavily criticized. More female athletes came to Felix’s side, offering up their stories. During the 2020 Olympics, Felix alongside her new sponsor Athleta, created the Power of She Fund: Child Care Grant – a fund to assist mom-athletes with childcare while competing at the games.
Felix has always been passionate about children and serves as a member of the Right To Play board hoping to raise awareness for underserved children in developing regions.
Felix currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.