Women’s Month 2026: 2nd ‘She Shines’ summit set

Leading Ladies, a community that empowers women to succeed in business, was established in response to this reality. As the community grew, it has initiated the She Shines Summit, a gathering of advocates to support more women on their journey to be the next success story. The 2nd She Shines Summit is scheduled on March 28 at the Gallio Events Hall in Aseana City, Parañaque City.

“Leading Ladies was born from a shared vision,” said founder Cat Ilacad, who established the platform alongside co-founders Rache Stern and Rica Peralejo Bonifacio. “We come from different industries, but we’ve all experienced the same truth; building something meaningful as a woman is powerful, but it can also feel isolating.”

“We kept asking ourselves, ‘what if there was a room where women didn’t have to compete, but could collaborate? What if ambition wasn’t intimidating, but celebrated?’ The She Shines Summit was created from that conversation. It’s the kind of space we wished existed when we were navigating our own growth journeys, as a room where women are seen, supported, mentored, and strategically empowered,” Ilacad said.

The summit combines candid behind-the-scenes conversations, practical business insights, leadership discussions, a live pitch platform, and storytelling from founders who have built enduring brands.

This year’s She Shines Summit features a roster of women who are actively building and leading in their respective fields.

Among the speakers are Koleen Chua Yap, co-founder of Aegyo Cakes; Ryna Brito-Garcia, CEO of Sunlight Air; Alexa Jocom, founder and CEO of Halia; Ashley Colet, content creator and founder of Ash Luxe Nails; Cleo Loque, founder of Hiraya Pilipina; Maika Cruz-de Jesus, founder of Experiences by Maika Cruz; Ria Perez, co-founder of Joyeria Jewellery; Kristine Tobillo, founder of The Brow Studio; and Jonah Sison-Ramos of Dear Face Beauty.

Also joining the lineup is Angeline Tham, founder of Angkas, who will speak on leading with clarity and conviction and the distinct advantage women bring to business leadership.

The topics will span scaling sustainably, operational leadership, product development, financial confidence, brand building, community-driven entrepreneurship, and personal branding.

A defining feature of the event is The Spark Tank, a live pitch segment dedicated to emerging women entrepreneurs. The Spark Tank provides selected entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their ventures before industry leaders and influencers willing to offer public support.

“We recognize that not all start-ups can afford visibility. Not everyone can pay for a celebrity post or a content creator collaboration. Sometimes, what a founder needs most is not funding, but belief. We believe that when one credible voice believes in you, others begin to pay attention. A single repost, a single endorsement, a single moment of being seen. For many founders, that can mean their first wave of customers, their first brand inquiry, their first breakthrough,” Ilacad said. — Jan Milo Severo