The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas (WFA) has announced its 25th annual Power of the Purse event will be at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. Since 1998, the WFA has held the Power of the Purse event to recognize the accomplishments of women in Arkansas, celebrate the organization’s work and raise funds to secure better economic mobility for women and girls.
Presented by Arkansas Children’s, this year’s event will celebrate the organization’s 25 years of impact for women and girls in Arkansas and recognize the Top 100 Women of Impact in Arkansas list, created in partnership with Arkansas Business Publishing Group and Little Rock Soireé. Building on the legacy of the original Top 100 Women in Arkansas, the 2023 list honors women of various industries, ages and communities across the state who are changemakers and leaders in their fields.
“Twenty-five years ago, the WFA was founded by 100 bold women who sparked change in our state. Since then, we have positioned ourselves as a convener and catalyst for resources to support girls and women,” said Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the WFA. “We are proud to showcase the generational impact we’ve had throughout our history at this year’s Power of the Purse event while sharing how we will continue to go above and beyond to meet the needs of Arkansas women and girls from early childhood to retirement.”
Event co-chairs are Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl, president and CEO of MHP/Team SI, and her daughter, Carson Tallach Vogelpohl, a student at Mount St. Mary Academy, class of 2026. Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl was recognized as the WFA’s Woman of the Year in Business in 2017. Her twenty-seven-year career spans the spectrum from copywriting to crisis communications to strategic digital lead-gen for clients in every imaginable category. As a part of her engagement with WFA, she helped conceptualize the Gender Equity Scorecard concept to help educate area businesses on how an equitable workplace is defined. A servant leader, she actively supports numerous non-profits in the areas of education, food insecurity, health and access to medical care, women’s empowerment and youth sports.
Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl and her husband, Carl, have instilled these values in the next generation: Carson Tallach Vogelpohl, who is passionate about volunteerism, philanthropy and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. She captained a national award-winning robotics team, installed a Little Free Library in a community park and championed a volunteer effort at the Arkansas Food Bank within her chosen soccer club, Arkansas Rising. Carson Tallach Vogelpohl is the recipient of the Holy Souls Monsignor Allen Servant Leader and Mount St. Mary McAuley Achievement Awards and earned all-conference honors as a freshman member of the varsity basketball team.
“As long-time supporters and partners of the WFA, my daughter and I are proud to represent the organization’s dedication to innovative and inclusive work as the 2023 Power of the Purse co-chairs,” said Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl. “For many years, the WFA has been creating real, actionable change as the leading statewide organization supporting women and girls of all ages. We hope more women and girls will join us in becoming part of the WFA’s next 25 years.”
Individual and corporate sponsor tickets are available now, starting at $150 for individuals and $1,500 for table sponsors. As part of its mission to be accessible and inclusive to women and allies across the state, the WFA will also have a free virtual viewing option available on its website for those interested.
