Register to Attend our 2023 Widow Empowerment Event (WEE)

September 22–24 | St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Join us September 22 to 24 in St. Louis, Missouri for our remarkable, one-of-a-kind event for widows and daughters of widows.

WEE 2023 for Widows

At WEE 2023 St. Louis you’ll find HOPE as you spend time with an understanding community and our dynamic, powerful speakers. You’ll have opportunities to HEAL through education, resources, and activities that also give you the chance to GROW and find purpose. And you’ll learn more about how to LEAD in the future of widowhood.

Over the course of this extraordinary weekend you’ll connect with resilient role models in a safe, trusted community, and can expect to gain:

  • Friendship and inspiration from hundreds of wise women who are walking this path with you
  • Knowledge, leadership, education, and guidance to empower your important decisions
  • Confidence to journey from grief to growth
  • Honest and healthy conversations to help you discover joy again
  • Affirmations of areas of excelling and areas that need focus
  • Framework and resources to reconstruct your life with meaning, purpose, and strength
  • Hope for you and your family’s future
  • Peace of mind that you are not alone

Loss and grief in widowhood have a way of creating anxious emotions, insecurity, anger, uncertainty, and overwhelm, but loss is also an opportunity for us to face fears head-on, offering an unequivocally empowering experience to acknowledge and embrace our own strength, courage, and determination.

Our Widow Empowerment Event is where widows go to find exceptional friendships, understanding, support, and education as they begin rebuilding their life after loss.

WEE 2023 for Daughters

Daughters support their mothers in widowhood, and with the knowledge that 70% of married women will one day become widowed, the opportunity to educate and empower women at a young age will change the trajectory of widowhood for future generations.

At WEE 2023 St. Louis, daughters will have a special session for socializing and connecting on Friday morning before the General Session, along with private space throughout the conference to find their tribe and build friendships. Daughters are encouraged to attend all General or Breakout Sessions of interest to them. Daughters must be 18 years or older to attend the conference.

Most people don’t understand the dynamics of gathering a large group of widows together. But it’s powerful. We all knew what great loss feels like, we all knew about the many secondary losses we have experienced as a result of our new, unwanted, identity. We all knew that at first we couldn’t even say the word widow let alone check the widow box on so many forms, but after this gathering, I would say we’re embracing our widowhood. We’re embracing the opportunity we have to fully live the second part of our lives.
— Jeanie S. (WEE 2022 attendee)

Photos: Jenn Fortune Photography

Speakers and Exhibitors

Our dynamic lineup includes the speakers below. Additional speakers are being added regularly — please check back for updates!

General Session Speakers

Carolyn Moor

Modern Widows Club Founder

Tara Gidus Collingwood

Solving the Meal Planning Struggle

John Polo

Self-Esteem and Self-Worth: OMG They Are IMPORTANT

Katie Stifter

When the Only Thing Left to Do Is Laugh: Coping with Humor

Christi Andringa

Rise Up to Live Your Extraordinary Life

Maggie Gomez, CFP®

Legacy Club – Let’s Talk: Financial Health for You and Your Mom

Francine Ward

Lions, Tigers, and Bears: Managing Your Grief and Legal Responsibilities

Rachel Vasquez

Unleash Your Inner Warrior: Igniting the Path

Cyndi Williams MSW, LCSW 

Healing Through Storytelling

Megan Kopka, CFP®, CRPC® 

Life Planning for Widows: A Heroine’s Story

Emory Simpson, LPN

Legacy Club – Twin Flames: Rekindling the Fire from Within

Dr. Doretha Brown-Simpson, Ed.D

Legacy Club – Twin Flames: Rekindling the Fire from Within

Minister Jennifer Batya Fortune

Clearing the Fog


Dating Panel

Brave Heart: Finding Love After Loss

Tara Gidus Collingwood

Moderator

John Collingwood

Jenn Fortune

Jen Johnson

John Polo


Friday Evening Session

Redefining Love: Cultivating Deep Love in Every Area of Our Lives

Jenn Fortune

Jen Johnson

WEE Exhibitors

We carefully select exhibitors who will provide resources and services designed just for you. Our Resource Hall will be open on Friday and Saturday for connecting with exhibitors.

Photos: Jenn Fortune Photography

WEE 2023 Conference Agenda

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
8:00AMRegistration and Resource Hall Open
9:00AMLegacy Club – Daughters Social Gathering
(Legacy Club attendees, please see separate agenda)
10:00AMGeneral Session:
– Carolyn Moor
– John Polo
– Tara Collingwood
12:30PMLunch Buffet and Resource Hall Open
1:30PMGeneral Session:
– Megan Kopka
– Doretha Brown Simpson & Daughter Emory Simpson
– Francine Ward
3:25PMBreak and Resource Hall Open
3:45PMDay 1 Closing Session:
– Katie Stifter O’Conner
– Cyndi Williams
6:00PMOn-Your-Own Dinner Break
7:30PMSocial Gathering
8:00PMEvening Session:
– Jenn Fortune & Jen Johnson
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
9:00AMNetworking and Resource Hall Open
10:00AMGeneral Session:
– Carolyn Moor
– Christi Andringa
12:30PMLunch Buffet and Resource Hall Open
1:30PMGeneral Session:
– Legacy Club
– Dating Panel
3:10PMBreak and Resource Hall Open
3:30PMDay 2 Closing Session:
– Rachel Vasquez
– Carolyn Moor
5:00PMOn-Your-Own Dinner Break
6:30PMVIP Social Gathering*
7:30PMDance Party
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
9:00AMSpiritual Service:
– Jenn Batya Fortune, Messianic Minister
11:00AMVIP Brunch with Carolyn Moor*
* VIP ticket must be purchased to join these events.
Please note: Session details and times are subject to change without notice.

WEE 2023 Conference Agenda – Legacy Club

PLEASE NOTE: The following agenda is for Legacy Club attendees only. General registration and VIP attendees, please see the previous agenda.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
8:00AMRegistration
9:00AMCoffee, Conversation, and Moor: Morning Meet-and-Greet
10:00AMGeneral Session:
– Carolyn Moor
– John Polo
– Tara Collingwood
11:00AMIntroduction to the Legacy Club and Exploration of the Legacy Experience
12:30PMLunch Buffet
1:30PMGeneral Session:
– Megan Kopka
– Doretha Brown Simpson & Daughter Emory Simpson
– Francine Ward
2:45PMLegacy Club Session:
– Maggie Gomez
3:25PMBreak
3:45PMGeneral Session, Day 1 Close:
– Katie Stifter O’Conner
– Cyndi Williams
6:00PMOn-Your-Own Dinner Break
7:30PMEvening Session:
– Jenn Fortune & Jen Johnson
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
10:00AMGeneral Session:
– Carolyn Moor
– Christi Andringa
11:15AMLegacy Club Session
12:30PMLunch Buffet
1:30PMLegacy Club Session
3:10PMBreak
3:30PMGeneral Session, Day 2 Close:
– Rachel Vasquez
– Carolyn Moor
5:00PMOn-Your-Own Dinner Break
7:30PMDance Party
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
9:00AMSpiritual Service:
– Jenn Batya Fortune, Messianic Minister
11:00AMVIP Brunch with Carolyn Moor*
* VIP ticket must be purchased to join this event.
Please note: Session details and times are subject to change without notice.

About the Venue

We’re excited to be working with the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark to provide our attendees the amazing high-level experience they deserve both during the event and for their accommodations.

The hotel is located in downtown St. Louis, across the street from Ballpark Village. The Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, are two blocks away. The hotel’s rooftop bar features fire pits, panoramic city views, and live DJs on weekends. Enjoy their indoor pool, fitness center, and rooms with arch and ballpark views.

The Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark has extended a discounted room rate for our attendees. Please note that a set number of rooms is available at the group rate until August 31, 2023 and reservations are first come, first served. Should rooms no longer be available at the group rate, they may still be available at the hotel’s regular rate. Additionally, there are several other hotels within walking distance or a short Uber or Lyft ride.

Click HERE to book your room directly with the hotel and take advantage of the group rate. After you click “Book a Room,” make sure you see the blue banner that says “We’re showing Modern Widows Club rates.”

If the page doesn’t display the message above and a room rate of $189, click the “Special Rates” button and enter the group code MWD to get the group rate.

The hotel is located at 1 South Broadway, St. Louis, Missouri, 63102 USA. Click here to learn more about the hotel’s amenities and services, and click here to view the hotel’s photo gallery.

Download our WEE 2023 FAQ to learn about accommodations, transportation, parking, meals, and more.

Modern Widows Club will adhere to all local, state, and national COVID requirements for the safety of all guests and presenters. Guidelines may change as the date for WEE 2022 Scottsdale approaches and we will communicate with you should circumstances change. We encourage you to follow infection prevention precautions and to stay home should you feel ill.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Are you interested in being a sponsor for WEE 2023 St. Louis? When you become our trusted event sponsor, you’ll have the opportunity to be highlighted in a number of ways, such as visibility on our social media accounts (48K+ followers), onstage speaker opportunity during the event, exhibitor booth in our Resource Hall, signage and other visibility at the event, and much more.

To learn more about WEE sponsorship opportunities, please contact us and a member of our sponsorship team will respond as soon as possible.

For More Information

Download our WEE 2023 FAQ to learn about accommodations, transportation, parking, meals, and more.

If you have questions about our Widow Empowerment Event, please contact us and a member of our team will respond as soon as possible.

Thank You to Our Event Sponsors

The strength of our social connections has a powerful positive impact on mental and physical health. This is particularly true during times of stress and loss. The Modern Widows Club provides a loving network of widows who understand what it means to lose a spouse and whose members serve as courageous role models who share their wisdom and who join one another in their journey to find new meaning, even in the face of suffering.
— Dr. Steven M. Southwick (1948-2022), Author Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges, WEE Speaker and Former MWC Advisory Council Member