BRAVE-ish at AdWeek: The Power of Community, Conversation, and The Female Quotient鈥檚 Book-SHE-lf
Lisa Niver, author of BRAVE-ish, Shelley Zalis, founder of The Female Quotient, Orlando Reece, Head of Global Sales, Insider Inc. Photos by
There are conferences 鈥 and then there are gatherings. Spaces where people don鈥檛 just show up to exchange business cards, but to connect, share, think, and imagine a better future together.
For me, AdWeek has always been one of those rare spaces 鈥 because of The Female Quotient.
Where It All Began: Shelley Zalis and a Different Kind of Room
The Female Quotient was founded by Shelley Zalis, a visionary force who saw something missing in corporate culture: not just seats for women at the table 鈥 but tables that women built themselves.
The movement began at CES, where Shelley invited women to walk the floor together 鈥 because walking alone can feel isolating, but walking together feels like power.
From that simple, bold act grew The FQ Lounge 鈥 a home base inside major global conferences 鈥 a sanctuary for women to gather:
A place to meet. A place to recharge. A place to be heard. A place to show up fully 鈥 without apology.
What started as women walking side by side has expanded into a global movement and a thriving community of leaders, creators, innovators, and changemakers.
The Book-SHE-lf: Celebrating Women鈥檚 Stories
One of my favorite elements of the Lounge is the Book-SHE-lf 鈥 a curated library of books written by women, displayed in a space built for conversation.
In 2023, I was honored to have my memoir, BRAVE-ish, included 鈥 and to sign books and meet readers. It remains one of the most meaningful moments of my author journey.
In 2024, I was invited again 鈥 but I was deep in my book tour (airports, stages, interviews, suitcases with opinions). I promised myself: I鈥檒l be back.
In 2025, I returned 鈥 and it meant even more.
Thank you to for introducing me The Girl Scout Team. I loved being a Girl Scout!
Returning to the Lounge in 2025
For three days, I signed BRAVE-ish inside the Lounge 鈥 surrounded by:
women I admire, women I鈥檝e learned from, and women I had just met but felt instantly connected to.
That familiar, powerful feeling returned: being in a space built for women, by women.
This year, I had the joy of reconnecting and connecting with:
Shelley Zalis, whose leadership continues to expand what community can mean
Orlando Reece, Business Insider
Holly Corbett, Forbes
Christyl Lucille Murray, Girl Scouts of the USA
Jennifer Baggett Brennan, co-author of The Lost Girls and journalist at The Washington Post
鈥nd so many new friends, colleagues, and co-conspirators in courage.
I love spending time with the 2/3 of ! Have you read it yet? It inspired me to write ! , Lisa Niver and
Books Are Not Just Stories 鈥 They Are Bridges
When someone picked up BRAVE-ish, we didn鈥檛 just talk about the book. We talked about:
courage reinvention identity the beauty of starting again and how 鈥渟mall steps lead to BIG changes.鈥
I write those words in every book not because they sound nice 鈥 but because they are true.
A Space That Makes Room for All of Us
The Female Quotient Lounge isn鈥檛 just a lounge. It鈥檚:
a gathering place a platform a listening room a launchpad a reminder that we belong here.
When women share stories and space, we don鈥檛 just change the conversation 鈥 we change the culture.
Gratitude
To Shelley 鈥 thank you for the vision and the invitation. To Erika and Paige 鈥 thank you for the warmth, coordination, support, and joy. To everyone who stopped by 鈥 thank you for trusting me with your stories. To The Female Quotient community 鈥 thank you for making the world feel wider, kinder, and more possible.
THANK YOU so much to the entire team at especially Paige and Erika!
Here鈥檚 to What Comes Next
More voices. More stories. More courage. More books on more shelves.
Here鈥檚 to all of us 鈥 finding our place, telling our stories, and being brave-ish together.
at The Female Quotient Lounge at AdWeek 2025
An honor to be back on the book-SHE-lf! AdWeek 2025
2025 in The Female Quotient Lounge!
What an incredible honor to sign my memoir Brave-ish at AdWeek in The Female Quotient Lounge! Being part of the book-SHE-lf 鈥 surrounded by two dozen trailblazing female authors 鈥 was pure magic. I鈥檒l never forget watching readers reach for my book, sharing stories, and smiling as I signed each one with my favorite reminder: 鈥淪mall steps lead to BIG changes.鈥
Every conversation reminded me why I wrote Brave-ish 鈥 to inspire courage, connection, and the belief that every bold leap starts with one small step. Meeting fellow book lovers, celebrating women鈥檚 voices, and being part of this empowering community filled me with gratitude. Huge thanks to everyone who stopped by, took photos, and helped capture these unforgettable moments. And to @thefemalequotient and @adweek (powered by @juucecharging) 鈥 thank you for championing creativity, authenticity, and women who lift each other higher.
.
I loved being back at AdWeek with The Female Quotient, signing Brave-ish in the Lounge and connecting with so many inspiring leaders, storytellers, creators, and changemakers. Some of my favorite moments were the people 鈥攕tanding shoulder-to-shoulder with women (and allies!) who are shaping culture, amplifying purpose, and lifting each other higher. It was such a joy to share this experience with:
Shelley Zalis, Founder of The Female Quotient
Orlando Reece, Business Insider
Holly Corbett, Forbes, Consciously Unbiased
Christyl Lucille Murray, Girl Scouts
Jennifer Baggett Brennan, The Lost Girls / Washington Post鈥nd so many new friends I鈥檓 excited to continue building with.
Being part of the Book-SHE-lf again 鈥 surrounded by powerful women authors 鈥 felt like coming home. I鈥檓 still so moved every time someone chooses Brave-ish and shares what courage means to them. And a very special thank you to the entire TFQ team 鈥 especially Paige and Erika 鈥 for your kindness, coordination, warmth, sparkle, and support. You make everyone feel welcome and seen. I left feeling:grateful, supported, inspired and so incredibly honored. Thank you The Female Quotient and Advertisting week for making space for women鈥檚 stories, women鈥檚 leadership, and women鈥檚 voices. Here鈥檚 to courage, community, creativity鈥 and being brave-ish together.
at AdWeek 2025
An incredible honor to be signing my book Brave-ish at AdWeek in The Female Quotient Lounge! Two years ago, I was here when the book had just been published 鈥 and now, after two years on tour and 10 awards later, it feels amazing to be back! So grateful to meet readers, connect with fellow book lovers, and see Brave-ish on the book-SHE-lf alongside so many inspiring authors.
on the Female Quotient Book鈥漵he鈥漧f!
in the Female Quotient Equality Lounge
Yay!! at the Female Quotient Equality Lounge at Adweek NYC 2023!
:
Read more about聽听补苍诲听
Thank you Shelley Zalis, The Female Quotient and Advertising Week!
I didn鈥檛 even know that there were still Jews left in Ethiopia, but what I encountered there firsthand was a thriving 91传媒 community, with some very significant struggles.
The 91传媒 immigrant who organized for a 40-hour work week did not do so to give his grandchildren a politics that asks them to feel guilty for their education, their professional success or their attachment to a 91传媒 state.
These are educational institutions. But most universities have allowed bureaucrats 鈥 in Washington and on campus 鈥 to hijack what could be 鈥渢eachable moments.鈥
In this enriching new edition of the classic code of 91传媒 law, readers can delve deeply into the mind of Maimonides, from his analysis of the commandments to the controversies that have accompanied his writings, offering a window into the wisdom of one of our tradition鈥檚 preeminent thinkers.
We didn鈥檛 think that we were living in a 鈥淕olden Age,鈥 because it did not occur to us that what we were experiencing was only a temporary respite from centuries of animosity and intolerance.
Since Israel evacuated Gaza in 2005, the Palestinian population has grown from 1.3 million to 2.1 million. In the West Bank, it has grown from 2.4 million to 3.4 million. If the Israelis were hellbent on committing genocide, it鈥檚 one of the most epic failures in military history.
From Trump鈥檚 standpoint, the nuclear issue has been overtaken by the bedeviling problem of the Strait of Hormuz. What Trump sees now in Iran is a mess, not a victory.
The world鈥檚 fanatical fixation with a group that is less that 0.2 percent of the world鈥檚 population has crossed the boundaries of moral vocabulary and into creepiness.
It鈥檇 be one thing if Mamdani were a lowly Israelophobe with a few hundred followers. But he鈥檚 not. He鈥檚 mayor of the city with the world鈥檚 largest 91传媒 population.
BRAVE-ish at AdWeek NYC: The Power of The Female Quotient Lounge
Lisa Ellen Niver
BRAVE-ish at AdWeek: The Power of Community, Conversation, and The Female Quotient鈥檚 Book-SHE-lf
There are conferences 鈥 and then there are gatherings. Spaces where people don鈥檛 just show up to exchange business cards, but to connect, share, think, and imagine a better future together.
For me, AdWeek has always been one of those rare spaces 鈥 because of The Female Quotient.
Where It All Began: Shelley Zalis and a Different Kind of Room
The Female Quotient was founded by Shelley Zalis, a visionary force who saw something missing in corporate culture: not just seats for women at the table 鈥 but tables that women built themselves.
The movement began at CES, where Shelley invited women to walk the floor together 鈥 because walking alone can feel isolating, but walking together feels like power.
From that simple, bold act grew The FQ Lounge 鈥 a home base inside major global conferences 鈥 a sanctuary for women to gather:
A place to meet. A place to recharge. A place to be heard. A place to show up fully 鈥 without apology.
What started as women walking side by side has expanded into a global movement and a thriving community of leaders, creators, innovators, and changemakers.
The Book-SHE-lf: Celebrating Women鈥檚 Stories
One of my favorite elements of the Lounge is the Book-SHE-lf 鈥 a curated library of books written by women, displayed in a space built for conversation.
It鈥檚 more than a shelf. It鈥檚 a statement:
Women鈥檚 stories matter. Women鈥檚 voices matter. Women鈥檚 authorship matters.
In 2023, I was honored to have my memoir, BRAVE-ish, included 鈥 and to sign books and meet readers. It remains one of the most meaningful moments of my author journey.
In 2024, I was invited again 鈥 but I was deep in my book tour (airports, stages, interviews, suitcases with opinions). I promised myself: I鈥檒l be back.
In 2025, I returned 鈥 and it meant even more.
Returning to the Lounge in 2025
For three days, I signed BRAVE-ish inside the Lounge 鈥 surrounded by:
women I admire, women I鈥檝e learned from, and women I had just met but felt instantly connected to.
That familiar, powerful feeling returned: being in a space built for women, by women.
This year, I had the joy of reconnecting and connecting with:
鈥nd so many new friends, colleagues, and co-conspirators in courage.
Books Are Not Just Stories 鈥 They Are Bridges
When someone picked up BRAVE-ish, we didn鈥檛 just talk about the book. We talked about:
courage reinvention identity the beauty of starting again and how 鈥渟mall steps lead to BIG changes.鈥
I write those words in every book not because they sound nice 鈥 but because they are true.
A Space That Makes Room for All of Us
The Female Quotient Lounge isn鈥檛 just a lounge. It鈥檚:
a gathering place a platform a listening room a launchpad a reminder that we belong here.
When women share stories and space, we don鈥檛 just change the conversation 鈥 we change the culture.
Gratitude
To Shelley 鈥 thank you for the vision and the invitation. To Erika and Paige 鈥 thank you for the warmth, coordination, support, and joy. To everyone who stopped by 鈥 thank you for trusting me with your stories. To The Female Quotient community 鈥 thank you for making the world feel wider, kinder, and more possible.
Here鈥檚 to What Comes Next
More voices. More stories. More courage. More books on more shelves.
Here鈥檚 to all of us 鈥 finding our place, telling our stories, and being brave-ish together.
at The Female Quotient Lounge at AdWeek 2025
An honor to be back on the book-SHE-lf! AdWeek 2025
2025 in The Female Quotient Lounge!
What an incredible honor to sign my memoir Brave-ish at AdWeek in The Female Quotient Lounge! Being part of the book-SHE-lf 鈥 surrounded by two dozen trailblazing female authors 鈥 was pure magic. I鈥檒l never forget watching readers reach for my book, sharing stories, and smiling as I signed each one with my favorite reminder: 鈥淪mall steps lead to BIG changes.鈥
Every conversation reminded me why I wrote Brave-ish 鈥 to inspire courage, connection, and the belief that every bold leap starts with one small step. Meeting fellow book lovers, celebrating women鈥檚 voices, and being part of this empowering community filled me with gratitude. Huge thanks to everyone who stopped by, took photos, and helped capture these unforgettable moments. And to @thefemalequotient and @adweek (powered by @juucecharging) 鈥 thank you for championing creativity, authenticity, and women who lift each other higher.
.
I loved being back at AdWeek with The Female Quotient, signing Brave-ish in the Lounge and connecting with so many inspiring leaders, storytellers, creators, and changemakers. Some of my favorite moments were the people 鈥攕tanding shoulder-to-shoulder with women (and allies!) who are shaping culture, amplifying purpose, and lifting each other higher. It was such a joy to share this experience with:
Shelley Zalis, Founder of The Female Quotient
Orlando Reece, Business Insider
Holly Corbett, Forbes, Consciously Unbiased
Christyl Lucille Murray, Girl Scouts
Jennifer Baggett Brennan, The Lost Girls / Washington Post鈥nd so many new friends I鈥檓 excited to continue building with.
Being part of the Book-SHE-lf again 鈥 surrounded by powerful women authors 鈥 felt like coming home. I鈥檓 still so moved every time someone chooses Brave-ish and shares what courage means to them. And a very special thank you to the entire TFQ team 鈥 especially Paige and Erika 鈥 for your kindness, coordination, warmth, sparkle, and support. You make everyone feel welcome and seen. I left feeling:grateful, supported, inspired and so incredibly honored. Thank you The Female Quotient and Advertisting week for making space for women鈥檚 stories, women鈥檚 leadership, and women鈥檚 voices. Here鈥檚 to courage, community, creativity鈥 and being brave-ish together.
at AdWeek 2025
An incredible honor to be signing my book Brave-ish at AdWeek in The Female Quotient Lounge! Two years ago, I was here when the book had just been published 鈥 and now, after two years on tour and 10 awards later, it feels amazing to be back! So grateful to meet readers, connect with fellow book lovers, and see Brave-ish on the book-SHE-lf alongside so many inspiring authors.
on the Female Quotient Book鈥漵he鈥漧f!
in the Female Quotient Equality Lounge
Yay!! at the Female Quotient Equality Lounge at Adweek NYC 2023!
:
Read more about聽听补苍诲听
Thank you Shelley Zalis, The Female Quotient and Advertising Week!
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
Israel and the Internet Wars – A Professional Social Media Review
The Invisible Student: A Tale of Homelessness at UCLA and USC
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
You鈥檙e Not a Bad 91传媒 Mom If Your Kid Wants Santa Claus to Come to Your House
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
Chicken With a Lemony Twist
Delicious Plant-Based Treats for Wellness Month
Table for Five: Eikev
Troubled Marriage
A Rabbi Explains What鈥檚 91传媒 About ‘The Odyssey’
Tu b’Av and Redemption
Mission to the 91传媒 Community of Ethiopia
I didn鈥檛 even know that there were still Jews left in Ethiopia, but what I encountered there firsthand was a thriving 91传媒 community, with some very significant struggles.
LA28: Inside the Race to Host One of the World鈥檚 Biggest Sporting Events
The Myth of the Marxist Mishpacha
The 91传媒 immigrant who organized for a 40-hour work week did not do so to give his grandchildren a politics that asks them to feel guilty for their education, their professional success or their attachment to a 91传媒 state.
Professors Should Fight Campus Jew-Hatred as Educators, Not Bureaucrats
These are educational institutions. But most universities have allowed bureaucrats 鈥 in Washington and on campus 鈥 to hijack what could be 鈥渢eachable moments.鈥
Framing the Faith of Maimonides
In this enriching new edition of the classic code of 91传媒 law, readers can delve deeply into the mind of Maimonides, from his analysis of the commandments to the controversies that have accompanied his writings, offering a window into the wisdom of one of our tradition鈥檚 preeminent thinkers.
Hope in Faith, Faith in Hope
Will Americans ever regain trust in our institutions? I think so.
Finding Communal Comfort
In the book of Isaiah, God calls the prophet to comfort the 91传媒 people. But we know this is really something we must do for one another.
Leaving Behind a Better World
The America my generation seems to be leaving our kids and grandkids is not safer nor saner, and it breaks my heart.
Boy George Releases Song Calling Out Israel鈥檚 Critics
The Culture Club singer shared a new song, 鈥淲e Will Dance Again,鈥 while calling out fellow musicians鈥 鈥渟elective memories鈥 and 鈥渕outhing like sheep.鈥
Was Our Golden Age Fool鈥檚 Gold?
We didn鈥檛 think that we were living in a 鈥淕olden Age,鈥 because it did not occur to us that what we were experiencing was only a temporary respite from centuries of animosity and intolerance.
Genocide Shmenocide
Since Israel evacuated Gaza in 2005, the Palestinian population has grown from 1.3 million to 2.1 million. In the West Bank, it has grown from 2.4 million to 3.4 million. If the Israelis were hellbent on committing genocide, it鈥檚 one of the most epic failures in military history.
Bibi鈥檚 Visit: Spin in the Air, Facts on the Ground
From Trump鈥檚 standpoint, the nuclear issue has been overtaken by the bedeviling problem of the Strait of Hormuz. What Trump sees now in Iran is a mess, not a victory.
The Obsession with Israel Is Becoming Creepy
The world鈥檚 fanatical fixation with a group that is less that 0.2 percent of the world鈥檚 population has crossed the boundaries of moral vocabulary and into creepiness.
What Will It Take?
An open revolt for 91传媒 rights and protections is going to have to come from Jews finally making demands and fighting back鈥攐r not at all.
Mamdani Needs to Pay a Price for Harming Jews
It鈥檇 be one thing if Mamdani were a lowly Israelophobe with a few hundred followers. But he鈥檚 not. He鈥檚 mayor of the city with the world鈥檚 largest 91传媒 population.
Rabbis of LA | Rabbi Geller鈥檚 Feminist Education
Third of three parts
Rabbi Artson Honored by WLCJ, Mem Global鈥檚 Embark Names Executive Director
Notable people and events in the 91传媒 LA community.
I Can鈥檛 Always 鈥 A poem for Parsha Va鈥檈tchanan
You Can鈥檛 Always Get What You Want came out the year after I was born.
A Bisl Torah 鈥 Senseless versus Sensible
The 9th of Av is an annual reminder to look inward and ask if any hatred has taken root within our hearts.
Moment in Time: Tisha B鈥橝v – A Time to Comfort
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.