In 1832, Lindenwood opened its doors as a women’s college in the Saint Charles area. Since then, it has continued to educate and inspire women to take on leadership roles. Lindenwood has announced a nonpartisan political empowerment initiative to continue on the nearly 200-year-old mission.
The workshop is designed to catalyze change, offering training, networking opportunities, fundraising approaches, and strategic guidance to women from across the political spectrum, which allows them to be ready to make their mark in civic leadership. The two-day workshop will be held on Friday, Jan. 30, and Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Lindenwoods campus. Inside the workshop, individuals can look forward to understanding the significant gender gap in political representation and gain various tools, knowledge, and confidence needed to “Rise and Run” for public office.
After speaking with Dr. Barbara Hosto-Marti and Nina Needleman on January 20th, 2026, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of who they are and how Rise and Run came to be. Dr. Hosto-Marti stated that the workshop is closely tied to Lindenwood’s history, “This whole mission starts with Lindenwood’s history of being a women’s only college.” When the proposal came from Nina Needleman, Lindenwood was eager to jump on the opportunity to support and hoped to grow this workshop into a multiple-year initiative.
Needleman has spent almost three decades in financial services; however has since retired but continues to use her skills to help the community. She has a passion for initiating capacity-building programs, including the Capacity Building Scholarship at Network for Strong Communities for non-profits, which began 6 years ago.
She is initiating a program, Rise and Run, to help women raise their voice in politics, with the guidance of 14 very talented presenters, with the same goal of empowering women to run for office. Needleman describes Rise and Run as a way to “rebuild lost opportunities for leadership development.” After similar programs ended in 2019, she saw a clear need to have renewed capacity building that focuses on access, preparation, and community support.
A key component of this workshop is its non-partisan approach. Dr. Hosto-Marti expressed that its allow diverse voices to be heard and leads to better outcomes. “The more people we have engaged, the better the policies are going to be,” she said. Needleman added that “whole women make up half of the population, they are still far less likely to be encouraged to run for office.” Rise and Run focuses on the logistics of running instead of specific political issues; it allows women to have more access across the political spectrum.
Currently, according to the United States Census Bureau, women make up over half of the population, with 50.5% and 49.5% being men. However, when it comes to political representation, women are underrepresented in every area except in school boards, with 25% of the Senators and 29% of the Representatives in the 119th Congress (Jackson, 2025). In 1917, the first women began to serve in some form of political representation; only a total of 441 women have served in congress talling approximately 3.3% of all members in Congress.
Beyond the logistics of the workshop, it aims to build confidence. Dr. Hosto-Marti said that the goal is to demystify the process of running for office by breaking it into manageable steps. Needleman highlighted the importance of addressing imposter syndrome, noting how many women often feel like they must meet every qualification like a checklist before taking any step forward. She also added that this workshop looks at the psychological aspect of running for an office position compared to other workshops that do not talk about this factor.
Both speakers described the sense of community as a major benefit of this workshop. Participants will be able to leave knowing they are not alone and that they are a part of a much larger movement. Future follow-up sessions are planned, with early training focusing on women being represented in areas like school boards, which often can be seen as an accessible entry point for politics.
Ultimately, Rise and Run at Lindenwood is about encouraging women to take action. Not being “an armchair complainer,” as Needleman put it. Just simply sitting back complaining about change when you could be doing something about it. The workshop offers free spots and flexible attendance options, which are listed below. This workshop invites women to get involved, gain confidence, and take meaningful steps towards civic leadership.
Event Times and Information
Friday, Jan. 30, 2026
2:30-2:50 p.m. Introduction by Dr. Barbara Hosto-Marti, Lindenwood University
Welcome by underwriter, Nina Needleman
2:50-3:35 p.m. Psychology of Running by Dr. Hillary Anger Elfenbein, Washington University, training courses on Negotiation, Leadership, and Emotional Intelligence
3:40-4:15 p.m. Your Why, Your Origin Story, Your Message by Kisha Lee, Ladue School Board Member, Chief Executive, Propel Kitchen
4:30-5:00 p.m. Image Management and Brand Management by Nancy Nix-Rice, Image Consultant, National Speaker and Trainer, Former President NCJW
5:00-5:15 p.m. Preparing your Elevator Pitch and Homework by Rebecca Now, Founder and Director of Voice of America HERstory, Former Executive Director of the Webser Groves and Shrewsbury Chamber of Commerce
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026
8:00-9:00 a.m. Working Continental Breakfast, round tables of 6 to review elevator pitch and facilitate each table by elected officials
9:00-9:45 a.m. Keynotes, Why Now Matters, One Woman Can Make a Difference, and How to Collaborate, Tracy McCreery, State Senator, Former Missouri House Representative,e Jean Evans, Government Relations Policial Analyst, Former ExecutiveDirector off the Missouri Republican Party, and Former Missouri State Representative
10:00-10:20 a.m. How to Create a Budget by Angela Bingaman, Political Finance Director, and Independent Fundraising Consultant
10:20-11:00 a.m. Campaign Team Building by Deb Lavender, Missouri State Representative for 4 terms
11:00-11:40 a.m. Volunteer Recruitment, Management, and Retention by Jami Cox Antwi, Alderwoman, City of St. Louis, 8th Ward, Former Project Manager, U.S. Bank Impact Finance, Community Development Professional
11:40-12:20 p.m. Field Operations and Canvassing by Trish Gunby, Former Missouri Representative 99th District, Former Chair Missouri Democratic Party Legislative Committee
1:00-1:30 p.m. Missouri Ethics Commission and Filing Tips, Kayla Berry, St. Charles
Advanced Training
1:30-2:00 p.m. Voter Contact Strategies and Grass Root Organizing by Wendy Hausman, Former Missouri House Representative District 65, Business Owner and Entrepreneur
2:00-3:00 p.m. Fundraising Techniques and Donor Cultivation by Angela Bingaman, Political Finance Director and Independent Fundraising Consultant
3:15-3:45 p.m. Endorsement Strategies and Coalition Building by Jill Schupp, Former Missouri Senator District 24, Former Missouri House Rep District 88, Former Creve Couer Council Rep, Former Ladue School Board Member
3:45-4:15 p.m. Media Training by Daniela Velazquez, Alderwoman, City of St. Louis, Ward 6; Eisenhower Fellow, Former VP Fleishman Hillard, and Former Communications Director ACLU
4:15-5:00 p.m. Social Media Training by Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon, Director of Graduate Strategic Communications and Leadership, Maryville University Professor, Keynote Speaker, TedX Speaker, Writer, Consultant
For registration: https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=LUAV_PL_MPV&orgid=58429&eventid+20963
First 50 registrations are free with code: RISEANDRUN26
Subsequent registrations are $50 for the entire two-day workshop
First 10 Students are free, please email Dr. Barbara Hosto-Marti: [email protected]
