Women's Storytelling Wine and Connection
About this Event
Women's Storytelling - Wine and Connection
Come join us! Enjoy an evening of wine, small bites, and meaningful connection. Our events are designed to lift, inspire and amplify. So, we'll feature two story tellers and a non profit doing good work you may be inspired by or want to help.
Connecting, empowering, and healing women through story. An evening featuring a women's twists and turns through life shared from the heart. Plus plenty of giggles and laughs to round it all out.
A few comments from recent attendees:
"The conversation were so enriching, and created a safe space for trust, connection and building a community. This was amazing!"
"Wow, I have never felt the way I did."
"Real connection, real stories with real meaning."
"Loved the open discussion. The vulnerability that shared from hosts to audience members as well as storytellers."
Humans are wired for stories. Stories hold the power to convey profound meaning, bridging connections among those who hear them. In sharing our stories—of overcoming struggles, achieving wild dreams, enduring heartbreak, and honoring lost loved ones—we tap into the full breadth of the human experience, the depths of our emotions, and the resilience of our spirits.
Join us for an evening dedicated to the power of storytelling and uniting hearts. We’ll begin with a heart-opening story from the Passionately Striving in “Why” anthology (curated by co-host Alise), followed by two remarkable women sharing the moments that color their lives.
This event is an invitation to connect, heal, and elevate one another through the strength of shared experiences. You’ll engage deeply with the storytellers and fellow attendees, leaving with a renewed heart and the power of genuine connection.
Our storytellers:
Meredith Ford O'Neal
Amidst a very successful career as fundraiser, at the age of 33 and 37 1/2 weeks pregnant, Meredith became the fifth thoracic aortic dissection (a life threatening tear) in four generations in her family. She stared death in the face and lived to tell about it, and now lives her passion leading The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health.
Jana O'Guin
Jana never planned to start a nonprofit in Kenya. Her journey began with a visit to a women’s Pr*son, where she encountered women who had largely been forgotten—and children whose lives were being shaped by circumstances they did not choose. What began as a simple desire to help eventually became Building Families For Tomorrow (BFFT). Today, BFFT works with prisons across Kenya to help women rebuild their lives after incarceration and restore their families. Their approach goes beyond meeting immediate needs. They provide education, vocational and business training, counseling, life skills, biblical discipleship, and transitional support designed to help women become self-sufficient and build a different future for their children. Since opening their residential center in 2020, more than 93% of their graduates have become self-supporting, with no known recidivism among our graduates.
Our non profit focus: Hiba Tanvir's Hope Kitchen where she champions immigrants to create, earn money, and live with purpose.
Your Host:
Dr. Alise Cortez, Chief Ignition Officer at Gusto, Now! Unleashing passion and purpose in individuals and organizations
Venue: Wisteria Preschool, 694 S Watters Rd, Allen, TX 75013
Meredith Ford O'Neal, Storyteller
CEO of The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health. Founded in 2003 after the loss of actor, father, and friend John Ritter to a misdiagnosed thoracic aortic dissection. O'Neal thrives on raising funds, advocating for systemic change, connecting people, funding research, and raising awareness to save the lives of more families like hers. She lives in Texas with her husband and five-year-old son.
Jana O'Guin, Storyteller
Founded and Executive Director, Building Families For Tomorrow (BFFT). Before founding BFFT, her career took her from management in the aerospace industry to serving as International Director of Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback Church. Those experiences taught her lessons about leadership, organizational development, recovery, faith, and what can happen when people are given both opportunity and responsibility.
Today, she divides her time between Texas and Kenya, leading BFFT, developing partnerships, speaking, and advocating for women and children affected by incarceration.
She's also preparing to publish a book about the unexpected journey that led her from corporate America to the prisons of Kenya—and the people who taught her that restoration is possible even when a story appears to be over. She believes lasting change happens when we stop simply asking, “How can we help?” and begin asking, “What will it take for this family to thrive for generations?”
Mayra Vizcaino de Bolanos, Co-Host
Alise Cortez, Host
Chief Ignition Officer at Gusto, Now! She's an Organizational Psychologist, Workforce Advisor, Vistage Chair, and the Founder of Gusto Now, your partner in growing your people, leadership and culture. We are all about helping you unleash the energy and capacity of your people by accessing their GUSTO, the life force for performance --that drives commitment, perseverance, and genuine ownership of a shared mission.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 19.97
