At Power Play, Women Lead Together

One message rose above the rest at Marie Claire’s 2025 Power Play summit in Philadelphia: Perseverance is rarely a solo act. It’s often shaped by the people who raise us, sustain us, and push us forward.

Presented by Marshalls, the event drew nearly 100 women to Lilah, a bright and soaring loft that set the stage for a day of inspiring conversations spanning money, leadership, sports, and style. And while each panel tackled its own theme, again and again the discussions returned to generations, community, and the legacies women carry forward.

As editor in chief Nikki Ogunnaike said in her opening remarks: “If it’s your first time joining us for Power Play, I’d like to welcome you to the family. And we do consider this a family.”

Comedian Alyce Chan, emcee for the day, set the tone with a riff on chaos and resilience, drawing from her own life as a mom. “What power means to me is joy—giving the gift of joy,” she said. For Chan, that gift translates seamlessly into motherhood: finding humor in the daily chaos, whether her kids are refusing to eat dinner or teasing her about her grey roots. “Power is not about being loud, not being the person who has the final word,” she added, “but to shift energy and provide light. That is my power.”

When Michaela Jaé Rodriguez—the trailblazing actress and singer who made history as the first trans woman to win a Golden Globe—joined Ogunnaike for a live recording of Marie Claire’s “Nice Talk” podcast, she was clear about where her sense of power came from. “I learned more about power from my mother,” who recognized her talent early, steered her into arts programs, and refused to let her give up, even when she was ready to walk away from acting.

“If you lose a little bit of your audacity, you have to have a strong family base. I didn't do this on my own, right? I had a strong village behind me, and I think that's what you have to have in order for you to keep that audacity,” she added.

Rodriguez’s candor about her upbringing and sense of self-worth clearly struck a chord: many in the audience were moved to tears.

After that emotional high, the room took a collective breath—literally—with a brief meditation exercise led by Peloton instructor Aditi Shah. It was a moment to center before bossing up for a panel on leadership in 2025, as companies face unprecedented pressures and leaders rethink how to respond.

Marie Claire Executive Editor Andrea Stanley moderated the conversation with author and entrepreneur Tina Wells and CCO, Bugaboo Jeanelle Teves, in which Teves spoke openly about her first boss: her mother. “Leadership begins at home, and she had the biggest impact on me,” Teves said, recalling her early days answering phones at her mom’s dental practice. Now a mother of two, she believes leadership today means weaving family into workplace culture—whether it’s remembering a colleague’s daughter’s ballet recital or making space for candid conversations about caregiving.

Wells echoed that view, stressing that being a leader in 2025 requires open conversations about personal struggles and worklife harmony. She described juggling her many ventures while helping her siblings coordinate her father’s care: “Yes, I do a lot of things. I’ve written a lot of books. But guess what? There’s this human part that’s happening right now.” For Wells, leadership is as much about honesty and balance as it is about ambition.

With that, the morning gave way to lunch, as guests spilled into the loft for a break and the chance to try The Marshalls Color Curation Experience, a quick color analysis to find the shades that flatter your skin tone. ( I learned that I’m a “Cool Summer,” a diagnosis I’ll be unpacking with my wardrobe for weeks.)

Later that afternoon, former soccer star and two-time World Cup champion Ashlyn Harris sat down with Laura Correnti, founder and CEO of Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, for a fireside chat about their mission to drive greater investment and visibility for women’s athletics. Harris spoke candidly about growing up in a turbulent home with a mother battling bipolar disorder and addiction, and credited sports with saving her life.

She recalled leaning on her grandmother’s wisdom, which fueled her resilience: “I was raised by an insanely beautiful woman who was my grandmother, who advocated for women, and instilled so many principles in my body growing up—of who I was, how I moved, and why it mattered.”

Now, Harris said, raising her daughter has only sharpened her fight. “I don’t want her to have to suffer the way I had to suffer to pave the way for change… I just want her to be seen as equal and make sure she’s paid fairly. And I won’t stop until that happens.”

The day closed with keynote speaker Lili Reinhart, who joined Ogunnaike for a candid “Nice Talk” conversation about her new skincare brand Personal Day, her upcoming series Hal Harper, and her experiences navigating Hollywood. She recalled how lucky she and her Riverdale castmates felt to have industry veterans playing their on-screen parents—the late Luke Perry, who was always offering “little nuggets of wisdom,” and Twin Peaks alum Mädchen Amick, who played her mom on the show and was, as Reinhart put it, “always so kind.” She added that honesty with her peers, especially when negotiating contracts and brand deals, was “really helpful” in navigating the industry.

And while those relationships offered invaluable guidance, Reinhart emphasized that she is also proud of having carved her own path in Hollywood without family ties to the business. “I really think I feel power in the sense that I’m self-sustained,” she said.

By the time glasses clinked at cocktail hour, Power Play Philadelphia felt more like a reunion than a conference—and one message lingered over the thunderclouds outside: perseverance may be personal, but it’s strengthened by community.