All About the Girls: A Decade of Inspiring Women and Empowerment

Editor’s note: Year 11 of All About the Girls is just around the corner! Make sure to clear June 25, 2026 on your schedule and come support women throughout Indiana.

Started in 2015, All About the Girls was created by GreatNews.Life’s Jenny Craig-Brown as a means to spotlight strong, influential women while providing inspiration to the community based around these women and their incredible stories. Each year, All About the Girls brings women into the limelight to share a bit about themselves, based around the theme of the year. 

As we prepare to spotlight a new group of incredible women and celebrate the 2023 theme “This is Me,” GreatNews.Life would like to highlight the events and the women from the past seven years

2015 Year One: Inaugural Year

Created with the simple idea of bringing women together to remember their power and influence, Craig-Brown was hoping to create a safe place for women to honor each other. Coupling this idea with #NWITweetUps, the first All About the Girls event gathered women at Industrial Revolution in Valparaiso for short speeches and networking. 

2016 Year Two: Dear Me

Growing off the success of the first event, All About the Girls moved to Sand Creek County Club as a stand-alone celebration of women in the Region. Continuing with the honoring of eight inspiring women, All About the Girls in 2016 highlighted the Lean In movement by allowing women to support other women. 

2017 Year Three: You’re Welcome World

By 2017, All About the Girls had blossomed into an event for hundreds of local women. The event in 2017 truly encapsulated the idea that women could and should feel empowered in their own skin while inspiring others to flourish as well. 

2018 Year Four: #LikeaGirl

#LikeaGirl was the theme of All About the Girls in 2018. #LikeaGirl was selected as the theme to focus on the strength that women naturally hold. Eight honorees gave speeches, and hundreds of women gathered at Sand Creek Country Club to enjoy an evening of great food and company. 

2019 Year Five: Courage Over Comfort

Hoping to push local women out of their comfort zones, All About the Girls in 2019 worked to demonstrate the balance needed between struggle and ease. Sporting t-shirts with the phrase “Courage Over Comfort,” honorees hoped to show attendees the need to embrace challenges and find pleasure in life’s small joys. 

2021 Year Six: #MyStrength

Moving to Central Park Plaza in Valparaiso allowed All About the Girls to both be an outdoor event and a celebration of connection after COVID-19. Reflecting on all that the pandemic had taught them, speakers in year six reminded attendees that it takes a village to create great things. Using the theme of #MyStrength as a catalyst, All About the Girls in 2021 referred to the strength inside each woman and the greater strength we have when working together. 

2022 Year Seven: True Grit

Last year’s All About the Girls remained an outdoor event that continued the theme of strength and resilience. Highlighting women who didn’t give up even when faced with large challenges, All About the Girls in 2022 featured community advocates, firefighters, and entrepreneurs throughout Northwest Indiana (NWI). 

2023 Year Eight: This is Me

The theme for this year was “This is Me,” which stood as both a bold statement and a quiet reflection. Attendees were challenged to examine who they are when they’re at work, off the clock, at home, or out of their comfort zone. In the eyes of GreatNews.Life Executive Director Jenny Craig-Brown and the rest of the speakers, getting to know all of the facets of yourself is the first step in knowing who you really are.

2024 Year Nine: #IBelong

With a young team of dancers, seven uplifting women (all who’ve faced trials of their own and found success) giving speeches, and a fun basket giveaway, All About the Girls Part 9 gave returning attendees an equally heartening experience to prior years and gave first-time attendees an event to look forward to in years to come. The theme of All About the Girls this year was #IBelong.

2025 Year Ten: Dear Me

It was an evening filled with empowerment, celebration, and reflection, centered around the heartfelt theme Dear Me, a personal favorite of Craig-Brown’s. Inspired by the idea of writing a letter to one’s younger self, the Dear Me theme invited attendees to pause and consider the guidance they would offer their past selves. The result was an outpouring of sincere advice, encouraging everyone to strive toward a brighter, more intentional future.