International Women’s Day is an annual holiday on March 8 commemorating the achievements of women activists, highlighting their initiative and engagement in movements throughout history. In a collaboration between What’s Up SCV, a local media outlet focused on community events, and the Valencia Town Center, Santa Clarita’s residents celebrated the holiday on March 8 and 9 at the International Women’s Day Expo. From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the event provided a space for attendees to browse women-owned businesses in honor of the occasion.
This year was the second annual International Women’s Day Expo, with the first one being held in the parking lot of Joann’s Fabrics on Carl Boyer Drive instead of in the Valencia Town Center. This year’s event featured over 80 vendors, most of who were local female business owners looking to market their products and brands. Vendors offered a variety of different goods and services like handcrafted personalized jewelry, body washes, clothing and business consulting.
At the entrance of the event, a booth was available for attendees to enter into a raffle for a chance to win two Disneyland tickets as well as a Garmin Mini Dash Cam. One winner was selected to receive the Disney tickets while three other winners were chosen for the dash cam.
The expo also featured music with live performances from the Remedy Classic Rock Tribute and DJs Relo and Sophenom, who entertained attendees all throughout the event. Located near the main stage, rows of tables provided seating for food trucks such as Beignet Box, S&L Street Dogs, Kazuyo Sushi and many more. Additionally, carnival games, bounce houses, a trackless train for kids and outdoor games offered fun activities for attendees to do while browsing the event.
Michelle Holloway, an attendee and business owner of an independent consulting firm, went to the event in support of her friends, who were vendors at the expo: “[I like] just being able to see the people supporting the different businesses that we have here.” Holloway added, “There’s a wide variety of small businesses here and it’s great being able to see that.”
With years of experience in fashion school and designing for other clothing corporations, Jasmine Romero decided to open up her own business, Jasmine Romero Swim. Romero aims to appeal to younger moms with swimwear so that they can feel empowered in their own bodies. Romero shared, “[What] I like about this event is that we’re I’ve already met so many amazing women here—there’s definitely potential for collaboration and supporting each other as we grow our businesses in Santa Clarita. Everyone’s been so friendly and open, and it feels like a great space to build connections.”
Romero also voiced, “When it comes to the business side, one of the bigger challenges I’ve faced has been finding manufacturers that align with my values in terms of quality, communication, and integrity. I’ve definitely learned some lessons the hard way, but it’s helped me grow and be more intentional about who I work with. Marketing has also been a huge learning curve—it’s more expensive and complex than I expected. I put so much into the design and production side, but I’ve realized how critical marketing is to actually get the brand in front of people. That’s the area I’m really focusing on now—finding smart, effective ways to grow awareness and drive sales.”
To aid and support business women experiencing these hurdles, Hanna Olivas and Adrianna Luna Carlos founded She Wins Women’s Network, a global organization with over 50 chapters worldwide dedicated to uplifting women in business. Olivas shared what inspired her to co-found She Wins, “I was diagnosed with an incurable terminal cancer in 2017 and I figured if I’m gonna leave the planet, I’m gonna leave an imprint, something good.”
Each chapter meets twice a month with Amie Rich running and managing SCV’s branch of She Wins. She Wins assists new business owners in filing a Limited Liability Company, setting up business plans, marketing their business and more. Rich believes that “this network actually puts you in the room with other women, other empowered women to help empower you and to help you step out of that comfort zone to make you realize you already have what it takes. We just gotta get you to believe it.”
Overall, the event proved a success for not only the woman-owned businesses of Santa Clarita to promote and collaborate, but also as a fun and engaging event for the whole family. Cats, keep an eye out for future International Women’s Day Expos to continue the support of local women-owned small businesses in our community.
