Tope at The UNConference

We are not alone….
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The first thing I asked Sarah Mugo when she told me I’d been tasked with delivering the keynote at Cultivate: The UNConference in DC last Thursday was simple:
“Tell me about the audience.”

If I’m being honest, the moment she answered, I panicked—and that panic followed me all the way until I opened my mouth on stage.
Why?

Because many of the women in that room didn’t look like me.
And I wondered—would they relate to my stories? To the lessons I’ve lived and wanted to share? What if their realities were so far from mine that nothing landed? Even though I don’t have their skills, I felt yet again the anxiety of stand up comedians and performers ….

But here’s the truth I discovered (again): I was wrong to worry.

The women at the UNConference reminded me that we—women, across race, culture, background, and all the labels the world uses—have far more in common than what separates us. This journey demands a resilience that is truly universal.

And just like at the MUSLAF Ireland conference a few weeks ago, the conversations and feedback after my keynote affirmed it: our stories connect us, and we must keep sharing!

These moments are fueling me to keep showing up, to keep sharing stories that matter, and to keep reminding women—in the workplace and in our communities—that we are never alone.

If you are in Lagos or know a woman who is, please invite them to join the invite list for RISE by She-EO happening in Lagos on November 29, 2025. We will be sharing stories that heal, encounters that inspire. Join the list via email to ea@thesheeo.org