Former Miss Rhode Island, Julianna Strout, has continued to make an impact on the community that surrounds her, even past her pageant days. As the founder and chief executive officer of the SRQ Women’s Expo, she will be back at the event, which runs from July 27 to July 28, at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.
Strout has become a recognizable figure in the Sarasota-Manatee community given her time as City Commissioner. In that role, she wrote new code to incentivize development, made green changes to the infrastructure and made sure to bring women’s initiatives into the spotlight.
It was during her time as City Commissioner that the idea for the women’s expo began.
Strout says that “the Manatee Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest chambers of commerce, and one of the most active, and has awards up and down that list, but they don’t have a committee solely focused on women in business. And so, we really found that there was this niche of a market, within Manatee County and even with Sarasota, that we needed to support these women.”
She founded the SRQ Women’s Expo to fill that niche. Strout says that the mission of the expo is to “make sure everyone has a seat at the table,” while also focusing on beauty, business and self-care.
The SRQ Women’s Expo is designed to be an event for women and men that need support. Her hope is that this event will provide opportunities to women and men alike. “The upcoming event is ideal for any parents who are struggling with their schedule, trying to balance family and work, she says”
The 2024 event will include more than 150 local businesses that will offer a variety of products and services, free childcare, networking opportunities and self-care services, along with guest speakers, including social media influencer Hayley Paige, offering professional insight on everything from beauty and fashion to financial literacy.
The expo has also led to the employment of over 25 mothers, in jobs that provide enough flexibility for them to be both businesswomen and mothers.
There are a variety of ticket prices, starting as low as $10, that can be found on their website https://www.srqwomensexpo.com/.
The July 27 cocktail event will take place at The Sarasota Studio, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and will serve as a prologue for the next day.
On July 28, the Sarasota Ritz Carlton will host the SRQ Women’s Expo from noon to 5 p.m. and will offer complimentary childcare for those who attend.
