Pretty, Polished & Powerful: Women Across Business, Beauty, Media, Entertainment and Leadership Came Together for an Afternoon of Connection, Collaboration and Community
There are networking events—and then there are rooms intentionally created to move women forward.
On Sunday, September 20, 2026, Pretty Hustlaz presented the Pretty Hustle Link Up XVI, bringing together an inspiring community of entrepreneurs, executives, creatives, media professionals, beauty industry leaders, community figures and influential women for an afternoon centered around one powerful idea:
Relationships are the new currency—and genuine connection will always hold its value.
The latest installment of the long-running Pretty Hustle Link Up was built around the theme “Pretty, Polished & Powerful,” creating a space where women could connect beyond social media, exchange ideas, discover new businesses, share resources and build relationships that could continue long after the event ended.
More Than Networking
From the moment the doors opened, the energy in the room reflected what Pretty Hustlaz has always represented: women showing up for themselves while making room for other women to win.
Guests mixed networking with vendor shopping, content creation, conversation and meaningful introductions throughout the afternoon.
But the Link Up wasn’t created simply to collect business cards.
It was designed to create access.
Access to conversations.
Access to relationships.
Access to resources.
Access to women you may have followed online but never had an opportunity to meet face-to-face.
And most importantly, access to a community that understands there is enough room for all of us to grow.
Because sometimes your next opportunity isn’t waiting inside an email.
Your next level may be sitting in a room you almost didn’t walk into.
Four Conversations. One Powerful Room.
A major part of Pretty Hustle Link Up XVI was its four-panel conversation series, bringing women from different industries, backgrounds and levels of experience together to share insight from their journeys.
The afternoon opened with Beauty & The Brand, exploring the intersection of beauty, entrepreneurship, personal branding and building businesses that stand out in competitive industries.
The conversation continued with Women in Business, creating space for honest dialogue around entrepreneurship, leadership, growth and what it takes to turn an idea into something sustainable.
Women in Media & Entertainment brought another perspective to the stage, highlighting the importance of visibility, storytelling, relationships and understanding how to navigate industries where your reputation and network can be just as valuable as your talent.
The final conversation, The Power of Legacy & Influence, expanded the discussion beyond success and challenged women to consider what their work is building for the people coming behind them.
Across the panels, one message remained consistent:
Success may open the door, but relationships can change what happens once you walk through it.
Powerful Women, Different Industries, Shared Purpose
Pretty Hustle Link Up XVI welcomed an incredible mix of women representing business, education, beauty, media, entertainment, entrepreneurship, community leadership and more.
The experience featured voices including Claudienne Hibbert Smith, Dr. Bridget McKinney, Commissioner Dr. Regina Martin, Miranda Walker, Fye Redd, Stephanie Hoyte and Sherria Williams, Esq., alongside additional speakers, moderators, hosts, entrepreneurs and community leaders who contributed to the energy of the afternoon.
The experience was guided by hosts Empress Raw and AuJ’ye, with panel conversations moderated by Mo’Raye Banxx, and Maiy Cade , while DJ MK provided the soundtrack for an afternoon filled with networking and connection.
Every woman brought a different story to the room.
Different industries.
Different experiences.
Different levels of the journey.
But that’s exactly what made the room powerful.
Pretty Hustle has never been about everyone looking or thinking the same. It is about creating a table large enough for women at different stages to connect, learn from one another and discover where their stories intersect.
Supporting Women-Owned Brands
The Pretty Hustle Link Up experience also provided entrepreneurs and brands with an opportunity to put their businesses directly in front of an engaged audience.
Featured vendors and participating brands included The Queens Collective, Big Dreams For Her Foundation, Big Virtual Solutions, The Breakthrough Experience, Three Kernals, author Vontisha Adderley, Upscale Fetch and Your Family Helper, with Empress Raw also bringing a special Belaire giveaway activation to the experience.
Supporting women-owned businesses isn’t simply something Pretty Hustlaz talks about.
It’s something we intentionally build into the experience.
Visibility matters.
Introductions matter.
Someone discovering your brand for the first time matters.
One conversation can become a customer. A customer can become an ambassador. An introduction can become a collaboration. And a relationship formed in one room can eventually become an opportunity neither person saw coming.
Giving Women Their Flowers
Pretty Hustle Link Up XVI also created space to connect guests with the larger mission behind the platforms we continue to build.
Through Big Dreams For Her Foundation, guests had an opportunity to learn more about efforts focused on empowering and creating opportunities for the next generation of girls.
The Link Up also provided an opportunity to bring awareness to the Glitz & Girlpower Awards, inviting attendees to nominate deserving women to receive their flowers and be recognized for the work, leadership and impact they are creating in their communities and industries.
Because celebrating women shouldn’t begin only after the world discovers them.
Sometimes we have to be the ones who say:
We see you.
Your work matters.
And you deserve your flowers while you can still smell them.
Sixteen Link Ups Later, The Mission Remains
Pretty Hustle Link Up XVI represents another chapter in a vision that has continued to evolve.
What began as an opportunity to bring powerful women together has grown into something deeper: a space where media, entrepreneurship, community, visibility and relationships intersect.
Sixteen editions later, the purpose remains clear.
Connect women. Create visibility. Build relationships. Open doors.
For founder Rockstarr Diva, producing the Link Up has never been only about filling a room.
It’s about being intentional about who is in the room, what happens when they get there and what relationships can exist because the room was created in the first place.
Every panel, introduction, vendor activation, media moment and conversation is part of producing an environment where something can happen.
A partnership.
A feature.
A client.
A mentor.
A friendship.
A business opportunity.
Or simply the reminder another woman needed to keep going.
That’s the power of bringing the right people into the right room.
Relationships Are the New Currency
If Pretty Hustle Link Up XVI proved anything, it’s that the future of business isn’t built through followers alone.
It’s built through relationships.
Algorithms change.
Platforms change.
Trends change.
But authentic relationships continue to hold value.
The women who walked into Pretty Hustle Link Up XVI didn’t just leave with photos and content.
They left knowing someone new.
They discovered businesses.
They heard new perspectives.
They exchanged information.
They expanded their circles.
And somewhere inside those conversations may be the beginning of the next collaboration, partnership, friendship or opportunity.
That’s what the Pretty Hustle Link Up was created to do.
Connect. Collaborate. Create. Elevate.
And XVI was only the latest reminder that when powerful women intentionally connect, everybody has an opportunity to level up.
Pretty Hustlaz — where relationships become resources, visibility creates opportunity, and women don’t just enter rooms. We build them.
