Books

Here's How To Attend Together Live, A Powerful Celebrate Of Diverse Female Voices

by E. Ce Miller

If you’re looking for voices that rise above today’s polarizing politics and panphobic leadership, you’re not alone — and if you’re interested in hearing some of those voices come together in one place, the 2017 Together Live tour is kicking off just in time. Featuring storytellers like bestselling author Glennon Doyle, actors Sophia Bush and Connie Britton, biomedical scientist Knatokie M. Ford, and more, this annual speaking tour celebrates diverse, female voices and recognizes the power of storytelling to change the world. Together Live tickets are on sale now, and here’s everything you need to know before you buy:

Opening in Portland, Oregon in September and traveling across ten cities through October, Together Live is a powerful evening for anyone who attends. With values like intersectionality, community, and fierceness, Together Live is unlike many women’s conferences — not about a work-life balance or having it all, but rather focused on convening women across diverse backgrounds and generations to share their raw stories, build community, take action, and find self-love. But an added appeal for book lovers is the fact that Together Live is, in many ways, rooted in the literary world. The speaking tour was created by Jennifer Rudolph Walsh — head literary agent at William Morris Agency and in charge of WME’s Worldwide Literary Department.

"The mission behind Together Live is to bring the wisdom from the smallest rooms to the largest rooms possible," says Walsh. "There is something magical about being at a live event and hearing speakers share their stories, which is why we set out to make that experience accessible and affordable for people all across the country. We sell tickets for $25 to start and host our events after work, so for the cost of a movie and a slice of pizza, our attendees hear heart-stopping stories from real women who leave you feeling inspired, elevated, purposeful and connected."

After a career spent working with women and authors like Oprah Winfrey, Sheryl Sandberg, and Arianna Huffington, Walsh used her passion for live events and storytelling to launch Together last year.

"To drown out rhetoric of fear, division, and hate, Together Live is going to shout out stories of courage, unity and love,” says Doyle, (Love Warrior, 2016) who participated in Together Live’s inaugural tour and is speaking in all ten cities this year. “We’re going to remind each other that our families and communities and lives are love stories and we will refuse to be afraid of each other. We will shout loud and proud that our American values are inclusion, freedom, justice and opportunity for all. Love — courageous, inclusive love — is the revolution of our day. This revolution will be led by tough-minded, tenderhearted women. We are inviting these leaders to the stage and to the audience of the Together tour for a nationwide rally so we can refuel for our lives and work ahead."

Another speaker appearing in all ten cities is two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA Women's World Cup champion Abby Wambach — who (fun fact!) met Doyle for the first time during the 2016 tour of Together Live. The two were married in May of this year.

Nigerian writer, speaker, and digital strategist Luvvie Ajayi (author of last year’s New York Times bestseller, I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual) is another speaker you can catch in every city of the 2017 tour. "Many times, women play small in order to make others comfortable. I am fortunate to have a supportive community of diverse women in my life, starting with my mother, so I know the power of owning your story and who you are,” Ajayi says. “I am participating in the Together Tour because I know that my audience will benefit from hearing the stories of women, who, on first glance they may think they have nothing in common with. Women are powerful and I’m hoping that Together Live inspires them to play big in order to achieve their personal best."

Another speaker, Latham Thomas — wellness activist and founder of Mama Glow whose book Own Your Glow, will be released in September of this year — says:

"Women are the crux of community, we are the ones who give rise to the next generation. It’s imperative that we join forces and see each other, I mean really see that none of us are liberated until we acknowledge that we all have different struggles. With our current political climate creating a divide across the nation, now more than ever before women need to rise together. We need to be the shining example of love, use our influence to tear down walls of hate, and build bridges of understanding to move forward united. Together Live is a launch pad that I believe will help catapult each person into a space of self-inquiry, empathy, and activating their influence and making change in their communities."

Thomas will be speaking at eight of the ten tour stops, and the other speakers will be making guest appearances throughout the tour. Check out the full list of Together Live speakers and locations here:

Together Live Speakers:

• Glennon Doyle

• Abby Wambach

• Luvvie Ajayi

• Latham Thomas

• Amani Al-Khatahtbeh

• Ibtihaj Muhammad

• Sophia Bush

• Maysoon Zayid

• Jamia Wilson

• Elizabeth Lesser

• Dr. Knatokie M. Ford

• Alexis Jones

• Connie Britton

• Ruthie Lindsey

Tour Dates:

• Portland (9/18): Keller Auditorium

• Seattle (9/21): Paramount Theater

• San Jose (9/26): City National Civic

• Phoenix (9/28): Orpheum Theater

• Austin (10/3): Bass Concert Hall

• Washington DC (10/12): Warner Theater

• Nashville (10/17): Tennessee Performing Arts Center

• Minneapolis (10/19): State Theater

• Chicago (10/24): Chicago Theater

• Philly (10/26): Kimmel Center

If you notice a few major U.S. cities are missing from this list, that’s by design. Together Live is purposefully not going to New York or Los Angeles this year, in an effort to not only democratize the event — tickets start at just $25 and events are held after the work day, making it easy for anyone to attend — but also to bring Together Live’s speakers to people and cities across the country that don’t often get opportunities for events like this. Together’s goals are community, love, action, intersectionality — with a very accessible price point.

To buy your tickets and learn more visit http://togetherlive.com/join-us/. Can’t wait to see you there!