Dozens of young Brooklynites gathered on May 3 for the Queen Geniuses Empowerment Conference at the Brooklyn Crown Hill Theatre in Crown Heights.
The annual conference is committed to enriching, strengthening and supplementing the growth and development of teenage girls and gender expansive youth, ages 14 -18, from low income communities, according to a press release.
The event is an intergenerational experience connecting girls from diverse backgrounds to influential professionals providing the opportunity of powerful interactions through speeches, panel discussions, workshops and dynamic performances.
This year's theme was “WORTHINESS IS M.E.S.S.Y,” which challenged attendees to ‘tend to the mess,' or all of the areas of life that either haven’t been tended to, have been shoved aside to be dealt with later or completely ignored. Participants were encouraged to reframe their approaches to obstacles, embrace challenges and develop creative solutions for personal growth.
Regine Roy, the president and founder of Queen Geniuses, Inc., said the conference has always been a labor of love, where every contributor—whether a member of our leadership team, a workshop facilitator or a panelist—volunteers their time and shares their personal genius to make the event meaningful.
"Everyone brings their best to impact our target audience: teenage girls. It’s not an easy event to organize, but the willingness of so many people to contribute makes the entire process both fun and deeply purposeful," Roy said.
This year's conference, also sponsored by state Senator Kevin Parker, was hosted by comedian Onika McLean and included a performance from the Brooklyn United Music & Arts Program.
