Lipstick & Legacy

As the Executive Vice President of Business Development for a Tech Company, Darlene Quinn is a leader in the Defense, Aerospace, and Homeland Security sector. Giving nearly 800 hours annually to philanthropy and community service, Darlene has received Congressional and Senate acknowledgment, as well as the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the White House. Darlene is a four-time pageant winner, currently crowned Ms. USA 2026. Great joy in her heart comes from coaching and introducing young ladies to the tremendous world of pageantry. A model for the past 35 years, Darlene has walked NYFW 6 times and has been featured on over 12 magazine covers. As an agency-signed model, Darlene continues to book contracts for TV commercials, magazine features, advertisements, and charity fashion shows. As a gallery-featured ceramic and sculpture artist, teaching high school-level ceramic arts, Darlene enjoys her spare time in her ceramic studio and serving as an official demonstrating artist at several art festivals across Phoenix, AZ. Darlene’s biggest blessing is her husband of 32 years, 2 adult children, and 2 grandchildren, who fill her heart in the most phenomenal way.

Heather Almager is the reigning Mrs. Classic Universe 2026–2027, a Breast Cancer Survivor, Passionate Advocate, and Community Leader dedicated to making a difference. She serves as the Congressional District 1 Lead for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in Indiana, where she works with legislators at both the Indiana Statehouse and in Washington, D.C., advocating for policies that improve the lives of cancer patients and survivors.

Heather is the founder of Crown Beyond Cancer, a platform that empowers survivors to embrace life beyond their diagnosis while inspiring hope, resilience, and purpose. Through speaking engagements, volunteer work, and advocacy, she is committed to ensuring no one faces cancer alone.

Professionally, Heather is a licensed Cosmetologist with over 20 years of experience and serves as the Manager of Beauty & The Beach Salon & Med Spa in Crown Point, Indiana. She is also a devoted Wife, Step Mom, Avid Volunteer, and Believer in using every opportunity to uplift others.

Whether she's wearing a Crown, speaking with lawmakers, or sharing her personal journey of survivorship, Heather's mission is simple: to turn pain into purpose, inspire others to never give up, and prove that a cancer diagnosis does not define a person's future, it can become the beginning of an extraordinary new chapter.

Morgan Goodwin is an author, former professional track and field athlete, philanthropist, wife, mother, and the reigning 2026 Contemporary Woman Classic Universe. A former University of Texas hurdler and two-time gold medalist at the 2012 U20 World Championships, Morgan has spent much of her life learning what it means to persevere, both on and off the track.

After experiencing infertility, pregnancy loss, and the devastating loss of three babies, Morgan transformed her pain into purpose. She is the author of Incompetent but Hopeful: Finding God’s Purpose Through Loss and Holding onto Hope and the founder of The Goodwin Family Project, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting families and communities in need. Through its Hopeful Heart Initiative, the organization provides financial assistance to families facing pregnancy and infant loss, including support with funeral, burial, and cremation expenses.

Today, Morgan uses her platform, pageant title, motherhood, and personal story to encourage women to hold onto hope through life’s most difficult seasons. Her mission is rooted in faith, service, family, and creating a legacy that reminds others that even after unimaginable loss, there can still be purpose, healing, and hope.

Candace Edwards is a wife, mom of two, entrepreneur, and the President of The Posh Mama Club Las Vegas. Originally from Thousand Oaks, California, Candace’s journey to Las Vegas started with a literal flip of a coin. When she and her best friend were deciding between San Diego and Las Vegas, Vegas won—and it ultimately became home.

Candace has never followed a traditional career path. She majored in Business Marketing and has worn many hats throughout her life, including working as a Special Accounts Coordinator, traveling to Germany, working as a makeup artist, and launching her own furniture refinishing business during the pandemic. Each chapter taught her something different about business, creativity, people, and taking an idea and turning it into something real.

Then came The Posh Mama Club.

Candace discovered the club while scrolling Instagram and came across the Fresno chapter. Her immediate thought was, “Vegas needs this.” She was soon asked to open the Las Vegas chapter, and what began as an idea quickly became a community that has impacted hundreds of women.

Under Candace’s leadership, The Posh Mama Club Las Vegas has grown into the largest chapter in the network, creating a space where women can build genuine friendships, experience incredible events, connect professionally, give back through philanthropy, and enjoy a lifestyle they may not have otherwise experienced.

For Candace, Posh Mama is about so much more than putting on beautiful events. It’s about creating opportunities for women to step outside of their everyday routines, meet people they may have never crossed paths with, and find a community that feels like home.

From a flip of a coin that brought her to Vegas, to an Instagram post that sparked an idea, Candace has built a community that continues to grow—and she believes the best chapters of life can begin when you least expect them.

Melissa’s life is a blend of bold adventure and deep purpose. She is a professional pet stylist, an over-the-road truck driver, and a thrill-seeker whose hobbies include skydiving, hang gliding, white-water rafting, scuba diving, hiking, fishing, and riding motorcycles. She lives boldly—and she serves boldly.

Melissa’s greatest journey, however, is the one she has fought through personally: overcoming addiction and mental illness. Her platform, “Beauty from Ashes,” is rooted in her own lived experience and her mission to help others rise from their darkest moments.

She speaks openly and powerfully about addiction as a complex brain disease—not a moral failing. She advocates for compassionate education, accessible resources, and empathy-driven support systems that uplift individuals rather than shame them.

Within the pageant community, Melissa hopes to see a shift toward modernized judging criteria, greater emphasis on authenticity, and a stronger focus on leadership and personal achievement. She believes pageantry should celebrate real women, real stories, and real impact.

The appearance Melissa has most looked forward to this season is the Classic Universe Pageant. It marks her first major performance in more than 30 years, and she is excited to build lasting bonds with other women while immersing herself in a sisterhood of like-minded queens who share her passion for empowerment.

Through Beauty from Ashes, Melissa works to spread awareness, encourage treatment, and guide others toward recovery by connecting them with supportive communities and resources. She has witnessed the devastation addiction can cause and is determined to be a voice of strength, compassion, and possibility for those who are still fighting.

Laura Kutryb practiced Real Estate for a few years. She has been serving her community for over 25 years.  She is a humanitarian, philanthropist and entrepreneur.  Laura appeared on the nationally syndicated television show Bravo’s Below Deck, season 10, episode 13 and 14. is She is involved in many charitable endeavors such as; Space Coast Tourism development council (cultural arts committee), Fundraising for the Brevard County Humane Society, Volunteer for Pure Water  for the World , Volunteer for Operation Smile, Canaveral Port Ministries, Member of the International Rotary Club  FL,  International Propeller Club (Port Canaveral), & volunteer with Special Olympics volunteer. 

Most people reinvent themselves once. Renée Landers has done it four times.

-At 74, Renée entered her very first pageant—and walked away wearing the crown as Classic Universe Woman 2026–2027.

That unexpected victory was simply the latest chapter in a life defined by resilience, reinvention, and refusing to accept society’s expectations about aging.

-A proud second-generation Houstonian whose grandparents immigrated from Sicily, Renée built a successful commercial building permit expediting company over 4 decades while raising her young son as a single mother.

-Today, her son, Garrett, manages the day-to-day operations while Renée continues as President, giving her the freedom to pursue an entirely new chapter.

-At age 58, after a lower lumbar fusion, Renée chose not to slow down, but instead walked into a gym at 60 and began building a stronger body—and a stronger future.

At 69, she stepped onto a bodybuilding stage for the first time, eventually earning her GBO Pro Card, becoming a sponsored athlete with Angel Competition Bikinis, and competing in 14 bodybuilding shows. She never imagined herself competing on any stage! But her trainer kept encouraging her, and she finally said YES!

-Today, Renée combines her love of fitness, solo world travel, adventure, (and now Pageantry representing Classic Universe) with a growing social media community, inspiring people around the world to believe their best chapter may still be ahead.

-Her message is simple:

Strength has no expiration date.

-Renée tries hard to respond to all genuine inquiries.

@reneefitat70 :Instagram YouTube and TikTok

Renée Landers: Facebook “

Chaplain Sonja Frazier-Koenig is the Founder and Executive Director of the End-of-Life Care Institute (EOLCI), a certified chaplain, end-of-life care educator, author, course creator, and international speaker with more than 30 years of experience serving individuals and families through some of life's most meaningful transitions. She combines her background in healthcare management, estate planning, ministry, and end-of-life care to help people prepare with confidence, compassion, and peace of mind. She started off as TX Doula Movement in 2020 and then leveled up to End-of-Life Care Institute in 2024.

Sonja founded the End-of-Life Care Institute to equip individuals, churches, organizations, and businesses with the education, tools, and resources needed to provide holistic support to those facing serious illness, end-of-life, grief, and loss. Through EOLCI's signature 4E teaching model—Educate, Empower, Engage, and Evaluate—she trains pastors, church leaders, chaplains, caregivers, and end-of-life professionals to serve with excellence while helping families navigate difficult conversations before a crisis occurs.

She is also the creator of the "Are You Ready? Preparing With Purpose®" program, a practical and compassionate five-week educational experience that helps individuals organize their end-of-life affairs, communicate their wishes, and reduce the emotional and logistical burden often placed on loved ones. Sonja believes that preparation is one of the greatest expressions of love and that every family deserves the peace that comes from having important conversations before they become urgent.

As host of the Caring Beyond the Pew podcast, Sonja is passionate about helping churches move from reactive care to intentional, compassionate care ministries. Her mission is simple: to help people Prepare Today, Protect Tomorrow, and Leave a Legacy of Love.

Whitney Walker is a wife, mother and passionate advocate for suicide awareness and mental health. After the devastating loss of her 21-year-old son, Connor, to suicide in 2024, she made the decision to use her family's story to bring hope, understanding, and compassion to others walking a similar path.

Through her faith, vulnerability, and unwavering love for Connor, Whitney speaks openly about grief, mental illness, and the importance of recognizing that every person has immeasurable worth. Her mission is to help break the stigma surrounding suicide, encourage honest conversations about mental health, and remind those who are struggling that they are never alone.

Whitney hopes Connor's life and story will inspire greater empathy, deeper connection, and a commitment to reaching those who may be silently suffering through hope.

Melissa Locke is a Philanthropist, Community Advocate, and Former Mrs. California United States 2025. Widely recognized for her dedicated community service, Melissa balances a multifaceted career as an Actress, Host, and Dancer as well. Driven by a prolonged calling towards Humanitarian work, Melissa is founding member and Head of PR and Media for Tree of New America, a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization dedicating to combating food insecurity by Feeding 15K individuals monthly. Whether Hosting Red Carpets, Speaking at Platform Development Workshops or Distributing Meals on the Streets of Orange County, Melissa uses her voice to uplift communities with love,dignity, and purpose. She resides in Southern California with her husband Celebrity Plastic Surgeon, T.Y. Steven Ip and her rescue dog Sammy