Together We Rise Podcast

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guests Sue Ferguson and Lori M. Ruffin from Exponential Women Next!

Sue Ferguson is a follower of Jesus, a wife to Dave, a mom to 3 adult kids, sister, friend, mentor,and a connector of people. Sue helped plant Community Christian Church in the Chicagoland area and has served in several different ministry roles there. She loves to create safe, brave spaces for others to process faith and life; and to help other leaders develop the desire and skills to do the same. She loves to encourage women leaders to develop their gifts and use them for the sake of the Kingdom! She is a co-director and a content creator for Exponential Women Next. She is excited to equip, empower, and cheer on the next generation of women leaders!

Lori M. Ruffin is an upbeat strategic thinker, speaker, and the founder of The COO Team, an operations agency that helps visionary leaders get the strategy and systems they need to scale. Drawing from her experience at a Fortune 500 company, years serving national and international nonprofits, and an MBA program from Regent University, she has worked with and consulted ministries such as Movement Leaders Collective, Kumveka, Women Doing Well, Generous Giving, The V3 Movement, Created Leaders, The Voices Project, Uptick, and Arrabon. She’s co-founder of the Black Missional Convening and serves on a handful of nonprofit boards. Living in Richmond, Virginia, she serves as a lay leader in a local urban ministry context with her husband, Marques, and three daughters. You can connect with Lori at 

Connect with Sue & Lori
Exponential | Women Next
Sue's email
Lori's email

WSC Woman to Watch: Danielle Kelly

Danielle Kelly is an author, ministry leader, and speaker who cultivates resilience in women leaders facing personal storms.  She uses all of her gifts to ultimately bring him glory.  Danielle specializes in helping women walk out of shame into freedom. Danielle and her husband live in Chicago with their sons.

Connect with Danielle Kelly
Instagram

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guest Nande Boss!

Nande Boss is a businesswoman, speaker, author of More Than Hello, and creative thinker. Through her faith in Jesus and passion for helping individuals and institutions communicate clearly, she has led workshops in both corporate and faith-based sectors. Nande does this with authenticity, clarity, and courage. 

Connect with Nande
Instagram
Podcast

WSC Woman to Watch: Wendi Stumborg

Wendi is a wife, mom to three girls, and a registered nurse in Saskatoon who has been specializing in Obstetrics for the last 12 years.  Major life events have allowed Wendi to use her pain for good, whether by teaching or leading others.  Because she is a natural researcher, collaborator, and creative, this allowed her to write resources for her patients and peers to help in their journey.  Her heart boldly pursues women who are overcomers and has a desire to advance Canadian women.

Connect with Wendi
Instagram 

Join us for a special conversation between our two hosts of Together We Rise to talk about our most recent YouVersion plan from Women Speakers Collective called ChangeMakers: Unsung Women of the Bible (Part 1). 

This 10-day plan highlights the significant impact of lesser-known women of the Bible. We know the significance of famous women in the Bible, such as Mary, Ruth, and Esther. But what about the unsung and even unnamed women in the Bible, like Jael, Tabitha, and the Canaanite woman? In part one of this plan, discover the lasting impact of ten changemakers. Their stories remind and encourage us that God sees, values, and has a divine purpose for all women, including YOU! If you’ve ever felt unseen or unimportant and struggled to see how you could make a lasting impact in God’s kingdom, this is the plan for you! Cheryl and Danielle share some of their favorite days from the plan and their current changemakers that have impacted them. Join us as we dive into this conversation.

Check out our YouVersion Plan | Changemakers Plan

Connect with Cheryl
Website | https://www.cherylnembhard.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/cherylnembhard/?hl=en

Connect with Danielle
Website | https://www.daniellezapchenk.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/daniellezapchenk/?hl=en

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WSC Woman to Watch: Melanie Waldman
Melanie Waldman is a Nashville-based Worship Leader, Speaker, and Songwriter passionate about reminding people God is still working miracles. Remarkably delivered from chaos and loss, Melanie now devotes her life to restoring hope and awakening people to the power of the Living God.

Connect with Melanie
Website | melaniewaldman.com
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/melaniewaldman/

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guest Faith Eury Cho!

Faith Eury Cho has been a gospel preacher since she was nineteen years old. She is a pastor,  writer, speaker, and the author of Experiencing Friendship with God. Faith is the CEO and founder of The Honor Summit, a nonprofit organization that centers Asian American women in the mission of God. Alongside her husband, Pastor David Cho, she is the co-founder and co-pastor of Mosaic Covenant Church in New Jersey. Her most precious role, however, is being a mom to her four children.

Connect with Faith
Website | https://www.faitheurycho.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/faitheurycho/
Faith's Book | https://www.amazon.com/Experiencing-Friendship-God-Wilderness-Presence-ebook/dp/B0BTLCN38G?ref_=ast_author_dp

WSC Woman to Watch: Jenna Holmes
Jenna is a mentor, writer, speaker, and sister in Christ, who is a passionate ministry leader with over a decade of experience leading and teaching in the local church. Jenna draws from a wellspring of biblical truth and real-world wisdom, with an academic background in spiritual formation, theology, and exegesis.

Through personal testimony of turmoil, single motherhood, bold faith, and a resurrected life, Jenna invites others to believe in God for more than they can ask or imagine and reminds us that we serve a good and gracious God. Jenna’s God-given calling is to lead a new generation of believers into a spiritually formed life that is made complete by the abundant love that God has for them, despite who they have been or what they have done.

Connect with Jenna
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/jkaholmes/

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guest Tara Beth Leach!

Tara Beth Leach is a pastor, preacher of the Word, and a writer. She speaks widely at conferences, retreats, and universities across America on Women in Ministry, Church Leadership, and the call to be a Radiant Witness. She is the Senior Pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Naperville, IL. She previously served at Christ Church in Oakbrook and as Senior Pastor of First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena (“PazNaz”) in Southern California. She is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University and Northern Theological Seminary. She is the author of Emboldened, Radiant Church, and Forty Days on Being a Six. She has two beautiful and rambunctious sons, and has been married to the love of her life, Jeff, since 2006.

Connect with Tara Beth
Website | https://tarabethleach.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/tarabeth82/

WSC Woman to Watch: Ruthie Kim
Ruthie Kim is an executive leadership coach, an ordained minister, and the founder of Because Justice Matters, a San Francisco-based organization building pathways to brighter futures for women and girls in urban communities. She is a prophetically gifted and sought-after speaker and a relentless advocate for women and girls.

Connect with Ruthie (her picture is here)
Website | https://www.ruthiekim.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/ruthiekim

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guest Ashley Abercrombie!

Ashley is a writer, whose work and story have been featured in various magazines and digital outlets, including OprahMag.com, Relevant, and more. She is the author of Rise of the Truth Teller: Own Your Story, Tell it Like it is, and Live with Holy Gumption, and Love is the Resistance: Learn to Disagree, Resolve the Conflicts You’ve Been Avoiding and Create Real Change. For more than 15 years, she worked in non-profit spaces, leading faith-based initiatives, serving as a prison chaplain and pastor, and speaking at conferences, churches, and events. Ashley is twenty years sober with a passion for justice and serves as the Executive Board Chair of Treasures, a non-profit that reaches and supports women in the sex industry, and victims of sexual exploitation. In 2021, she entered the creative agency world as a writer and thinker. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children.

Connect with Ashley
Website | https://www.ashabercrombie.org/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/ashabercrombie/

WSC Woman to Watch: Dr. Karen Hurula
Dr. Karen Hurula is a psychologist, and has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Master’s degree in Theology from Wheaton College. Dr. Hurula is passionate about the integration of psychology and theology. She believes in the mind-body-soul connection, and it is her hope to guide others to a better understanding of self-care. She currently serves as Director of the Counseling Center at Wheaton College.

Connect with Dr. Karen Hurula
Website | http://drkarenhurula.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drkarenhurula

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guest Aaron White!

Aaron and his family have been seeking to love and be loved by their neighbors in Vancouver's downtown east side for the past 21 years. Aaron has served with The Salvation Army; 24-7 Prayer; the International Association for Refugees, and Westminster Theological Centre. He has a Master's Degree from Tyndale University. Aaron is the author of a few books, including Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community.

Connect with Aaron White
Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community | https://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Brokenness-Addiction-Blessedness-Community/dp/1540963187
Deep and Wide Academy | https://www.deepwideacademy.com/

Need to Know | https://www.need-to-know-book.com/

WSC Woman to Watch: Danni Bullied-Smith
Danni Smith is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who loves guiding her clients to optimal holistic health by teaching them how to nourish themselves on and off of the plate. With three years in the field and a focus on Intuitive Eating and Cycle Syncing, she aims to help women develop a peaceful relationship with food and their bodies. Her journey has brought her to one-on-one coaching and public speaking where she helps women make peace with food, fitness, and their figure so that they can achieve their highest potential and put their energy toward fulfilling God's calling on your life!

Connect with Danni
Website | https://www.insagesse.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/danniysb/

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guest Kristin Young.

Kristin Young is a woman who lives out loud and wants to free the people around her to do the same. Through her changing faith, a surprising call to ministry, and the acceptance that God designed every extra detail of her on purpose, she lives out this mission both on and off stage. On stage, Kristin is a teaching pastor at Mosaic Church in Charlotte, NC, she hosts the Becoming Church podcast, speaks at conferences, and writes for various publications. 
Off stage, Kristin loves encouraging people through social media, often using humor or her vulnerabilities to show others that amid doubt, confusion, skepticism, and disappointment, there is always hope. Kristin and her husband, Peter, love entertaining and connecting people in their home. She also has entirely too much fun playing dress up with her daughters, Marlee and Margot.
Connect with Kristin
Website | https://turningthegem.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/kristinmockleryoung

WSC Woman to Watch: Inés Franklin

Inés Franklin completed a Master of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary and is the founder of Trochia Ministries, a Christian discipleship ministry. She serves as a teaching pastor at Mariners Church in Southern California. She and her husband, James Franklin, live in Irvine, California.

Connect with Inés
Website | inesfranklin.com
Instagram | @inesfranklin

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally.  In our Season 2 premiere episode, we're excited to speak with special guest Nona Jones.

Nona Jones is a rare combination of tech executive, author, speaker, and preacher. She currently serves as Global Ambassador for You version and has served as their Chief Content and Partnerships Officer as well as as Head of Global Faith Partnerships at Meta.  Nona is the best-selling author of Killing Comparison and Success from the Inside Out. She will release her highly-anticipated new book, The Gift of Rejection, this October. Nona travels speaking at the intersection of faith, business, and leadership and has been profiled by ESSENCE magazine as an "Under 40 Woman to Watch," Nona serves alongside her husband in leading Open Door Church in Gainesville, Florida. Plus, she counts her two sons as her greatest gifts in life. 

Connect with Nona
Website | https://www.nonajones.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/nonanotnora/
Pre-order her new book The Gift of Rejection | https://www.nonajones.com/gift-of-rejection

WSC Woman to Watch: Torrie Sorge

As a Mixed Race woman, Torrie understands the beauty and complexity of our divine diversity firsthand. It’s propelled her to become a truth-teller, bridge-builder, and cheerleader who passionately encourages others to stop hiding and start loving their God-given blend. She loves partnering with individuals, interracial families, youth & women’s ministry groups, and church leadership, providing practical tools with Biblical truths as they become bridges of reconciliation and hope within their own circles of influence.

Connect with Torrie
Website | http://torriesorge.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mixed.ology/

This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally.  In this finale episode, we're excited to speak with our special guest Jo Saxton.

Jo Saxton is a speaker, podcaster, author, and leadership coach. She is the founder of Ezer Collective – an initiative dedicated to investing in women leaders around the world, equipping them to own their voice and boldly step into their calling. Her heart is to invest in women leaders to help them become who they are designed to be.  She also shares about an initiative called The25 at Bethel University where she is the Executive Director. Born to Nigerian parents and raised in London, England, Jo now lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two daughters. She loves the every-day stuff like good music, good food, and good friends. 

Connect with Jo Saxton
Website | https://www.josaxton.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/josaxton/
Ezer Collective | https://www.josaxton.com/ezer-collective/overview
The 25 | https://www.bethel.edu/undergrad/the-25/


WSC Woman to Watch: Olivia Munn Shirsath
Olivia Munn-Shirsath is a passionate communicator of the Word, serving as Teaching Pastor at Wellspring Church in Queens, NY. With almost two decades of experience in urban communities, she is convinced the Bride of Christ is the solution to the world’s pain. Olivia is a worship leader, author, wife and mother.

Connect with Olivia
Website | http://www.oliviamunnshirsath.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/oliviamunnshirsath