A tradition has been established in St. Louis, one that's spreading like wildfire, with professional women traveling cross-country to take part. It's the annual Christian Business Women’s Breakfast that takes place each fall. This year, it'll be held on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at The Ritz Carlton in Clayton.
Now in its eighth year, The Christian Business Women’s Breakfast provides a powerful morning of connection and inspiration for professional women across industries.
“The Christian Women's Business Breakfast hosted 340 women and a few men in its inaugural year,” says Debbie Shaw-Franke, board member of The Rooted Sisters and co-chair of this year’s breakfast. “This year we're hosting it at The Ritz Carlton with 825 reservations and a waiting list. We've outgrown three venues since the inception eight years ago. The atmosphere in the room is electric.”
This year’s keynote speaker is Toni Townes-Whitley, CEO and global technology leader of SAIC, named one of Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women of 2025. Element Church representatives will provide engaging worship music, and Mandy Murphey, local Fox 2 News anchor, again will lend to a warm, welcoming environment as emcee.
The Christian Business Women’s Breakfast is produced by The Rooted Sisters, a nonprofit organization recognized as a dynamic network of professional women representing a wide range of fields, unified by their faith in Jesus. The mission of The Rooted Sisters is to provide a safe place for professional women to study the Word of God, grow in their faith in Christ and learn to lead others to do the same.
This event is a marked success in large part due to the number of regional and national businesses that show their support for Christian women in business through sponsorship. One business has been a steady supporter since the birth of this organization: Technology Partners, a technology solutions firm based in St. Louis. In fact, The Rooted Sisters was co-founded by Lisa Nichols, CEO of Technology Partners, and by Cindy Owens, now president & CEO of UCP Heartland. The two originally met in a CEO group and say they were united by a heart to see spiritual revival take place in the marketplace.
Now in its 10th year, The Rooted Sisters is recognized for producing events that help women grow in their faith. Their signature events include The Faith-Fueled Life Mastermind Retreat at Big Cedar Lodge, taking place in April, and a National Day of Prayer event, in addition to their annual breakfast. In fact, at this year’s Christian Business Women’s Breakfast, attendees will have the opportunity to experience a glimpse of the mastermind retreat by taking part in mini-mastermind sessions after the breakfast.
With this year's breakfast theme being "Flourish," attendees can participate in two expert-led mini-mastermind sessions designed to help them flourish in five key categories: faith, leadership, stewardship, relationships and health. With 20 facilitators, each a recognized expert in their industry, participants are voicing an excitement to connect, learn and grow.
While lauded for their signature events, the greatest focus of The Rooted Sisters remains where it all began with Bible study. They offer ministry programs throughout the month, including their twice monthly Bible study, weekly prayer meeting, monthly equipping webinar and fellowship events, including their well-attended monthly social hour in Frontenac.
“Being a part of Rooted Sisters is a blessing,” says Debbie. “It's a group of women who support one another in an atmosphere honoring our Lord and feeling comfortable being vulnerable, sharing our own personal stories."
The Rooted Sisters offers personal connection for professional women who gather at local chapters in St. Louis; Houston, Texas, and coming next spring, in Boston, Massachusetts. Women also gather online from across the country to participate. Through their involvement in The Rooted Sisters, they're inspired to grow in their faith, and they develop friendships that last a lifetime.
TheRootedSisters.com
"We've outgrown three venues since the inception eight years ago. The atmosphere in the room is electric.”