TGIF: Where Women in the DMV Come to Reclaim Their Voice—and Redefine What’s Possible
In the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region, there is no shortage of smart, accomplished women. What’s harder to find is a space where those same women can step out of their roles—executive, founder, caregiver, leader—and ask a more personal question:
Who am I becoming, and what do I want next?
That is the space TGIF was created to fill.
Founded in 2019 by entrepreneur and community builder Barbara Guterman, TGIF—Teach, Give, Inspire Fridays—has grown into one of the region’s most compelling women’s speaker series, drawing sold-out audiences and nationally recognized voices. But what keeps women coming back isn’t just the caliber of the speakers or the elegance of the setting. It’s the feeling that something meaningful shifts while they’re there.
TGIF is not designed to be another networking event. In fact, it quietly rejects many of the things women say they’re tired of—surface-level conversations, transactional connections, and inspiration that fades before the week is over.
Instead, it offers something far more intentional.
A Structure That Moves Women Forward
Each TGIF event is built around a three-part framework: Teach, Give, Inspire.
The Teach speaker delivers practical, high-level insights women can immediately apply in their work and leadership. The Give speaker connects the audience to purpose—expanding the conversation beyond individual success to community impact. And the Inspire speaker brings the personal story—the kind that stays with you long after the room clears.
It’s a simple structure, but the effect is powerful.
By the time the morning ends, women haven’t just listened—they’ve reflected, recalibrated, and often made decisions they’ve been postponing for months, if not years.
Why It Works Here
The DMV is a region defined by excellence. It is also, quietly, a region defined by pressure—high expectations, constant motion, and little space to pause.
TGIF meets women exactly there.
Hosted at TPC at Avenel Farm in Potomac, the experience is elevated without being exclusive. The setting is refined, the conversations are real, and the atmosphere encourages something rare: honesty.
There is a moment at every TGIF event—often unexpected—when the room goes completely still. A speaker says something that lands. A truth is named. And for a second, 170 women are not thinking about what’s next on their calendar—they are fully present.
That moment is where the impact begins.
The Ripple Effect Beyond the Room
Ask past attendees what they remember, and you won’t hear a list of bullet points from a presentation. You’ll hear stories.
A woman who finally asked for the promotion she had earned. Another who walked away from something that no longer fit. A founder who decided to think bigger—and did.
TGIF doesn’t claim to create these outcomes. But it creates the conditions for them.
And in a community of over 1,500 women and growing, those individual shifts begin to compound.
June 5: A Timely Invitation to Step Into Power
This summer’s event, taking place on June 5, centers on a theme that resonates deeply in this moment: “Step Into Your Power: Own Your Voice, Story & Purpose.”
It’s a phrase that can feel overused—until it’s experienced in the right context.
At TGIF, power is not about perfection or control. It’s about alignment—knowing what matters, trusting your voice, and choosing to show up with intention.
This year’s speakers bring that idea to life from three distinct perspectives.
Hilary Fordwich, the Teach speaker, works with top leaders across industries to refine how they communicate, influence, and lead. Her work challenges women to rethink how they are perceived—and how small shifts in presence can create outsized impact.
Zibby Owens, the Give speaker, has built a media and publishing platform dedicated to amplifying voices, particularly those of women. Through her bookstore, podcast, and writing, she has become a powerful advocate for storytelling as a force for connection and change.
Pam Sherman, the Inspire speaker, brings a message that resonates on a deeply personal level. A former lawyer turned actress and author, she speaks about closing the “believability gap”—the space between who we are and who we think we’re allowed to be.
Together, they offer more than perspective. They offer possibility.
Workshops: Go Deeper
Those attending TGIF on June 5 will have the opportunity to stay for concurrent workshops with two of our speakers.
Pam Sherman will lead an additional one-hour workshop following the morning program, from 12:30–1:30 p.m., called “Finding Your Edge: Explore, Dream, Grow and Excite”—designed to help women amplify their purpose and presence in the world. Here, women will Explore the power of connections, Dream through visualization and storytelling, Grow outside of their comfort zone, and Excite and ignite passion for their mission.
In a concurrent session, Hilary Fordwich—an internationally recognized C-suite and leadership development expert—will lead a workshop on how to “Be Wanted.” What makes a client choose to work with you over all others? Hilary has perfected the art of teaching how to gain and retain clients and relationships by building trust, respect, and likability—fast. Who doesn’t want to learn how to be wanted?
Registration for both workshops is limited to the first 20 participants, intentionally kept small, intimate, and interactive.
More Than a Morning
What distinguishes TGIF is not just what happens on stage—it’s what women carry with them when they leave.
They leave with language for what they’ve been feeling. With clarity around decisions they’ve been avoiding. With a renewed sense of direction. And often, with one quiet but powerful realization: they are ready for more.
A Community That Continues to Grow
As TGIF looks ahead, its mission remains clear, to continue creating a space where women in the DMV can gather with purpose, connect authentically, and step more fully into who they are meant to be.
Because ultimately, TGIF is not about a single event.
It is about what happens when women are given the space and the permission to see themselves differently.
And once that shift happens, everything else begins to change.
Registration is now open at TGIF2026.eventbrite.com. Don’t delay—space is limited.