By: Dana Mathura

On March 5, 2020, Ready Set Rose launched Women’s Herstory Month with a one of a kind event dubbed “Passion With a Purpose”. It was the first-ever affair thrown by host Rose Deonarine in cohort with event coordinator Rahana Rampersad and moderator Ravi Ramkeesoon. As you can imagine from the title alone, both passion and purpose-filled the room of the local Ozone Park juice bar, Juice 101 NYC, to the brim.

The first portion of the event was dedicated to an extensive networking window. Professionals from a scope of various backgrounds like real estate, media, and not-for-profit organizations mingled, rummaging through their pockets and purses to exchange business cards. An integral part of the evening was dedicated to that of small business appreciation. Several small businesses were given a shout-out by Rose herself who champions the message “I believe in supporting local, small businesses.”

One such business is that of Chef Beverly’s, who is the founder of Fuel Pax Foods which combines the convenience of meal preparation with healthy choices. It was Chef Beverly’s appetizing hors d’oeuvres that were being munched on all night as the event-goers conversed.

Of course, the event would not be complete without attendees enjoying their favorite blend of juices whipped up fresh in-house at Juice 101 NYC.

Amidst all the refreshments and socializing were some standout pieces of art hanging throughout the site. The pop-art quality meshed with notable, neon hues drew one’s attention from the moment they entered the venue. They were created by none other than Colombian visual artist, Claudia Marulanda. Each piece features a fierce female. Interestingly, some of her pieces even have pro-feminist words or inspirational aphorisms entangled in the subject’s hair. Claudia shares that her own life experiences as a woman emboldened her to pick up a paintbrush and share her vision.

The second half of the evening was dedicated to a riveting discussion by three female panelists across different industries.

First up was Jennifer Valentin, who holds a Master’s degree in Communications, and started her career working in news for companies like Al-Jazeera and Newsweek. Today, she does public relations for VP Records and runs a thriving fashion blog @iamstilettogoddess. Valentin shares that she always played the widely famous Caribbean album, Reggae Gold, at her previous places of employment not knowing at the time that VP Records produced it or that she would be working for them one day. She humbly reminds the crowd, though, that “Your existence is not based on your job title.”

Triple threat Alexandra Kumala serves as an actor, activist and writer. Though her academic studies focused on biomedical engineering, she initially started her career off as a child ballerina in Indonesia. Kumala shares that she faced hurdles performing in Indonesia because her identity was attacked. This is why she fought to pursue the arts. Kumala has worked with the same acting coach as Black Panther actress Lupita Nyong’o but doesn’t get starstruck easily. She emphasizes that they are all artists “trying to complete their craft.”

Last but not least, the crowd heard from Sassy Ramoutar—a Trinidadian-American singer and songwriter of chutney-soca. With a musical family that runs back three generations, Sassy had an inkling she would also follow in their footsteps. But it isn’t until her father volunteered her for a gig at Queens nightclub, Flamingo, did her career path solidify. Ramoutar has not only performed thousands of shows but can manage to sing hundreds of songs purely out of memory.

Perhaps the message of the event was best summed up by Jennifer Valentin who said: “Purpose is important because life is short.”

All in all, it was a successful event in celebration of women but one that saw even men upholding the value that women bring forth. If you were there, you left feeling both warm and empowered. And if you were not, be sure to keep it locked here on ReadySetRose.com or across social media @rosedeonarine for information on her future events.