Congratulations to president and CEO, Shante K. Avant and Board of Directors Co-Chair Gina Brewer on being named Superwomen in Business by the Memphis Business Journal!

By Susan Ellis - Memphis Business Journal 

During MBJ’s annual Super Women in Business event, each honoree is presented with a cape. Given their individual accomplishments, it seems more than apt.

Let’s consider the powers of the women superheroes in the various universes. They are, to a number, agile. They are flexible and strong. They are known for their speed and endurance. And now in its 11th year, MBJ’s Super Women in Business program recognizes the area’s most talented, innovative, and influential women.

The Super Women in Business were chosen by an MBJ editorial panel after nominations were submitted by the public. The presenting sponsor for the 2023 Super Women in Business Awards is Independent Bank. The Super Women were honored at an in-person ceremony on Thursday, April 20, at the Memphis Botanic Garden. – Susan Ellis

Shante Avant

Shelby County Commissioner; president and CEO, Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis

Shante Avant’s career has been an exemplar of leadership. She was the first female program director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. And, in 2022, she became the first woman elected Shelby County Commissioner for the newly formed District 5 of Cordova. Before that, she served on the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board.

And now in her position as president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, she is changing lives with programs geared toward the economic security of women and their families.

“She utilizes her leadership to enhance the economic security of thousands of women and their families in the greater Memphis area every day. It’s a true testament to her commitment to the betterment of women and children,” her Super Women nominator wrote.

Avant said her superpower is her authenticity.

“Being true to myself and God’s purpose in my life has helped me achieve things I had never even dreamed of for my life,” she said. “I can only be the best version of me. When women boldly show up as their authentic selves, we are limitless, and the possibilities are endless.”

Gina Brewer

VP and senior wealth advisor, Goldman Sachs

Gina Brewer believes that the best superpower someone entering wealth management can have is a “passion for helping people.”

This is a power she has as VP and senior wealth advisor for Goldman Sachs, where she provides personalized solutions for clients to help them achieve lifelong goals.

But her desire to help others doesn’t fade when work ends. Brewer is an advisory board member with BLP Film Studios and the board co-chair of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis. With the latter organization, she’s leading the charge to reduce poverty in the city’s poorest ZIP codes and is an advocate for elevating women and children in the community.

Who was your idol when you were growing up? My mom. She started her career as a teacher and, while working and raising two young daughters, went back to school to obtain her master’s degree in counseling. Through her counseling career, she helped thousands of students navigate getting into college and getting scholarships. But no matter what the demands of school or work were, she never missed any opportunity to show up for her daughters.

A modern day “woman of steel” is … ? A woman who is able to recognize the value of taking care of herself so that she has the energy to meet the demands of the many roles in her life. Oftentimes, society expects a woman to put everyone else’s needs before her own, which leaves women exhausted and overwhelmed. A woman of steel knows when to say no, so that she can enthusiastically and energetically say yes to the roles and opportunities she values most.

What superpowers would one need to possess to become your definition of a “woman of steel”? I believe most women of steel possess passion and an ability to pause. Knowing what you’re passionate about is very powerful. Pausing gives us the ability to slow down and take care of ourselves, to see different perspectives, to assess our goals and progress, and then move forward reenergized and more effective in what we’re passionate about.

Read more about the 2023 Superwomen in Business on Memphis Business Journal's website