Event Recap: Women at the Top
CREW Orlando’s 2024 Women at the Top event, rescheduled and hosted on January 23, 2025, was nothing short of transformative, featuring the powerhouse entrepreneur Fawn Weaver as the keynote speaker. Moderated by 2024 CREW Orlando president Cindy Campbell, the event brought together women leaders in the CRE industry to celebrate leadership, resilience, and achievements in business.
Fawn Weaver is a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, TED speaker, and the CEO of Uncle Nearest, Inc., the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in history. With more than 25 years of business experience, Ms. Weaver has built and led multiple companies, including Grant Sidney, Inc., a private investment firm. As the first Black American woman to build a billion-dollar brand from the ground up, she has redefined success in the spirits industry and beyond. Her leadership has earned her recognition across global media platforms, from The New York Times to Good Morning America.
Ms. Weaver captivated the audience with her bold insights on confidence, resilience, and the power of purpose. Below are some of her most impactful quotes from the event:
On Confidence: “True confidence is rooted in humility. It’s not about arrogance; it’s about knowing you belong in every room you step into.”
On Industry Disruption: “No woman or person of color had succeeded in the spirits industry before. But for me, it was no different than what Carnegie did with steel or Vanderbilt did with railroads.”
On Staying Authentic: “If you pretend to be someone else, people don’t like you—they like the version you created. Show up as your authentic self every time.”
On Finding Purpose: “We are born with everything we need inside us. The world just makes us forget. Go back to what lit you up as a child.”
On Resilience in Business: “At one point, my account was negative $1.4 million, but I kept moving forward. Because success isn’t about avoiding hardship—it’s about refusing to quit.”
On Innovation: “Nothing is truly new—everything builds on what came before. If you think AI is revolutionary, look at what Edison and Tesla were doing. The principles remain the same.”
On Breaking Barriers: “The idea that there's a glass ceiling makes no sense. If someone like me has made it through, that means there's a hole in the ceiling—walk through it.”
On Problem-Solving: “My first thought in any situation is: what’s the solution? Giving up never crosses my mind.”
On Facing Obstacles: “People want sunshine all the time, but too much sun without rain creates a desert. Challenges help us grow.”
On Fear vs. Faith: “Fear and faith both require belief in the unknown. The difference is fear expects the worst—faith expects the best.”
Weaver’s words left the audience energized and inspired, reinforcing the importance of perseverance, self-belief, and purpose-driven leadership. As CREW Orlando continues to foster a community of powerful women, events like Women at the Top serve as a testament to the incredible impact women are making across industries.
Attendees walked away with not only a renewed sense of motivation but also with actionable strategies to break barriers, lead with confidence, and embrace their unique journeys.
Fawn Weaver’s story reminds us that success is about more than just financial milestones—it’s about staying true to who you are, lifting others as you climb, and never backing down from a challenge. If this event was any indication, the future of women in leadership is brighter than ever.
Want to learn more about what drives this powerhouse? Fawn’s book, “Love and Whiskey,” explores the untold story of Black distiller Nearest Green and his role in American whiskey. Through research and storytelling, she highlights his contributions and the importance of preserving history.
Check out photo highlights of the event on our Flickr page.
Thank you to our 2024 WATT sponsors for making this event one to remember:
