Produced by #bossbabesATX, SHE TALKS* is an ongoing discussion-based personal and professional development series, tackling topics from finances to intersectional feminism.
Calling all the single ladies, galentines and taken babes. On Feb. 12 from 7 to 9 PM, join us for SHE TALKS: Dating in the Modern World at REVELRY. In conversation with the Chief Marketing Officer of OKCupid, Melissa Hobley, we’ll sit down to chat about the joys (and downright drama) of dating IRL and URL in the 21st Century.
On top of the conversation, enjoy coloring sheets featuring illustrations by Mean Thing Kate, an opening monologue by Aralyn Hughes and complementary cider from Argus Cidery.
*Our SHE TALKS feature the perspectives of women-identifying and non-binary folks. All genders welcome to attend.
Meet the panelists:
Nikki DaVaughn (panelist)
Nikki is a writer, coproducer of The Midnight Menagerie, the founder of Fat Bottom Cabaret, performer, emcee, body positivity activist, storyteller and all-around shenanigan starter. She spends her time in Austin drinking, dating poorly and telling stories about what its like being fat and black in Texas.
Bernadette Chavez Piñon (panelist)
Bernadette is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-S) working with adults (18+) in Austin, Texas, who provides therapy and other resources to help individuals overcome stress, live mindfully, and cultivate the life and the relationships they want. Her personal mission is to empower and encourage individuals to navigate through changes and transitions in life genuinely, authentically, and with respect to their values and identities. On this panel, she'll share tips, recommendations and observations about pursuing meaningful relationships (should you choose) and maintaining a healthy relationship to self-love.
Melissa Hobley, CMO at OKCupid (panelist)
Previously Melissa was VP at Walgreens Boots Alliance where she was responsible for changing the way women engage with beauty brands. Prior to working in beauty, she was the head of marketing for Buyology, a company that incorporated the latest discoveries in behavioral economics and applied it to marketing and innovation. Melissa started her career in PR in New York City. She is a native of Muncie, IN. She lives in downtown New York City with her husband and daughter Madeline. Melissa sits on the board of Live4Lali and Shatterproof, non-profits both dedicated to addressing the opioid epidemic. She now uses this background to run things at OKCupid; she'll talk about OKC has learned about relationships through user behavior and how much digital has impacted dating in the last few years.
Maureen Nicol, Projects and Ops Lead at #bbatx (moderator)
Maureen is #bossbabesATX's Project and Operations Lead. She assists #bbatx with running as smoothly as possibly by managing the team, social media accounts, general inquiries and community news. Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, Maureen has lived all over. Maureen moved to Austin for school and is pursuing her PhD in Early Childhood Education at UT Austin. She also runs an annual pop-up art camp for children, Camp Story.
Meet the artists:
Aralyn Hughes (performer, writer, Queen of Keep Austin Weird)
For over 33 years, Aralyn Hughes has been an Austin icon sharing her own brand of weird, as reported by Bill Geist of CBS Morning News when he crowned her the “Queen of Weird”. Aralyn has appeared as an ambassador for Austin on HGTV, Discovery Channel, both national and local CBS networks, various radio stations, and local Austin venues including Zachary Scott Theater. She was the co-author of In the West, one of the longest running monologue theatre shows in Austin, which also graced the Kennedy Center and was later adapted into the movie Deep in the Heart. At 65, Aralyn became a performance artist, storyteller and non fiction monologist. She's also a subject of a documentary, Love in the Sixties, which is a story of one small town woman from Oklahoma, who came of age in the 60s, taking on serious baby boomer questions about love, sex and death. Her first book, an anthology about child-free women who came of age in the 1960s, Kid Me Not, was also recently published in three languages. Kid Me Not is a provocative and controversial collection of essays, edited by Aralyn Hughes, where fifteen mostly Austin writers explain they they chose to eschew motherhood and often marriage. They are women of the 60s, now in their 60s—the first generation of women to really have a choice due to the advent of birth control pills in 1963. Contributors give a unique perspective on the overwhelming cultural pressure to marry and have have children, and explore why it's not the only path to a happy, productive life. Her book is currently featured in the Austin History Center and is available at the public library. Hughes will perform a monologue based on this book and will have a couple of copies available for public purchase.
Kate Holley (@meanthingkate, illustrator)
Kate Holley is a freelance illustrator in Austin, Texas, and she goes by Mean Thing Kate. She designs posters for Cheer Up Charlies and has had work featured on Bustle.com and in Peach Fuzz Magazine. "People don't usually like to hear females—they're the ones with the boob-nipples and the pink vagina bones—talk about certain subjects, so I make it a point to draw all the stuff that might make those people feel icky on the inside." - Kate Holley
GRAB YOUR RSVP
Tickets are $5 and will be available pre-sale until Feb. 12 at noon CST. Unless the event sells out, tickets will be available at the door.
Meet the producers and venue:
About #bossbabesATX: We exist to build educated and empowered creative communities at the intersections of sisterhood and space. Through event series, showcases and personal/professional development programs, we amplify and connect women-identifying artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Since we've been in operation, we've provided a platform of visibility, outreach and financial opportunity to 300+ Texas-based women artists, 400+ women-owned businesses and women activists. We were named "Best Bossy Babes" of 2015 by The Austin Chronicle, Tribeza's Top 10 to Watch in 2016 and we were selected by The White House to attend the United State of Women Summit in June 2016.
Our events prioritize the voices of self-identifying women and nonbinary folks. We are not gender-discriminant; all are welcome to attend. This production has been made possible in part by presenting partners the LINE ATX and Resplendent Hospitality.
About the space, REVELRY: REVELRY celebrates community and creativity through a variety of gatherings. From events, pop-ups and markets like The Swoon Event to dinner parties and creative workshops, REVELRY's mission is to craft experiences and bring people together.