The tradition of honoring women who have made significant contributions to the Greater Puget Sound community began in 2006 and was entitled “Inspiring Women Night.” Creating such an honor allowed the team and fans to recognize and thank the women who have made a difference in the community. To reflect the ever-changing roles and opportunities that women have in our community, the program will now be called “Believe in Women Night.” This year the program amplifies the contributions of Black women, leaders of color, and organizations serving Black communities during the 2020 WNBA season and beyond. This year’s Believe in Women honorees are Seattle-area businesswomen and civic leaders of color, driven by their shared philosophy that women and girls should have the chance to succeed at every level no matter their race, ethnicity, or gender.
Our 2025 honorees will be announced just ahead of Believe in Women Night on August 30 vs. Chicago. Get tickets now.
Darnesha Bowman
Darnesha Bowman is the founder and CEO of Black Coffee Northwest. A Seattle native with over twenty years of experience in the nonprofit sector, her mission is to serve others and make a positive impact by challenging racism and encouraging Black generational wealth. Black Coffee Northwest has a nonprofit that offers free programming and internship opportunities for underserved youth in middle school and high school. Free mental health counseling, tutoring, job training and music lessons are also available to youth through Black Coffee Northwest’s offerings.
Nikki Gane
Nikki Gane is the CEO of Dignity for Divas, an organization working to address the unhoused crisis in Western Washington by providing women with opportunities for personal growth as they transition out of homelessness.
Resources include housing assistance with personalized case managers, workshops focused on removing barriers to encourage self-sufficiency and supportive services like self-care kits and check-ins through the Diva community.
Deena Pierott
Deena Pierott is the founder and CEO of iUrban Teen, a nonprofit that focuses on educating underrepresented teens in science, technology, engineering and math. The organization works to give youth hands-on experience in a variety of careers in STEM fields. The program launched in 2011 and has served more than 21,000 youth while expanding to in-person STEM and Arts programming in Washington, Oregon, Texas and California.
Paula Sardinas
Paula Sardinas is the president and CEO of the public affairs firm, FMS Global Strategies. The organization works in the legislative branch to create change across multi-generational systems that impact marginalized communities. For over 30 years, FMS Global Strategies has passed over 10,000 bills into law and allocated more than $2 billion in state and federal funds to advocacy programs across 12 states. Sardinas is also the CEO of The Purpose Driven Girl, a nonprofit focused on empowering BIPOC women and girls through workshops and mentorship programming.