In the spirit of celebrating moms – and the amazing women in this community and around us – we invite you to join us at The Pearl for a conversation and cocktails on Tuesday, May 7th at 7pm. We will kick things off with a 45 minute panel discussion (starting promptly at 730pm) with some remarkable moms, including entrepreneurs, writers, media moguls, and even a local actor! See below for more detailed info! They will share with us some of the tough choices they’ve had to make balancing family with their careers, and what makes Westport so special to them. We then hope you’ll stay with us to enjoy some food (on us) and some drinks (on you=)) as we celebrate being moms together!
Jenn Falik (Moderator) – Jenn Falik has been sharing her favorite finds on national television and www.jennfalik.com for 15 years and counting! As a regular contributor to TODAY Show, Jenn is the go-to resource for “Better Basics”- she is known for discovering innovative versions of everyday essentials that you may have never knew you needed, but soon can’t live without. In addition to her on-air work, Jenn creates content and consults for beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Jenn grew up in Westport (she attended Coleytown Elementary, Coleytown Middle and Staples) and, after over 10 years in NYC, moved back to her hometown in 2012 and, along with her husband Brian and daughters Alexa and Goldie, has no plans of leaving anytime soon! Follow Jenn on Instagram at www.instagram.com/jennfalik
Alisyn Camerota – Alisyn is a journalist and anchor of CNN’s morning show “New Day.” In her almost three decades in journalism, Camerota has covered stories nationally and internationally, earning various awards, including two Emmy-award nominations for her breaking news reporting and an Edward R. Murrow Award for her interviews around Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Camerota has been at the forefront of today’s most pressing news events, including the Hurricane Harvey in Houston, the Paris and Brussels terror attacks, and the Parkland, FL school shooting. Prior to joining CNN, Camerota worked for many years at the Fox News Channel, most notably as part of their morning show, Fox & Friends. Alisyn lives with her husband and three children in Connecticut.
Elyse Oleksak – Elyse is the Co-Founder of Bantam Bagels, often well known from it’s rise to fame on Shark Tank. Bantam would have never gotten past day 1 if it wasn’t for Elyse’s willingness to jump all in. She quit her job in finance at Morgan Stanley to work on her feet 12 hours a day (pregnant) to make sure Bantam was the success she knew from the beginning it could be. She is a mother of two amazing little boys and can honestly say working with her husband every day for the last 5 years has actually been pretty great. She doesn’t know the meaning of the word “no” and will do everything within her being to push Bantam to the next level. Elyse is the mother hen, constant motivator and ultimate example of “if I can do it, you can do it” leader, and drives the entire team forward each and every day. Elyse lives in Westport with her husband and two boys.
Photo credit: Kyle Norton
Emily Liebert –USA Today bestselling author Emily Liebert was born and raised in New York City. She attended Horace Mann School and Smith College, where she graduated with a B.A. in English Language & Literature. Emily is the author of five novels: YOU KNEW ME WHEN(2013), WHEN WE FALL (2014), THOSE SECRETS WE KEEP (2015), and SOME WOMEN (2016), all with Penguin Random House, and the forthcoming, PRETTY REVENGE (July 2, 2019) with Simon & Schuster. In addition to writing novels, Emily pens a travel and books column in each issue of Westport Magazine, for which she’s the Books Correspondent. She also teaches Pure Barre classes and enjoys traveling and cooking. Emily lives with her husband, Lewis, and their two sons, Jax and Hugo, in Westport, CT. You can find her at www.emilyliebert.com.
Lindsay Czarniak – Lindsay Ann Czarniak, is an American sports anchor and reporter. She currently works as a studio host for Fox Sports NASCAR coverage. After spending six years with WRC-TV, the NBC owned-and-operated station in Washington, D.C., Czarniak joined ESPN as a SportsCenter anchor in August 2011 and left ESPN in 2017. Lindsay lives in Westport with her husband and her two children.
Melissa Bernstein – Co-founder of Melissa & Doug. At a time when technology rules, Melissa Bernstein is on a crusade to prove that “real play”—open- ended, non-judgmental playtime driven by imagination—is the key to helping children develop the creative skills they need to thrive. Melissa is challenging the focus of today’s technology-driven society and making the case that children need to find their true selves by experiencing their inherent creativity. Her approach is working: Melissa & Doug, the inventive, educational children’s toy company she co- founded, has transformed the marketplace and redefined the concept of smart play products for children—which is why they can be found in millions of homes around the world. Since Melissa and Doug started their venture over 30 years ago in the garage of the home where he grew up, the company has become one of the most trusted names in preschool toys. Melissa says. “We also listen to parents—I talk to a lot of them!—to address needs in the marketplace and create products that can be trusted.” Melissa lives with her husband and their six children in Westport, where they have made a lasting impact in innumerable ways.
Stéphanie Szostak – Half French/ half American, Stéphanie started out with a career in marketing at Chanel in NYC. It was not until she was 29 years old that she took her first theatre class and decided to pursue an acting career. She currently stars as one of the leads in the ABC hit drama series A Million Little Things. Other credits include films The Devil Wears Prada, Dinner for Schmucks, Iron Man 3 as well as USA Network series Satisfaction. Stéphanie lives in Westport with her husband and two children.