Introduction
On March 13, 2026, the Sonesta White Plains Downtown Hotel will become a beacon of inspiration as Hoda Kotb, beloved TV host, Westchester resident, and founder of Joy 101, takes the stage as keynote speaker at the 6th Annual Westchester Women’s Summit. For women across the region and beyond, this is more than just another speaking engagement—it’s a rare opportunity to hear from a woman who has navigated the pressures of national media, motherhood, grief, and personal reinvention with grace, grit, and unshakable authenticity. The summit, presented by The Event Department in collaboration with the Westchester County Office for Women and NewYork-Presbyterian, is designed as a full-day immersion into the four pillars of women’s wellness: physical and mental health, financial health, career health, and family and community health. Unlike conventional conferences that offer fragmented advice, this event weaves together storytelling, interactive workshops, and community-building experiences to create a holistic environment where women don’t just listen—they transform. Hoda’s presence isn’t merely a draw; it’s a statement. In an era where women are bombarded with curated perfection on social media, her candid reflections on vulnerability, resilience, and joy offer a counter-narrative that feels both radical and deeply necessary. Her journey from broadcast journalist to wellness advocate mirrors the evolving definition of empowerment—one that no longer demands women to be flawless, but to be fully human. Attendees will not only hear her speak but will walk away with tools to reclaim their energy, redefine success, and rebuild their sense of self-worth outside the metrics of productivity and appearance. The summit’s inclusion of a women’s history installation and a wine and chocolate reception underscores its commitment to honoring legacy while creating space for joy, connection, and celebration. This isn’t a lecture hall—it’s a living room where women gather to heal, to share, and to rise together.
The significance of this event extends far beyond its immediate attendees. Westchester County, with its stark contrasts between affluent enclaves and under-resourced communities, serves as a microcosm of the national disparities women face in access to healthcare, economic opportunity, and emotional support. The Westchester County Office for Women, which has operated for over four decades as one of the few government offices of its kind in the United States, ensures that the summit doesn’t just speak to privilege but actively works to include voices often left out of mainstream conversations. Hoda, who lives in Bronxville and has spoken openly about her own struggles with anxiety and the loss of her mother, brings a deeply personal lens to these systemic issues. Her platform, Joy 101, is not a corporate wellness brand but a grassroots movement born from her own need to find peace amid chaos. By choosing to center this summit around her philosophy of joy as a practice—not a destination—she invites women to reject the myth that self-care is indulgent and instead reframe it as essential survival. The event’s timing, during Women’s History Month, is intentional: it transforms commemoration into action. Women will leave not just inspired, but equipped—with resources, connections, and a renewed sense of agency to advocate for themselves and others in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
What makes Hoda’s message resonate so powerfully is its accessibility. She doesn’t speak in corporate buzzwords or academic jargon. She speaks in the language of late-night conversations over coffee, of whispered confessions between friends, of the quiet moments when a woman looks in the mirror and asks, “Is this all there is?” Her authenticity cuts through the noise. In a world where wellness is often sold as a product—expensive retreats, $120 smoothies, and mindfulness apps that demand subscriptions—Hoda offers something far more valuable: permission. Permission to rest. Permission to say no. Permission to grieve without apology. Permission to redefine what it means to be strong. Her keynote will likely touch on her own journey of rebuilding after loss, her commitment to daily rituals that ground her, and the importance of community as a form of emotional infrastructure. For women who have spent years prioritizing everyone else’s needs before their own, this is revolutionary. The summit’s structure—featuring panels, experiential zones, and networking opportunities—ensures that Hoda’s message doesn’t end with her speech. It becomes a thread woven into the fabric of the day, echoed in every workshop, every conversation, every shared glance between strangers who suddenly feel like sisters.
As the largest Women’s History Month celebration in Westchester County, the summit carries the weight of collective memory and the promise of future change. It honors the women who paved the way—teachers, nurses, activists, mothers—and challenges the next generation to build systems that don’t require women to burn out to prove their worth. Hoda’s role as keynote isn’t ceremonial; it’s catalytic. Her voice, familiar to millions through Today and her daytime television partnership with Jenna Bush Hager, now carries the weight of a movement. She is not just speaking to women in Westchester—she is speaking to every woman who has ever felt too much, too tired, too broken to keep going. And in that space, between vulnerability and courage, lies the true power of this gathering. This is not a conference about fixing women. It’s about remembering them.
Why Joy Is a Radical Act for Modern Women
Reclaiming Joy as a Daily Practice, Not a Reward
Hoda Kotb’s philosophy of joy is not about forced positivity or toxic optimism—it’s about intentional presence. In a culture that equates productivity with worth, joy has been relegated to the margins, treated as a luxury earned only after the to-do list is complete. Hoda challenges this notion by modeling joy as a non-negotiable ritual: a morning cup of tea savored without distraction, a five-minute dance in the kitchen to an old song, a handwritten note to a friend. These aren’t grand gestures; they are quiet rebellions against a system that demands women be perpetually on. Her approach is rooted in neuroscience and emotional intelligence, recognizing that small, repeated acts of pleasure rewire the brain to seek out light even in darkness. For women juggling careers, caregiving, and emotional labor, this isn’t self-help fluff—it’s survival. Joy becomes the anchor that prevents burnout from becoming a permanent state of being. Hoda doesn’t preach about finding joy in hardship; she teaches how to find it alongside it, in the spaces between obligations.
The Power of Micro-Moments in a Hyper-Connected World
In an age of digital overload, where attention is commodified and every notification pulls us further from ourselves, Hoda’s emphasis on micro-moments is revolutionary. She encourages women to identify three daily moments of joy—no matter how small—and to protect them fiercely. This might mean stepping outside for three minutes of sunlight before checking email, listening to a favorite song while washing dishes, or pausing to feel the warmth of a child’s hand in yours. These aren’t distractions; they are reconnections. Research in behavioral psychology confirms that micro-joys activate the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering cortisol and restoring emotional balance. Hoda’s insight is that joy doesn’t require time off—it requires presence. For working mothers, caregivers, and professionals navigating burnout, this is a lifeline. It transforms the mundane into sacred, the ordinary into healing. Her message is clear: you don’t need a vacation to feel whole. You need to notice what already nourishes you.
Breaking the Myth of “Having It All” Through Community
Hoda has spoken candidly about the isolation that comes with public life and the pressure to appear effortlessly put together. Her antidote? Community. Joy 101 isn’t a product line—it’s a network of women sharing stories, resources, and emotional support. She understands that empowerment isn’t solitary; it’s collective. When women gather to share their struggles without judgment, they dismantle the myth that they are alone in their exhaustion. The Westchester Women’s Summit is designed to replicate this dynamic: panels led by local women, peer-led breakout sessions, and spaces for spontaneous connection. Hoda’s presence isn’t about celebrity worship—it’s about modeling how to build circles of trust. In a society that pits women against each other—whether through competition, comparison, or corporate hierarchies—this is radical. Joy, in Hoda’s framework, is not found in individual achievement but in shared humanity. The summit becomes a living example of this: women arriving as strangers, leaving as allies.
The Intersection of Wellness, Wealth, and Work
Financial Health as a Form of Self-Respect
Hoda has been open about her journey to financial literacy, a topic rarely discussed in mainstream wellness spaces. She emphasizes that true empowerment includes understanding your worth in monetary terms—negotiating salaries, investing in retirement, and refusing to undervalue your labor. For women, particularly those who have taken career breaks for caregiving, financial independence isn’t optional—it’s liberation. The summit’s workshops on budgeting, side hustles, and retirement planning are not ancillary; they are central to Hoda’s vision of holistic wellness. She knows that anxiety over money fuels stress, erodes self-esteem, and limits freedom. By integrating financial education into a wellness summit, she challenges the false dichotomy between emotional health and economic security. This is not about becoming rich—it’s about becoming secure enough to live on your own terms.
Reimagining Career Health Beyond Titles and Promotions
Hoda’s career path—from local news anchor to national icon—is not linear, and she doesn’t present it as a blueprint. Instead, she frames career health as alignment: Does your work energize you or drain you? Are you growing, or merely surviving? She encourages women to evaluate their roles not by external validation but by internal resonance. The summit’s career panels feature women who pivoted after burnout, returned to work after loss, or built businesses from passion projects. Hoda’s message: your value isn’t tied to your title. Career health is about boundaries, autonomy, and purpose. For women in male-dominated fields or those feeling invisible in their roles, this is a powerful reframing. It shifts the focus from climbing ladders to cultivating inner stability.
Family and Community Health: The Unseen Infrastructure of Wellness
Hoda doesn’t separate personal wellness from the health of the communities around her. She speaks about the importance of choosing your tribe wisely, setting boundaries with toxic relationships, and investing in friendships that feel like home. She highlights the role of community organizations, local nonprofits, and even neighborhood gatherings in sustaining emotional well-being. For women in Westchester, where socioeconomic divides can create isolation, this is vital. The summit’s inclusion of local leaders and grassroots organizations ensures that wellness isn’t a privilege for the few but a shared responsibility. Hoda’s vision is clear: you cannot be well in a broken world. Healing begins with connection.
Conclusion
The 2026 Westchester Women’s Summit, anchored by Hoda Kotb’s keynote, is not an event—it’s an awakening. In a world that tells women to do more, be more, and achieve more, Hoda offers a different path: be here, be real, be kind. Her message is not about fixing what’s broken within women, but about restoring what has been stripped away by societal expectations: the right to rest, to feel, to choose, and to belong. The summit’s structure—blending personal storytelling with practical tools, community building with historical reflection—creates a rare space where transformation is not only possible but expected. Women will leave not with a checklist of tips, but with a renewed sense of identity: one that is rooted in self-trust, sustained by community, and illuminated by joy. This is not a conference for the already empowered—it’s for the exhausted, the overwhelmed, the quietly grieving, the silently striving. Hoda doesn’t ask them to be stronger. She asks them to be softer. And in that softness, she finds the deepest strength.
The legacy of this summit will extend far beyond March 13. Attendees will carry Hoda’s philosophy into their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. They will start conversations about financial anxiety in their book clubs. They will create “joy rituals” with their daughters. They will advocate for mental health resources in their schools. The ripple effect is inevitable. Hoda’s presence transforms the summit from a one-day gathering into a movement—a quiet, persistent, collective reclamation of what it means to be a woman in 2026. She reminds us that wellness is not a destination, but a daily decision. And sometimes, the most revolutionary act is simply choosing to feel good, without apology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Hoda Kotb’s Joy 101 platform differ from mainstream wellness brands?
Unlike commercial wellness brands that sell products like supplements, apps, or retreat packages, Joy 101 is a community-driven, content-based initiative focused on emotional connection rather than consumption. It operates through daily email newsletters, live virtual gatherings, and user-submitted stories of small joys—no paid memberships, no product lines. Hoda intentionally avoids monetizing the platform beyond minimal sponsorships that align with her values, ensuring the content remains authentic and accessible. The emphasis is on shared experience, not transactional solutions. This model resists the commodification of self-care and instead fosters peer-to-peer support, making it uniquely sustainable and deeply personal for women who feel alienated by corporate wellness culture.
Why is the Westchester Women’s Summit held in a hotel rather than a traditional conference center?
The choice of the Sonesta White Plains Downtown Hotel is deliberate—it creates an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy, not institutional formality. Hotels offer private meeting rooms, comfortable lounges, and hospitality services that mimic a home environment, encouraging open dialogue and vulnerability. Unlike sterile convention centers, the hotel’s design—soft lighting, cozy seating, and curated food and beverage service—supports emotional safety. The wine and chocolate reception, for example, isn’t just a perk; it’s a ritual that signals to attendees that they are being honored, not just informed. This environment lowers psychological barriers, making it easier for women to share personal stories, ask difficult questions, and form authentic connections that extend beyond the event.
How does the Westchester County Office for Women ensure inclusivity for women of color and low-income participants?
The Office for Women partners with local nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and community centers to distribute free and subsidized tickets to women who might otherwise be excluded due to cost or transportation barriers. They also provide childcare stipends, transportation vouchers, and multilingual materials to remove logistical obstacles. Additionally, the summit intentionally includes speakers and facilitators from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that panels reflect the racial, economic, and cultural diversity of Westchester County. The Office’s decades-long work in advocacy means they have established trust networks within marginalized communities, allowing them to reach women who may not typically engage with mainstream events. This isn’t performative inclusion—it’s structural equity built into the event’s design.