laundry nights, coffees and receptions

WF events are community conversations, gatherings, and grassroots experiences that bring our mission to life in new spaces. All are focused on advancing equity for women, building community and making connections.

Laundry Nights

Laundry Nights bring our mission into everyday spaces where candid conversations and community connections naturally unfold.

Each of these past events offered a casual, welcoming space for people to gather, share their lived experiences, and explore what gender equity looks like in real life. These gatherings happen on the last Monday of each month and are open to all who are committed to promoting women’s equity >> https://womensfundmke.org/calendar

Below, you’ll find a running list of past Laundry Nights by year, including the generous hosts and venues who made them possible.

CONVERSATIONS IN 2025

MONTH HOST LOCATION
January Morgan Burns Station 1846
February Monica Shah-Davidson Sugar Maple
March Alexandria Staubach Triple Tap Room
April Marilka Vélez The Ruby Tap
May Angela Payne Boone & Crockett

CONVERSATIONS IN 2024

MONTH HOST LOCATION
January Uma Vandegrift Clementine’s Tavern
February Amy Muehlbauer Edith Cocktail Bar
March Morgan Burns Camp Bar
April Kosana Stojcevic The Ruby Tap
May Amy Blain Boone & Crockett
June Ashton Henry O’lydia’s Bar & Grill
July Judy Andrade Stella’s: A Cocktail Dive
August Danila Danesi 48 North
September Alexandria Staubach Hubbard Park Biergarten
October Beth Odian Thelma Carol
November Amy Muehlbauer Explorium Brewpub
December Carol Voss Redbar

CLICK ONE IMAGE TO VIEW ALL OF THEM!

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW ALL OF THEM!

Women’s Night at the Theater — Espejos: Clean | April 22, 2025

Two women. One unexpected storm. A powerful collision of truth, vulnerability, and healing.

Espejos: Clean invited audiences into the intimate world of Adriana and Sarah—two strangers brought together by chance at a resort in Cancún. Written by Christine Quintana and translated into Spanish by Paula Zelaya Cervantes, this poignant story unfolded through shared silences, uncomfortable truths, and the brave act of being seen.

This outing was in partnership with: Cadence, College Endowment Association, WCREW, Woman’s Club of Wisconsin, Women in Design and the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee.

Click here to view photos on Facebook.

Time, Change and Everything in Between: Lightning Talks w/ Women in Design | April 9, 2025

This special 10-year anniversary edition, sponsored by Relic Rentals and hosted by Women in Design and the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee, showcased incredible women from diverse industries as they presented in a 20 slides / 20 seconds format, all centered around the theme: Time, Change, and Everything Between.

Quick-hitting wisdom and thought-provoking discussions were led by the following speakers:

  • Paula Verboomen – HGA
  • Krista Hansen – GMR Marketing
  • Suzanne Jurva – Three Turn Productions
  • Courtney MacDonald – Meteor Education
  • Marion Clendenen-Acosta – Kahler Slater
  • Lana Zoet – Smith Group
  • Starla Thompson
  • Donna Lewis – Genisx
  • Angy K. Singh, Ph.D. – K. Singh Engineers
  • Mo Zell

(r)evolution — Lightning Talks with Women In Design | April 23, 2024

WF executive director, Lisa Attonito, participated in (r)evolution Lightning Talks, a faced-paced and entertaining presentation-style event co-hosted by Women In Design and the WF.

During her talk Lisa shed light on what “(r)evolution” meant to her when thinking about the current state of the women’s movement. “A revolution can be one giant step forward; one that marks a specific time and place, and makes things better. We need a revolution for women… like right now… we need to make things better for women and gender-expansive people in 2024.”

A Home-Hosted Coffee Connector | January 18, 2024

Our executive director, Lisa Attonito, attended a coffee connector hosted by Rotarian Pat Algiers in her new “Live, Work, Paint” home studio in Fox Point.

Safe Space and Action | July 26, 2022

In light of the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in June, this was a chance to be together, better understand the landscape post Roe, and most importantly, to discuss what actions we can take that have impact in the moment, and for the future. A soft ask of support for the WF Flash Grant program was made, as we have a matching gift challenge generously offered by Annette Jacobson… it is a 2 for 1 match!

Special thanks to Nicole Horvath and Karen Maroda for underwriting the reception. Speakers included:  Michelle Velasquez, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and Christine Donahoe, ACLU Wisconsin.

See the recommended action of 10 things you can do.