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The second annual Building Women Empowered Award’s ceremony took place on Mar. 25 in Pleasanton, Calif. at the Goal Line Production building.
It’s theme was Timeless Beauties. Seventy-eight women aged between 20 to 72, gathered on a Saturday afternoon to honor women’s journeys at all ages.
Women old and young took part in a fashion show with clothes from a collection ‘Soohab by Kaur’. Chief guest Karla Brown, the Mayor of Pleasanton, surprised attendees as she walked the runway ramp as the event’s showstopper.
Other special guests included Vice Mayor of Fremont Teresa Cox, Executive Producer for COLSAC and Biblical Films Rosemarie Smith-Coleman, and Punjabi actress and author Kimi Verma.
Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown takes a selfie at the Building Women Empowered 2nd Annual Awards event at Goal Line Productions in Pleasanton, Calif. on Mar. 25, 2023. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local. 
Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown and Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Cox acknowledge Wendy Madden of Goal Line Productions at the Building Women Empowered 2nd Annual Awards event at Goal Line Productions in Pleasanton, Calif. on Mar. 25, 2023. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local. 
Vice Mayor of Fremont Teresa Cox excitedly greets a guest at the Building Women Empowered Awards at the Goal Line Production building in Pleasanton, Calif. on Mar. 25, 2023. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local. 
Rennu Dhillon at the Building Women Empowered 2nd Annual Awards event at Goal Line Productions in Pleasanton, Calif. on Mar. 25, 2023. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local. 
Kanika Wahi serenades the audience at the Building Women Empowered Awards at the Goal Line Production building in Pleasanton, Calif. on Mar. 25, 2023. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local. 
The Building Women Empowered Awards sit on a table at Goal Line Production building in Pleasanton, Calif. on Mar. 25, 2023. Photo: Sree Sripathy for India Currents/CatchLight Local.
Rennu Dhillon conceptualized Building Women Empowered (BWE Tribe) in 2021. She envisioned gathering women from around the globe who believed in empowering themselves and other women, and supporting each other as they pursued their goals and grew in their self-worth.
“You don’t need someone else to tell you how good you are,” she told the audience.
Reema Khanolkar, first runner up of Ms. NRI Global 2022 and makeup artist Sonal Sehgal choreographed the fashion show. Models included Nikki Randhawa, Sonal Maharaj, Supreet Thiara, Tania Lal Sharma, Dr. Mona Brar-Sidhu, Monita Sharma, Anjana Rajagopalan, Vinder Dhillon, Vidya Hariharan, Archana Jain, Nivisha Mehta, Sammi Sandhu, Sonia Maharaj, Anette Khaliq, Sharanjit Kaur, Sadhna Sood, Kay Walia and Dr. Meena Katdare.
Women modeling the design line Soohab by Kaur walk the runway. 
Women modeling the design line Soohab by Kaur walk the runway. 
Women modeling the design line Soohab by Kaur walk the runway. 
Women modeling the design line Soohab by Kaur walk the runway. 
Women modeling the design line Soohab by Kaur walk the runway.
The second half of the afternoon celebrated= recipients of the Building Women Empowered awards. BWE recognizes women who have made a difference in their families, their businesses, their company, or their community. “We all have a fire in us as women. We just sometimes forget that we do,” said award winner Sadhna Sood, who became a Nurse Practitioner as a second career.
This year’s winners included the following:
- Momprenuer Award– Manpreet Kaur, Mina Nugent, Sammi Sandhu.
- The Single Mom Award – Jazz Deem
- Women in Tech Award – Mohini Soodan
- Health and Wellness Award – Sadhna Sood
- Millennial Leader Award – Urmila Javalekar
- Inspiration Award – Poonam Bajaj of Sitarre TV
- Fashion Award – Navpreet Kaur of Soohab by Kaur
- Cultural Ambassador Award – Harjit Uppal
- The UnSung Hero – Shirin Kamal and Mayor Karla Brown
Manpreet Kaur with Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown. 
Mina Nugent with Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Cox. 
Sammi Sandhu with Kimi Verma 
Jazz Deen with Rosemarie Smith-Coleman. 
Pleasanton Mayor Karlo Brown with Mohini Soodan. 
Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Cox with Sadhna Sood. 
Kimi Verma with Urmila Javalekar. 
Poonam Bajaj of Sitarre TV with Rosemarie Smith-Coleman. 
Pleasanton Mayor Karlo Brown with Navpreet Kaur. 
Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Cox with Harjit Uppal. 
Kimi Verma with Shirin Kamal. 
Pleasanton Mayor Karlo Brown and Kimi Verma. 
Pleasanton Mayor Karlo Brown and Rosemarie Smith-Coleman. 
Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Cox and Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown.
Appreciation awards were given to Kimi Verma, Rosemarie Smith-Coleman, and Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Cox. The event also acknowledged Wendy Madden of Goal Line Productions, Shanti Wines, Supriya Patel of Mass Mutual, Saru Latha of Bohozena, Sharan Gill of Revo Med Spa, Sammi Sandhu Skin Care, Jigna Faria of Meethapan, Nam Randhawa of Citadel and Kim and Rinku Khara.