She Makes Waves: Celebrating the Women Who Make Our Community Better
There are women in our community who make things happen.
They lead businesses and organizations. They volunteer their time. They bring people together. They notice when someone needs help and show up. They encourage the people around them, open doors for others, share what they know, and make our community stronger simply because they are part of it.
Sometimes their impact is easy to see. Other times, they are making a difference quietly, without recognition or any expectation of receiving it.
At Lake Area Women in Business, we think those women are worth celebrating.
That is why we are so excited to introduce the She Makes Waves Award, a brand-new annual award that will be presented for the first time at the 2026 Lake Area Women in Business Extravaganza on October 22.
What Does It Mean to Make Waves?
When we started thinking about this award, we knew we wanted it to recognize more than professional accomplishments.
Lake Area Women in Business exists to connect, support and celebrate women in business, but the women who make Forest Lake and our surrounding communities better aren't found only in businesses.
They are everywhere.
A woman who Makes Waves might be a business owner or entrepreneur, but she might also be a teacher, nonprofit leader, employee, volunteer, coach, mentor or community advocate.
She might be the person everyone seems to know because she is involved in everything. Or she might be doing incredible work almost entirely behind the scenes.
What matters is the ripple she creates.
The She Makes Waves Award will recognize a woman whose leadership, generosity and commitment to others have an impact that reaches beyond herself.
This Award Is Open to ALL Women in Our Community
This part is important to us.
You do not need to be a Lake Area Women in Business member to nominate someone.
The woman you nominate does not need to be a LAWIB member.
She does not need to own a business.
The She Makes Waves Award is open to women throughout Forest Lake and our surrounding communities because this award is about recognizing the women who make our entire community stronger.
If you know a woman who deserves to have her story told, we want to hear about her.
Who Should You Nominate?
Think about the women you encounter in your everyday life.
Who is always showing up?
Who brings people together?
Who gives her time or talents to help others?
Who encourages other women and celebrates their successes?
Who has helped make a business, organization, school, neighborhood or community better?
Who has made a difference in your own life?
And maybe most importantly, who is doing incredible things but would probably never nominate herself?
Tell us about her.
You don't need to write the perfect nomination or come up with an enormous list of accomplishments. We want to know who she is, what she does, and why you believe the ripples she creates deserve to be recognized.
Nominate a Woman Who Makes Waves
Nominations for the first annual She Makes Waves Award are open now through September 16, 2026.
As a thank you for helping us discover the women who make our community great, everyone who submits a nomination will receive two complimentary tickets to the 2026 LAWIB Extravaganza, one for the person submitting the nomination and one for their nominee.
That means you can be there together when we celebrate the women who are making waves throughout our community.
Submit your She Makes Waves nomination: She Makes Waves Nomination Form
Join Us at the 2026 LAWIB Extravaganza
The first She Makes Waves Award will be presented during the 2026 Lake Area Women in Business Extravaganza on Thursday, October 22, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the Forest Lake American Legion.
The evening will bring our community together for local shopping, food and drinks, prizes and giveaways, our silent auction supporting LAWIB scholarships, and, for the first time, the presentation of the She Makes Waves Award.
We cannot wait to see who our community introduces us to.
Because when one woman makes waves, the impact rarely stops with her.
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