The WWR Impact Award
2025 Women who rock™ impact award recipient
kiya tomlin
Entrepreneur, fashion designer, and philanthropist Kiya Tomlin will be honored with the 2025 Women Who Rock™ Impact Award for her powerful contributions to women's empowerment, fashion innovation, and her commitment to community.
Her designs, known for their soft fabrics and thoughtful construction, are proudly manufactured in her Pittsburgh-based factory, where she creates opportunities for women in need while implementing and overseeing the responsible manufacturing practices that she champions for her sustainable brand.
See Kiya accept the award live on September 5th at Stage AE during the Women Who Rock Benefit Concert starring Jessica Simpson,
The 2025 Women Who Rock Impact Award is Sponsored by Peoples, an Essential Utilities Company
Dr. Lisa Rohan’s Acceptance Speech
Recognizing Women
About the Women Who Rock™ Impact Award
The annual Women Who Rock™ Impact Award honors trailblazing women who are making a meaningful difference in the areas of women’s health, women’s rights, or women in music. Past recipients have included legendary musicians, groundbreaking doctors, breast cancer advocates, and visionary female entrepreneurs — all united by a commitment to empowering women and driving real change.
We celebrate and honor these incredible women live on stage during our flagship Women Who Rock™ Benefit Concert, making it one of the most powerful and inspiring moments of the night.
Past Winners
2024 Winner: Michele Michaels
Michele is Pittsburgh’s Queen of Rock ‘n Roll and has been Pittsburgh’s top-rated midday personality for the better part of 30 years on 102.5 FM WDVE iHeart Radio’s Noon-1pm “Electric Lunch.”
Michele is also community minded and emceed the Women Who Rock Benefit Concert for years. She has also emceed for "MuSic for MS" a big day long outdoor show each August to help with our region's Multiple Sclerosis community, the Pittsburgh Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, and of course, the DVE Rocks for Children's Radiothon.
2023 Winner: Dr. Jocelyn Fitzgerald
“It is a tremendous honor to be given this award, because it represents the core of what I believe to be the future of women’s health—collaboration and investment between society and science. Organizations like MWRIF and WWR working to close the investment gaps—and demonstrate a return on that investment—are how we accelerate innovation that will foster true health in women in every decade and stage of her life.”
-Dr. Jocelyn Fitzgerald
2022 Winner: Dr. Lisa Rohan
“I am grateful to be honored with the Women Who Rock Impact Award. This award symbolizes what we can do collectively when we work together to forge partnerships and discoveries that improve the lives of women here in Pittsburgh and around the globe.”
— Dr. Lisa Rohan
2021 Winner: Sheila E.
“I am honored and humbled to be recognized for the Impact Award. Thank you to Women Who Rock™ and Magee-Womens Research Institute for the incredible and life changing work you do. When I think of impact, I think of all of the women—mentors, my mother, my grandmother, sisters, colleagues, new and lifelong friends—who have lifted me up throughout the years and continually inspired me to pay it forward. My career in the music industry has been shaped by a drive to change the narrative of what it means to be a female musician.”
— Sheila E.
2019 Winner: Dr. Sharon Hillier
An internationally recognized microbiologist whose work has influenced an entire field of research based on the intersection of women’s health and HIV prevention.
2018 Winner: Kelly Frey
WTAE-TV news anchor and breast cancer advocate. Kelly has inspired and provided hope to thousands of women and her fight against triple negative breast cancer has been fought publicly, with nothing but grace, courage and humility.
2017 Winner: Dr. Carola Neumann
A primary investigator at Magee-Womens Research Institute and a member of the Women’s Cancer Research Center. Her research focuses on identifying chemical reactions in breast cancer. Dr. Neumann also co-leads the breast cancer research advocacy network, which brings together breast cancer survivors and scientists to accelerate the progress of cancer research and clinical trials.
Saving women’s lives in Style
Shop now for Women Who Rock™ apparel, and a portion of proceeds goes to life-changing medical research that impacts the lives of women around the world.
