After working for over 15 years both as a singer-songwriter fronting a rock band, and as a music business executive working with companies including Live Nation, ShowClix, and Berklee College of Music, I have personally experienced the gender disparity found in the music industry. I have been the only woman in dozens of concert lineups, and in national festival lineups less than 20% of headline acts are women. With so many talented female musicians both locally and nationally, the need for an event and organization like Women Who Rock™ was clear, and my vision was born.

I've also had my own personal experiences of women's health issues affecting my family, friends, and colleagues. After finding myself in the role of caretaker and advocate during my mother's cancer battle, I knew that I had to help other women find their voice and strength in the health and wellness space.

Through those experiences, I discovered that women are underrepresented in healthcare research funding, and learned that Pittsburgh was home to Magee-Womens Research Institute, the nation's largest research institute dedicated to women's health. Learning about the disparity in research dollars made me think: why not unite and rock the future of healthcare for all women through the power of music?