SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo  to be held Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024

We are excited to announce this year's speaker is pro athlete and wellness advocate Laila Ali

St. Joseph's/Candler is excited for the 22nd annual SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo.  This year's event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, at the Savannah Convention Center. 

The SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo  is an annual fundraiser for St. Joseph's/Candler's Mary Telfair Women's Hospital, which includes the Mammography Fund at Telfair Pavilion. The purpose of raising money for this fund is to provide programs, services and capital support for mammography related initiatives that benefit appropriately qualified patients who are uninsured or underinsured. The SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo  has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Telfair Mammography Fund to meet this goal since its inception over a decade ago. 

The 21st annual fundraiser raised a record amount of more than $220,000.

About this year's speaker

Laila Ali — pro athlete, wellness advocate, TV host and chef — is the force behind the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand. Alongside her husband, former NFL star Curtis Conway, Laila cherishes family life in Georgia with their two children, Curtis Jr. and Sydney.

Daughter of late beloved global icon and humanitarian, Muhammad Ali, Laila leads with the light of his legacy as a four-time undefeated boxing world champion, whose record includes 24 wins (21 of which were “knockouts”) and zero losses.

These exceptional accolades were recognized when women’s boxing made its debut in the Olympics; Laila made history by becoming the first woman to provide expert commentary for NBC Sports in 2012. By 2022, her enduring impact was officially honored when she was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Continuing to set new benchmarks for women, Laila became a regular panelist and contributor for the CBS Sports Network’s all-female sports commentary program, “We Need to Talk”—the first of its kind in sports broadcasting. Laila is also a past President of the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), a non-profit organization supported by some of the biggest athletes in the world. Through the WSF, Laila promotes equality for women in sports, advocating for programs that encourage confidence, health, strength and upholds Title IX. Ultimately, her dedication to female empowerment is an ongoing mission: she continues to inspire others as a sought-after speaker and author of her book for young women entitled “Reach: Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power!”.

Her ferocity as a role model equals her tenacity as a chef; she has triumphed as a two-time champion on Food Network’s celebrity edition of “Chopped”. Always up for a good challenge, she even made it to the final round of the fourth season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2007, capturing the hearts of millions.

Laila has also appeared in various cooking segments on Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, and The Chew, along with having cooked her famous “oven-baked fried chicken” on Steve Harvey’s hit daytime talk show. Adding to her television repertoire, Laila has hosted multiple seasons of “Everyday Health”, which aired on national syndication on ABC, in addition to being the previous co-host of “American Gladiators” and former host of “All-In With Laila Ali,” which aired in weekend syndication on CBS. She has also hosted Emmy Award-Winning show Home Made Simple which aired every Saturday on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) for three seasons.

As a revered leader in the health community, Laila Ali was the 2012 “Mombassador” for the Aquaphor New York City Triathlon.

From wellness guru to global role model, it is her fierce social activism that has led to multiple endorsements for major brands such as Subway, Kohls, T.J. Maxx, Activa and Purina. She is also recognized for her fiery entrepreneurial spirit; her cookbook "Food For Life'' is currently available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

She has even created her own line of organic seasonings called Laila Ali Spice Blends, YouPlenish nutrition supplements, skincare and apparel. And most recently, she launched Laila Ali Home Decor with At Home.

With the same thrust of devotion, Laila is a major supporter of charitable organizations such as Feeding America, Peace 4 Kids, American Dental Association and more.

Hands down, as a steadfast health and athletic advocate, Laila continues to engage her followers with her own lifestyle blog, “Laila Ali Lifestyle.”

Here, she regularly posts tips for workouts, wellness and family as well as recipes and much more!

Event details

22nd annual SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo will be held:

When: Wednesday, Oct. 9
Expo: 10 a.m.
Lunch & Program: Noon

Where: Savannah Convention Center
1 International Drive,
Savannah, Ga. 31421