Midwest Mujeres Collective, a regional Latina network, is offering women in the Madison area an opportunity to be part of a unique Three Kings Day celebration and a dessert networking event called “Roscas y Reynas” on Saturday, Jan. 6, 3-5 p.m. at StartingBlock Madison.
The event will serve delicious roscas de reyes (King’s Cake), and will feature a hot chocolate bar, networking opportunities, and inspiring stories from notable women of color. StartingBlock Madison is an entrepreneurial hub and ecosystem located at 821 E. Washington Ave., just east of the Capitol building in downtown Madison.
Araceli Esparza is the founder of Midwest Mujeres, a network of Latina and multicultural women committed to fostering community connections, celebrating cultural diversity, and creating memorable experiences. Roscas de reyes are eaten on El Dia de Los Reyes (The Day of the Kings), a day that has deep religious and cultural significance to the Latinx community.
“It will be a celebration of culture, dreams, and community,” Esparza tells Madison365.
“We want to tell women’s stories and in the wintertime, we felt like this was a great event to do that. We also want to use this event to help bring awareness to our organization and special events we have coming up including in February and our ‘Yo Quiero Dinero’ event in June,” Esparza continues, talking about Midwest Mujeres. “I think this event is a good way to keep the momentum going but also to practice sharing these stories. Midwest Mujeres is known for the entrepreneurial storytelling coming from women of color grounded in empowerment. This is a practice that we need to continue.”
Roscas y Reynas is a little play on words, Esparza explains.
“Reyna is the queen and roscas are the king’s cake, known throughout Latin America. [Three Kings’ Day] is the time when you’re exchanging gifts, so we’re really making this like an exchange of gifts, but not the monetary type,” Esparza says, “but rather the gift of empowerment and encouragement, which is specifically why we curated it to include women like Gloria Reyes, who is the first Latina ever in our history to run for mayor [of Madison]. I think that’s significant. And I don’t feel like the Latino community here in Madison has done enough to really acknowledge that this is the move in the right direction.”
From 4-5 p.m. on Saturday, Reyes, who is not only the first Latina to run for the mayor of Madison, but also the first Latina to serve on the Madison School Board, will be one of the speakers in what the event organizers are calling “Our Stories: Inspirational Women of Color.” Reyes will lead a session of Black and Latina influencers, along with Shibon Evans, a Hip Hop artist, influencer, mentor, and entrepreneur, and Sara Branch, owner of Early Temptations and local event hostess.
“I am so honored to be a part of this year’s Roscas y Reynas event to share not only my story but the stories of the many powerful women in our community,“ Reyes says.
At the Roscas y Reynas event, Dean Health Care will sponsor a hot chocolate bar that attendees can enjoy with the roscas. There will also be coffee and appetizers provided by FoodFight.
“We are expecting a great attendance. People are using this as an excuse to come with their mothers for the first time to maybe tell them about their business,” Esparza says. “We have some interesting entrepreneurs coming. Dean Health Plans will have a wellness table. It should be a really fun time.”
There will also be an opportunity to engage in “dream board activity” from 3-4 p.m., according to a press release from Midwest Mujeres, where attendees can “share their dreams and discuss how they can support others in achieving their own.”
While this event is being advertised as a “Latina and Black women’s dessert networking event to empower women entrepreneurs in 2024,” Esparza stresses that it is for everybody.
“I really want this to be a multicultural, intersectional event,” Esparza says. “People have asked me: If don’t speak Spanish, can I come? If I don’t speak English, can I come? If I’m not a woman of color, can I come? And all of those answers are: Yes!”
For more information about “Roscas y Reynas: A dessert networking event,” click here.
