Staff Report
DRIPPING SPRINGS — Women from across the Dripping Springs community came together Thursday, Aug. 27, for the inaugural Women of Worth (WOW!) Celebration, an afternoon created to celebrate the women who lead, serve, connect, build, inspire and make a difference throughout the community.
Held at Canyonwood Ridge, the sold-out celebration brought together women from all walks of life for an afternoon of music, shopping, connection, laughter, inspiration and recognition, culminating in the presentation of the first-ever WOW Awards.
The WOW Awards grew out of a simple idea: extraordinary women aren't always the ones with the biggest titles, businesses or platforms. Sometimes they're the women quietly doing the work, bringing people together, helping a neighbor, starting something new, lifting others up or simply showing what it looks like to live with courage and heart, according to a news release.
More than 85 nominations were submitted for the eight award categories. An independent panel of women from outside Dripping Springs and Texas reviewed the nominations and selected three finalists in each category based on the stories submitted.
The 2026 Women of Worth Award recipients are:
Watch Her Soar Award – Rising Star: Valerie Hemming, Salt & Light
Fearless Founder Award – Trailblazer: Michelle Lewis, Mallett & Michelle Podcast
Girl Boss Energy Award – Woman Business Owner: Meredith Kapchinski, Fortis Therapy Center
Pillar of Power Award – Leadership Legacy: Michelle Fischer, City of Dripping Springs
Ripple Effect Award – Community Impact: Nel Rossouw, The Rescue House, and Chrystal Smith, Foster Village, who tied for the honor
She Brings Us Together Award – Connector: Susan Kimball, Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce
Hometown Heroine Award – Heart of Dripping Springs: Liz Kryznesfki, Springs Family YMCA
Adorable Badass Award – Inspiration: Anne Brown, Head to Toe Dance
But the heart of WOW was never meant to be only about the women whose names were called.
“The awards are wonderful, but WOW was created around a much bigger idea: that every woman is worthy of being seen, celebrated and reminded of the difference she makes,” said WOW founder Lisa Sullivan. “There are so many women doing extraordinary things every day who may never receive an award or even realize how much they matter to someone else. I wanted to create a day that celebrated them, too.”
KXAN meteorologist Kristen Currie served as emcee for the celebration, which also featured live music by The Lockhearts, the Adorable Badass Bazaar, featuring local businesses, artists and organizations, and a surprise all-women drum circle led by Soul Shine Rhythm Experience.
The inaugural WOW Celebration was made possible through the support of local businesses and community organizations that believed in the vision of creating something specifically designed to recognize and celebrate the women of Dripping Springs.
Sullivan said the response to the first event has already sparked ideas for what comes next.
“This started as an idea for an awards luncheon and somewhere along the way, it became something much bigger,” Sullivan said. “Watching that room full of women cheering for one another was everything I hoped WOW could be. And we're just getting started.”
