Speak for Thyself Awards Dinner

42 Elm Street,Kingston MA 02364

12 May, 2022

Description

The 15th annual Speak for Thyself Awards Dinner celebrates outstanding women in the spirit of Priscilla Mullins Alden. The 15th annual Speak for Thyself Awards will recognize exceptional women who, in the spirit of Mayflower Passenger Priscilla Mullins Alden, have been pioneers, advocates, and leaders, promoting extraordinary outcomes by speaking on behalf of themselves and others. Sponsored by the Alden Kindred of America, this year's awards will honor two Duxbury entrepreneurs - Lily Leedom and Thyme Sullivan along with award-winning author and historian Michelle Marchetti Coughlin. Duxbury Eagle Scout Maebon Puleio will be recognized with the "Aspiring Priscilla" award. The Alden Kindred of America owns and operates Alden House Historic Site, part of the property granted to Mayflower passengers John and Priscilla Mullins Alden and home to generations of their descendants. Designated a National Historic Landmark, Alden House welcomes visitors for guided tours and educational programs. The awards dinner will be held at the picturesque Jones River Trading Post in Kingston. Cocktails, Dinner, Awards Program. Tickets $85. Michelle Marchetti Coughlin, Hingham "Despite the great strides made in the field of early American women's history over the past few decades...It remains the case that what has often been missing from the story of early America are the voices of its women." Michelle is a historian whose research has focused on recovering information about early American women. She is the author of One Colonial Woman's World: The Life and Writings of Mehetabel Chandler Coit and Penelope Winslow, Plymouth Colony First Lady: Re-Imagining a Life. She is currently at work on a book project examining the experiences of the wives of America's colonial governors ("The First First Ladies") and their counterparts among female Native tribal leaders and the wives of America's early peer-elected Black governors. Michelle has served as a Mass Humanities Scholar-in-Residence and a historical consultant, and was a guest curator for Pilgrim Hall Museum's exhibit "pathFOUNDERS: Women of Plymouth." She has lectured widely, and as a board member of the Abigail Adams Birthplace, has created numerous programs highlighting women's history and African-American history, some of which have aired on C-SPAN. She currently serves as Museum Administrator for Boston's Gibson House Museum. Join Michelle for a presentation about 17th-century Plymouth women at Alden House on May 1 (www.alden.org). Learn more about Michelle Thyme Sullivan, Duxbury Thyme is the Co-Founder & CEO of TOP (The Organic Project). She jumped off of the corporate ladder after +20 years as an Executive with PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Nestle USA to find her next chapter. She took the leap into entrepreneurship because she wanted to make a difference and set an example for her daughter. She wanted to show the next generation that we all have superpowers to make positive change. Reuniting with her cousin Denielle Finkelstein, they launched TOP to make better and more eco-friendly period products accessible to all women. It has not been an easy journey, but they wouldn’t change a thing. Against all advice she bought a tampon costume and that is when the magic happened. Running a race, grocery shopping, yoga or out to lunch with friends, she had to be seen to be heard. Creating access to better products for everyone is WHAT she does. Having fun on the journey and bringing others along is HOW she does it. Thyme was recognized as a Forbes Next 1000 and is a proud recipient of the SPANX Sara Blakely Red Backpack Grant. Learn more about TOP Lily Leedom, Duxbury After 15 years in the corporate world of Real Estate Investment, Development & Sales, Lily decided to pursue her life-long entrepreneurial spirit and founded SalterieOne in 2018. Tinkering with pots of slowly evaporated Duxbury Bay sea water in her kitchen, Lily ultimately found the right formula that resulted in beautiful, pure sea salt that had the consistency and texture she was seeking. Identifying consumer's desire for all-natural, healthy food, Lily realized that while there were many food categories that had been transformed — like coffee, tea, chocolate, snacks —the salt category didn't offer the same high quality, flavorful, pure & USA -made options. Starting out small, but setting forth a big vision, Lily is transforming the culinary world through her hand-harvested sea salt. Lily has turned a passion into a brand and a business. She is an ambitious entrepreneur with big dreams for herself & for SalterieOne. On a personal level, Lily is a wife, mom, athlete and seeker of good health. She loves playing tennis, long days at the beach and spending time on her 13-foot whaler with her husband, two young children and two golden retrievers. When not at work or home she can be found dreaming up new business ideas and walking in nature. Read more about SalterieOne! "Aspiring Priscilla" Maebon Puleio Alden House has enjoyed working with several Scouts over the years on their community service projects required to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Maebon is the museum’s first female scout to earn this prestigious award. “I knew immediately I wanted to earn the rank of Eagle Scout,” Maebon said of her decision to join Duxbury’s BSA Troop 1792 in the summer of 2019. That meant completing the required number of 21 merit badges and a community service project in quick succession while balancing school, a job, extracurricular activities and serving as a leader in the scout troop before she turned 18 in the fall of 2021. The motivated young woman was up to the task, becoming an Eagle Scout in December! For her community service requirement, Maebon chose to create and install an interpretive project for the heirloom gardens at Alden House about how flax was processed into linen. “I love historical buildings and the things that people used to do in the past,” she said. She installed a sign post with information about the flax plants and included a QR code that links to a detailed presentation. Visitors will appreciate being able to explore this process that consists of multiple steps due to the delicacy of the fibers, she noted. Maebon will be graduating this year from Hanover High School and plans to attend the University of New Hampshire in the fall to study public health with a focus on nursing. Flax to Linen, Explore Maebon's Eagle Scout Project