Big Names. Big Conversations. Bigger Impact at Rise & Shine 2026
Baseball. Business. Leadership. Public service. Big careers. Bigger questions. And probably a few stories you will not hear anywhere else.
United Way Rise & Shine is back Thursday, October 29, at the Bridgewater Marriott, bringing together hundreds of women, business leaders, and community advocates for one of New Jersey’s premier networking events and an afternoon powered by connection, conversation, and women-led philanthropy.
And this year? We brought a pretty impressive guest list.
Ready to be in the room? Get your Rise & Shine tickets now at www.uwnnj.org/Rise2026.
Amber Sabathia + Atoya Burleson: Let’s Get Past the LinkedIn Bios
Amber Sabathia will sit down with Atoya Burleson, Ph.D., for a candid conversation about sports, opportunity, leadership, and what it takes to build a career in spaces that were not exactly holding the door open.
Amber has no shortage of material.
As an agent with CAA Sports, she is one of the few Black women representing professional baseball players. In 2024, she became the first female agent to represent a first-round Major League Baseball draft pick and was later named one of Sports Business Journal’s 2025 Game Changers.
And Atoya knows how to ask the good questions.
A former collegiate athlete and Hall of Fame champion, Atoya is the founder of Ladies Playbook and host of the Inside Ladies Playbook podcast, where she spotlights women making an impact across sports, business, entrepreneurship, and beyond.
Together, they will get past the polished bios and into the decisions, relationships, challenges, and curveballs that shaped their careers.
Because nobody needs another panel where everyone says, “Great question,” and then gives the answer from their website bio.
Honoring Senator Teresa Ruiz
Rise & Shine will also recognize Senator Teresa Ruiz with the Women United ALICE Changemaker Award, celebrating leadership that turns commitment into action for ALICE families and New Jersey communities.
Her recognition adds another powerful voice to an afternoon centered on women using their leadership, influence, and platforms to open doors for others.
It is exactly what United Way of Northern New Jersey Women United is built around: bringing women together, building meaningful connections, and turning those connections into action.
Networking With an Actual Point
Yes, Rise & Shine is a professional networking event in New Jersey.
But not the kind where you collect a stack of business cards and call it a win.
It brings together leaders from across business, nonprofit, and community engagement to make real connections, hear something worth remembering, and use their influence for something bigger.
Amber lives that mission beyond baseball, too, serving as executive director of the PitCCh In Foundation and helping lead Grapefruit Media, which elevates minority athletes and their stories.
“Amber and Atoya bring two incredible perspectives on leadership, sports, and creating opportunities for others,” said Michele Drieblatt, United Way Senior Director of Women’s Philanthropy and Donor Engagement. “Rise & Shine is about smart women, real stories, and ideas that stay with you long after lunch.”
Women-Led Philanthropy in Action
Rise & Shine raises critical funds for United Way’s work supporting ALICE, households earning above the federal poverty level but still struggling to afford basics such as housing, food, child care, health care, technology, and transportation.
Through Rise & Shine and Women United, women across New Jersey turn connection into action through women-led philanthropy supporting working families.
Since 2015, Women United has raised more than $1 million for ALICE families.
So give your calendar something better than another meeting.
Join us Thursday, October 29, at the Bridgewater Marriott.
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