Doechii, recently named Billboard’s 2025 Woman of the Year, will headline the Create & Cultivate Festival, aiming to inspire women in business. The announcement was made by Billboard on Tuesday, April 13.
The event will take place July 19 at Rolling Greens DTLA in Los Angeles and will host female executives, innovators, and entrepreneurs. The two-day festival, described as the “largest event for women in business,” will feature speeches from notable figures, including Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles, Proper founder Amanda Kloots, and TV personality Paige DeSorbo. Ciara will deliver the keynote address.
The festival’s schedule includes workshops, networking opportunities, start-up pitch competitions, live podcast recordings, and investor meetings. Doechii will perform on the Main Stage at the end of Day 1.
“We’re pioneering a new type of event to better serve the needs of modern businesswomen,” said Create & Cultivate CEO Marina Middleton. “Most women-focused event experiences focus exclusively on empowerment or are reserved for side events of large industry-specific conferences built only for industry optics. The Create & Cultivate Festival will break down industry barriers to unite a newly formed community of ambitious women across business, tech, sports, entertainment, hospitality, finance, and culture.”
Doechii, known for her hit “Denial Is a River,” recently became the third woman to win the best rap album category at the Grammys with her mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” In March, she was honored at Billboard’s 2025 Women in Music Awards.
During her acceptance speech, the Florida native stated, “I stand here as a fierce ally. This event was created out of a necessity. That word, necessity, is important. My mixtape, ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal,’ was a space I created out of necessity, where I could feel seen, heard, and connect with other people through experiences.”
She added, “This is our night to rightfully come together to acknowledge each other, support each other, and to celebrate. We are the creators, we are the executives, we are the innovators who are just as central to this industry as the men.”