Shawnee Forward President and CEO Rachel Melot will speak at the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce's next Women in Business meeting.

You can join the Chamber as their guest covers the "10 Commandments of Success," which is meant to encourage women to find their own version of success without apology. The gathering will take place on Thursday, Feb. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Hillcrest Country Club, 1901 Price Road in Bartlesville.

Rachael became the President and CEO of Shawnee Forward in 2020, and in two short years she has increased membership and community investment in the organization, turned the organization into a profitable one, sold key properties, led tribal and municipal relationship-building efforts and increased the staff. She also led the efforts to prove Shawnee is the #1 City in the State of Oklahoma for Women Owned Businesses, as proclaimed by Governor Stitt in 2022.

Rachael actively works her global network to connect people with other people, ideas, and opportunities to improve Shawnee. She has traveled to six continents, worked in nearly half of our great United States, nearly a decade of which was in New York City in the tech-heavy industry of digital media and advertising.

Rachael returned to Shawnee with a mission to train and empower women to run businesses.

She opened a boutique, Wystle, in 2015 and over 8 years, sponsored more than 75 women into the next phase of their career journey. The Bush Institute's Women's Initiative Fellowship program recognized Rachael for her entrepreneurship in 2014 - 15 by asking her to serve as one of 12 women in the United States to mentor a Tunisian business woman for one year. While serving as a mentor, the women inspired her to author The Ten Commandments of #Success WithoutApology, encouraging women to find their own version of success without apology. Rachael led the State of Oklahoma's inaugural Blue Zones Project community through Certification, helping residents live longer, better. She volunteers for Shawnee Kiwanis, Gateway to Prevention and Recovery, Worrell Haven Sober Living, and Life. Church.

In 2022, Rachael was recognized as one of the Journal Records, 50 Women Making a Difference in Oklahoma. Rachael is married to Coach Melot and they love pickleball and hosting friends and family in their home.

Cost to attend is $25 per person. More information can be found at bartlesville.com.