Anniversary
Celebrate another year of NeW educating and training young conservative women at our annual Anniversary Celebration
Celebrate another year of NeW educating and training young conservative women at our annual Anniversary Celebration
In the fall of 2004, Karin Agness Lips returned to the University of Virginia after an internship in Washington, DC and sought out an organization in which college women could talk about public policy, including conservative ideas. She decided to approach the campus Women’s Center and asked a staff woman if the center might be interested in co-sponsoring a new group for conservative university women. Her response? She laughed and said “not here.”
Despite the negative reaction, Karin founded a book club for conservative college women and called it the Network of enlightened Women, known as NeW. Within a year, women on other campuses heard about NeW and wanted to start their own chapters. NeW began expanding nationally, growing one chapter at a time.
For 21 years, NeW has been educating, equipping, and empowering the next generation of conservative leaders.
This year, to celebrate our 21st anniversary, we are hosting an exclusive reception at Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar in Washington, DC, on Thursday, October 2, 2025. At the event, we will honor our 2025 Empowered Woman of the Year, Alex Clark.
Only paid NeW members will have the opportunity to attend this reception. Become a member today!
Clark is a top podcast host, well-known TPUSA voice, and Make America Healthy Again (“MAHA”) influencer. She is being awarded for her exemplary leadership in promoting positive change in the health and wellness industry, emboldening women to question popular narratives, and creating candid dialogue that fosters intellectual diversity. As the host and creator of Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark, a top 10 global health and wellness podcast, Clark interviews experts on a range of topics. Her insights offer a powerful voice for women navigating the complexities of health, wellness, and culture.
In September 2024, Clark addressed the U.S. Senate alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on a panel about chronic illness, advocating for millennial mothers and healthcare reform. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, NBC News, New York Post, Fox News, Vanity Fair, and Cosmopolitan. Known for reaching politically disengaged women and asking bold, unfiltered questions, she empowers young women across the political spectrum to challenge conventional health narratives and advocate for the issues that matter most to them.
Our 21st anniversary reception will bring together students, alumnae, and friends of NeW to celebrate 21 years of equipping young conservative women to lead with confidence.
If you are interested in sponsoring this celebration, please email Karin Lips.
The Network of enlightened Women hosted our 2023 Leadership Retreat in Washington, DC on August 4-6. More than 75 NeW chapter leaders from across the country gathered in the nation’s capital for three days of training on how to better articulate conservative principles on campus and learn how to recruit new members, engage existing members, and grow their chapter into a positive community for women.
Cheers to 19 years of NeW! On Thursday, September 21 the Network of enlightened Women celebrated 19 years as an organization. The celebration was held at the Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The Anniversary party is a time for students, professional network members, and friends of NeW to come together and share how they have contributed to the mission.
We caught up with the women from NeW at the University of South Carolina. Learn about the extraordinary work these women are doing on campus from their executive board members.
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