Inside the ASICS Move Her Mind Summit: Big Energy, Honest Stories, and a Whole Lot of Community
By Antoinette Minor Talley
The ASICS Move Her Mind Summit felt like walking into a room full of women who already get it. The kind of space where you exhale, laugh a little, nod your head a lot, and leave feeling re-charged.
The event was the culmination of a year-long tour where ASICS, alongside retail partners, brought women together across cities to better understand the barriers to movement and what helps create lasting change. Hosted by Meghann Featherstun (Featherstone Nutrition) and Meaghan Murray-Neuberger (Believe In The Run), aka “The Megs,” the event flowed like a really good group chat. Think stories, truth-telling, and moments that made you think, okay, I’m not alone in this.
One of the most feel-good moments came during the panel on movement and community. Run club leaders, Danielle Burnette (Big Girls Who Run), Mariah Dyson (Girl Gang Crazy), and Tenia Smith (F.E.A.R. MKE) shared why they started their clubs, how they intentionally create space for women, and why women-only spaces matter so much. The message landed loud and clear: community is what keeps people coming back, especially when showing up to a run club can be intimidating at first.
The athlete panel? Real real. ASICS athletes Taliyah Brooks, Valarie Altman, and Makenna Myler, shared the highs, the hard parts, and the invisible challenges of being women in sports. They talked about what women actually need (hint: it’s not just “grind harder”), what they’re working toward as they look ahead to 2026, and dropped encouragement that felt less like a motivational poster and more like a friend hyping you up before a run.
Then the ASICS execs, Kelly Fatouretchi, VP of Merchandising and Categories and Yuka Okamoto, Head of Global Merchandising for Performance Run, stepped in and gave a sneak peek at what the brand is building for women. The big takeaway: women’s voices aren’t background noise. They’re the blueprint. From listening sessions to product design, the brand is actively shaping what’s next with women, not just for them.
And because ASICS knows the magic doesn’t stop at conversation, they showed up again the next morning by taking attendees to the Rose Bowl 5K and Half Marathon. No pressure. No pace expectations. Just joy, support, and movement in action. We’re so proud of all of the women who were up and out at 4:15 a.m. to run the race.
The Move Her Mind Summit was proof that when women are centered, listened to, and supported, movement becomes more than exercise. It becomes medicine, connection, and community.