Female agents celebrate and support each other at annual event

Suzy Levenda said she founded an event where female real estate agents congregate to celebrate and support each other for a simple reason: "Women treat each other like shit." The sixth "Women of Strength; Cultivating Leadership in Real Estate" will kick off in Scottsdale, Arizona on January 13, 2016, and focus on themes including media manipulation and "creating change on the language of body image," said Levenda, business and development manager at the Bookspan Baker Team of HomeStreet Home Loans. As in past years, the bi-annual event will honor five women and one man for representing the ideals of "inspire, encourage, mentor and lead" in the industry. Featured speakers include Katie Willcox, the founder of Healthy is the New Skinny; Jon Jorgensen, a New York City-based writer and artist; and Mary Ellen Claussen and her daughter Holli Zehring of the non-profit Ophelia's Place. The goal of the event is to spark a shift in how women treat each other in the re...