Maryland native and Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Dominique Dawes will headline the Women of the World Festival Baltimore on April 5 at Notre Dame of Maryland University.The event will celebrate the achievements of women and girls, address the challenges they face, and provide networking opport unities. It will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rita Rossi Colwell Center in downtown Baltimore.In addition to Dawes, the festival will showcase other speakers and performers, including Dr. Gary Barker, president and CEO of Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice; India Gary-Martin, founder and CEO of Leadership for Execs; Jude Kelly, founder of WOW Foundation; Amber Wendland, associate principal at Ayers Saint Gross; Dr. Tina Bloom, associate professor & Frances K. Pitts ’96 Endowed Chair for Leadership in Women’s and Children’s Health at Notre Dame of Maryland University; Nicholé Gatewood, owner and founder of Gatewood & Associates; Lady Brion, an international spoken word artist; and Bele Bele Rhythm Collective, a global African drumming group.The event will also feature local media personalities and journalists, including WJZ news anchor Denise Koch; Ashley Sterner, co-host of “On the Record” at WYPR; and Baltimore Beat editor-in-chief Lisa Snowden.The WOW Festival Baltimore is part of a global movement to celebrate the achievements of women and girls while addressing the challenges they face. Founded by In 2010, Jude Kelly founded the WOW Festival in the United Kingdom. Since then, more than five million people have gathered for more than 100 WOW Festivals and events across six continents.This year’s Baltimore festival will mark 130 years since the School Sisters of Notre Dame founded the College of Notre Dame of Maryland (now Notre Dame of Maryland University) in 1895. The first Catholic college for women to award the baccalaureate degree, the educational institution is now open to students of all genders. The university continues to promote the advancement of women and providing a liberal arts education in the Catholic tradition.Individuals can purchase tickets to the WOW Festival Baltimore at wowbaltimore.org. A day pass is $30, while student tickets (with a valid student ID) are $10.The Rita Rossi Colwell Center is located at 701 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21202. ...read more read less