Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College Presents Seventh Annual “Listening to Women”

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College (OLLI at Ringling College) presents its seventh annual Listening to Women, a weekly six-session series that features women whose brilliance and fortitude have reshaped industries and who are making a difference in today’s communities. At each session, we will hear the personal stories of women, driven by a cause, with the passion and determination to have achieved success in a variety of fields. The series takes place on Thursdays, 2-3:30 pm, from Jan. 22 to Feb. 26, 2026, at Sarasota Art Museum, the Ringling College Museum Campus, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Registration for the complete series is $81 for OLLI Gold Members and $90 for OLLI Silver Members and general admission; register at OLLIatRinglingCollege.org.

Holly Freedman is the founder of the Listening to Women series. Members of the Listening to Women team include Susan Gorin, Bev Harms, Victoria Kasdan, Judy Levine, Terry Rixse, Sherry Suggs, and Tobie van der Vorm.

“The Listening to Women series brings attention to the incredible women who live and work in Sarasota and Manatee counties who are making a difference locally and globally. During the 2026 sessions, the audience will hear inspiring personal stories from women in a variety of fields and have the opportunity to participate in the Q&A,” Freedman said. “The topics and formats are different for each session. From interviews, conversations, and panel discussions with women who have faced obstacles, yet have achieved success, their inspirational stories will engage and captivate the audience.”

The Listening to Women schedule at a glance (For complete details, visit OLLIatRinglingCollege.org):

Jan. 22 – “Life upon the wicked stage ain’t ever what a girl supposes...” with speakers Carolyn Michel and Carole Kleinberg

Carolyn Michel, Sarasota Jewish Theatre’s board chair, and Carole Kleinberg, artistic director, will share anecdotes, videos, and a live performance, covering their exciting journey as women and as theatre artists in a business that can be challenging, complicated, and unforgiving. As founding members of Sarasota Jewish Theatre, together they have built a professional theatre that has earned recognition, respect, and admiration.

Jan. 29 – Saving Waters, Shaping Futures: Women Working to Protect Our Rivers, Estuaries, and the Communities That Depend Upon Them with speakers Jennifer L. Shafer, Ph.D. and Abbey Tyrna, Ph.D. and moderator Christine P. Johnson

Water is the most important nutrient for survival. It’s also the reason most people choose to live in Florida. In recent years, we’ve witnessed the tug-of-war between growth and conservation as well as the strengthening and waning of our water protections. With 1,000 people moving to Florida a day, how do we ensure we have drinkable, fishable, swimmable water, now and tomorrow? Hear from these women about how and why they do this important work.

Feb. 5 – Rebels With a Cause: The Power of Resistance and Joy in the Lives of Black Women with speaker Dr. Janet Taylor and interviewer Victoria Kasdan

Through her personal stories and historical narratives, Dr. Janet Taylor will explore the themes of Black women and resistance that have been ignored, unexamined, and buried. The audience will learn about the connection between the African diaspora and a psychological mindset of resistance, autonomy, adaptation, and cultural synthesis, all contributing to a “resist” mindset for Black women today. This is fueled by an innate desire to overcome “waves of struggle,” with a radical repurposing of resistance leading to joy, strength, and transformation.

Feb. 12 – Beyond Seeing: A Memoir with Photographs with speaker Alyssia Lazin and interviewer Virginia Shearer

Alyssia Lazin, photographer, and Virginia Shearer, executive director of Sarasota Art Museum, will explore Lazin’s transformation of familiar subjects into sublime imagery through her unique painterly approach to photography. Lazin is known for her photographs of intimate and familiar subjects. Her projects reveal hidden worlds through careful exploration and discovery. The conversation will include Lazin’s creative process, how she finds beauty in the unseen and overlooked, and the role that chance encounters and unexpected moments play in shaping her artistic vision.

Feb. 19 – Sarasota’s Renaissance Woman with speaker Christine Jennings and interviewer Susan Burns

How did a 17-year-old bank teller from Ohio with no family money, no contacts, and no college degree start a bank in Sarasota? Christine Jennings founded Sarasota Bank in 1992 and served as its president/CEO and chair of the board for 11 years. Sarasota Bank was sold in 2003, and stockholders received $62.11 for their $10 investment. In 2004, she jumped into politics as a candidate for U.S. Congress, nearly flipping a heavily Republican district in 2006, losing by 369 votes. From 2009 to 2014, she was CEO of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT). How did she lead WBTT from financial duress to financial stability and secure a permanent home for their performing facility? Jennings will discuss her unconventional success, the obstacles she confronted, her leadership style, and why she was never afraid of failure.

Feb. 26 – Faith in Our Private and Public Lives with speakers Denise Flynn, Samar Dahmash-Jarrah, Rabbi Jennifer Singer, Rev. Anita D. Williams and interviewer Sue Jacobson

Many Americans are wrestling with the role of faith in our private lives and in our communal life. We frequently hear it said of religions that “we are more alike than different.” But that’s not entirely true; we know the world’s religions are quite different. Our four speakers have walked very different paths toward spirituality. Learn how their chosen faiths—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism—function for them in American life. Their spiritual journeys, the changing roles that their faiths play in their lives, and the impact of their choices are both fascinating and instructive.

To register, or for more information about becoming an OLLI member, visit OLLIatRinglingCollege.org or call 941-309-5111.

Listening to Women is made possible, in part, with support from the Harms Family Endowment, the Schwartzbaum Urfer Group at Morgan Stanley, the Canandaigua National Trust Company, and First Horizon Bank.