IAOTP to honor Dr. Shellie Hipsky in New York City

The International Association of Top Professionals will name Dr. Shellie Hipsky its 2026 Top Women’s Empowerment Expert of the Year at its annual gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The honor recognizes her work leading Inspiring Lives International and The Global Sisterhood across education, advocacy, media, and philanthropy. Why it matters: - The IAOTP recognition puts Dr. Shellie Hipsky in a selective group of honorees chosen for professional achievement, leadership, longevity, and community impact. - The award spotlights women’s empowerment work that spans education, nonprofit leadership, media, and global advocacy. - The honor also gives added visibility to The Global Sisterhood’s charitable work and upcoming film and television projects. What happened: - The International Association of Top Professionals selected Dr. Shellie Hipsky as its Top Women’s Empowerment Expert of the Year 2026. - IAOTP will honor Hipsky at its annual awards gala in December at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. - Hipsky is CEO of Inspiring Lives International and Executive Director of The Global Sisterhood, a 501(c)(3) organization. - IAOTP included Hipsky based on professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership, field longevity, affiliations, and community contributions. The details: - Hipsky also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Inspiring Lives Magazine. - Her background includes a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Duquesne University. - She started as a special education teacher and later became a tenured professor. - Hipsky now works as a keynote speaker and media host. - Her expertise includes leadership development, global empowerment, public speaking, media and communications, nonprofit leadership, and women’s advocacy. - In 2023, Hipsky received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service. - She also received IAOTP’s Top Inspirational CEO honor in 2023 and the International Visionary Leadership Award at the International Business Excellence Awards. - Her other recognitions include Top Global Empowerment Coach, Top 10 Unstoppable Woman Entrepreneur, and Most Influential Women Business Leaders. - Hipsky is a bestselling author of Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants, Mom Magic Mompreneur, and the Common Threads trilogy. - Her work has appeared on more than 100 magazine covers, including Forbes, Elle, and Vogue Weekly. - The Global Sisterhood is producing an upcoming docuseries filmed across Africa, Asia, and North America. - The series focuses on domestic violence, human trafficking, access to clean water, and education inequality. - Hipsky is also expanding into film and television as a subject matter expert, actress, and executive producer. - Her documentary Step Forward in Sisterhood is set to premiere internationally this fall. - The documentary follows her humanitarian work, including service to unhoused communities in Florida tent encampments and hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica. - Hipsky will appear as herself in Next Level CEO and Women in Power. - She is an executive producer on The Enlightened Passenger, where she also has an acting role, and La Pandora’s Box. - Her A Taste of Broadway galas have raised money for the National MS Society and the Homeless Children’s Education Fund. - Hipsky has also modeled for charitable and fashion events. Between the lines: - IAOTP’s selection process favors people with established public profiles and a mix of credentials, service, and influence. - Hipsky’s work blends nonprofit leadership with media and entertainment, a strategy that can widen audience reach for social causes. - The film and docuseries projects appear designed to turn personal storytelling into broader advocacy. What’s next: - IAOTP will celebrate Hipsky at its annual gala later this year. - Step Forward in Sisterhood is scheduled for an international premiere this fall. - The Global Sisterhood docuseries and the feature-film projects are moving toward release. - Hipsky says she plans to keep expanding her global work through leadership, storytelling, and charitable initiatives. The bottom line: - IAOTP is elevating Hipsky as a cross-sector advocate whose influence now spans classrooms, nonprofits, media, and film.