Bringing moms together—that’s what the I Am Mom Summit is all about. Founded in 2018 by a Utah mom of four who was at her wit’s end after a 10-day long sickness swept through her family, the summit unites thousands of moms across the country, and sometimes, the world.

They learn, laugh, and cry together, forming both virtual and in-person communities that lift each other up and remind one another that they’re not alone.

How we’re helping

Kizik was proud to co-sponsor this year’s summit, hosted in our home state of Utah. Our mission is to inspire greater joy by making the everyday easier, and that’s exactly what the I Am Mom Summit is all about: making life easier and more joyful for moms who attend.

While Kizik is for everyone, it’s the perfect shoe for moms who are always on the go, fighting foot fatigue during pregnancy, and wrestling shoes onto the feet of fidgety little ones.
While every moment was special, we’ll never forget the Nominate a Mom giveaway, co-sponsored by Kizik and Shine Cosmetics. A mom in need is selected each year to receive a surprise gift that will brighten her day and support her family.

This year’s winner, Wendy, is a courageous mom of three battling stage three ovarian cancer. The effects of chemo started taking a toll and Wendy almost left the summit early, but Heidi, the friend who nominated her, convinced Wendy to stay.

Tears started flowing as she was called to the stage.

“Wendy inspires me all the time, and she’s going through a rough time right now,” said Heidi. “Even through her rough time, she’s building everybody else up around her.”

Wendy shared parts of her story, saying that treatment was going well but that her 13-year-old son, who has Down Syndrome, was alarmed when her hair started falling out.

“I lost all my hair because of chemotherapy and he’s like, ‘Mommy, no baldy, no baldy,’” she said, laughing through tears. Wendy now wears a wig at home to comfort her son.

Darcey Wilde, CEO and owner of Shine Cosmetics, presented Wendy with a gift card and bag of goodies, while Sara Wigington, Kizik’s director of content and a mom herself, gave Wendy a pair of shoes for each member of her family.

“One of the most beautiful parts about this whole process is the community that has supported and surrounded me, and now you’re part of that community too,” Wendy said after receiving her gifts.

How it started

I Am Mom Summit founder Jamie Taylor felt desperately alone.

“I was depleted and exhausted,” Jamie explained. “I remember sitting on the edge of the bed that night crying like, ‘I can’t do this anymore, I’m exhausted, where’s the support system?’”

She opened Instagram to see a post from a Utah creator, who shared how much she loved being a mom despite all its challenges and setbacks.

 “That little post gave me the motivation and inspiration,” Jamie said. 
The idea for the summit unfolded organically as Jamie partnered with her husband, who develops virtual events in the tech space. The two worked together for a year to develop a platform for the I Am Mom Summit.

“I was kind of doing it secretly for myself,” Jamie laughed. “I want to learn from incredible speakers and I want to feel motivated, and the next thing we knew, we had our first event and 10,000 moms had registered for it.”

Jamie invited countless potential speakers to join the first summit in 2019. Most said no. But then one said yes, and another, and another. Before long, 40 speakers were on the roster because they believed in what Jamie was building. Now, many return year after year.

“I find more joy in mothering because I know that we’re out there helping others,” Jamie said.
The summit’s impact is clear. After each event, Jamie’s inbox is flooded with notes from attendees, thanking her for creating a space where moms feel seen, heard, validated, and supported.

“I have people that watch every single video and they come back to me and say, ‘Thank you. I feel really alone in motherhood, and I know that I’m not alone after watching these. And I feel just a little inspired to keep going, like what I do is important,’” Jamie said.

Moms not only appreciate the summit, they need it. During the pandemic, moms reached out to Jamie directly and begged her to host the summit, saying, “This is the year we really need it.” Twenty-thousand moms registered to attend. 

How it’s going

Now in its sixth year, the summit’s mission is simple: moms helping moms. Jamie describes it as an event that gathers and empowers moms, bringing them together to find more strength, joy, and fulfillment in their lives.

This year’s theme, Summer Bootcamp: Systems to Keep Your Sanity, drew a crowd of more than 300 moms, with thousands more tuning in online. Twenty influential speakers shared stories, strategies, and wise words to help moms successfully navigate the often-challenging transition to summer break.
Topics included juggling mom guilt, increasing productivity, the importance of quality time and building family connections, and summer safety skills. The summit also featured a live Q&A, where members of the audience could ask the speakers for guidance and advice.

“I just love this because it’s a community of people who are supporting each other, going through this fight together, and we’re trying to raise these tiny humans to be good people in the world. What better way than to do it together?” said keynote speaker Shawn Johnson, an Olympic gold medalist and best-selling author who is parenting a toddler and 4-year-old alongside husband Andrew East.

Andrew, a former NFL player, described the summit as “building a collective archive of wisdom” where parents can learn from and lean on each other.

“It can be a pretty isolating experience, but it doesn’t have to be,” he said. “This is such a wonderful forum to open up the discussion.”
While each speaker’s story was unique, the underlying message was the same.

“Take time for yourself and be kind to yourself, and love yourself. Know that you have championing moms around you. We are all rooting for you, and we are all sending you all of our love and we are all in this together,” said keynote speaker Sheena Melwani, a musician, influencer, and mother of two.

During breaks in the action, moms swarmed the Kizik booth, eager to try on their first pair, learn more about our hands-free technology, and explore our line of kids’ shoes. Speakers were each gifted a pair, and attendees received a discount to upgrade their families’ footwear. Kizik also raffled off summit tickets and will contribute a pair of shoes to I Am Mom’s post-summit giveaway.

How to watch the summit

A full recording is available for 10 days after the summit, offered for free to those who missed it live. You can access the recording through July 11 by visiting the summit’s website to register.

“Moms have the most important job in the world: influencing the next generation,” Jaime explained. “It’s crazy that we’re handed our baby when we leave the hospital with no training.”

Jamie said her ultimate goal is for each mom to walk away from the summit knowing that she is enough—for herself, for her family, and for her kids.

“The kids you have are meant to be with you,” she said.