The first-ever metro women’s leadership summit was held in Newark Friday.

The summit featured visits from political leaders and entrepreneurs. Organizers say the purpose of the summit is to redefine what it means to “climb the ladder” to success.

“Why are we always trying to climb this ladder? What if we redefined it and make it our own ladder so we can climb it better and more successfully,” said Earlyne Alexander, who attended the summit.

The theme of the summit was “redefining the ladder” and featured a day of networking, business and politics. There were booths with women-owned businesses and books authored by women. There were also female political leaders and women who lead their industries.

The idea for the summit came from business owner Mary Baker, an accountant. She says that she saw a gap in the metro area.

“Whether you own a business, personal life, whatever you do in life, you ask for help. It just takes so much of a burden off of you and you never know if it will change someone else's life,” Baker said.

Organizers say that they hope that this was the first of many women’s summits. They say that they timing for the summit is right as more women come forward about harassment and discrimination.

“I just feel that if some of those women would have had another woman to lean on, some of their outcomes may have been different,” Baker said.

More than 400 women and men attended the summit. News 12 New Jersey’s Katie Kyros moderated a political activism panel with former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.