2024 Agenda
Thursday, Day 1
| Time | Event | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Registration & Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 AM | Opening and Welcome | ||
| 9:15 AM | Keynote Speaker: Heidi Sherick | ||
| 10:30 AM | Breakout Sessions | ||
| 11:30 AM | Lunch | ||
| 12:30 PM | Breakout Sessions | ||
| 1:45 PM | Breakout Sessions | ||
| 3:00 PM | Keynote Speaker: Jd Marhevko | ||
| 4:00 PM | Closing Day 1 | ||
Friday, Day 2
| Time | Event | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Registration & Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 AM | Opening and Welcome | ||
| 9:30 AM | Breakout Sessions | ||
| 10:45 AM | Breakout Sessions | ||
| 11:45 AM | Lunch | ||
| 12:45 PM | Breakout Sessions | ||
| 2:00 PM | Keynote Speakers: Toni Benner & Elizabeth Aikman | ||
| 3:00 PM | Conference Close - Experiential World Cafe | ||
Featured Keynote Speakers
Heidi Sherick
Jd Marhevko
Toni Benner and Elizabeth Aikman
Breakout Sessions
INCLUSION
The Origins of Identity
Presenter: Emily Morash
Founding Director, Hampton Morash, LLC
To effectively dive into the deep end of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility discussions, we must understand the roots of our own identities—where they come from and why we subscribe to them so fiercely—so that we are able to enter the conversations with an open mind.
This intensive workshop offers a non-judgmental, non-political space for courageous discussion and acknowledgement of our individual identities/beliefs and how they frame our world view, allowing us to explore our own and others’ implicit biases.
JOURNEY
The Art of Cultivating Your Best Self
Presenter: Millie Chu
CEO, Global Entrepreneurship Business Lab
Are you on the cusp of embarking upon an exhilarating new chapter in your professional journey, yet find yourself lingering at the threshold of transformation? Imagine, for a moment, living the life of profound fulfillment and success you’ve envisioned for yourself—so vividly within reach, yet seemingly elusive as you strive to bridge the gap between aspiration and reality.
In this empowering workshop, we delve into the art and science of transcending the invisible barriers that may be impeding your path.
JOURNEY
For the Love of Leadership: How Women Can Honor Their Leadership Journey to Harness Their Personal Power and Achieve Their Wildest Goals
Presenter: Susan Martin
CEO, Optimae LifeServices
Every women leader has their own unique journey that has gotten them to where they are today. As women we often minimize our journey and our experience and that prevents us from achieving the next level.
In this fun workshop Susan leads us through understanding our leadership history, how to identify the messages we carry from our historical experiences and how to leverage those experiences. Susan will explain how emotional reasoning, transgenerational effect and imposter phenomenon all keep women from honoring their experience and reaching their full potential.
JOURNEY
First Generation Professionals: How to Lead and Succeed without a Silver Spoon
Presenter: Maxime von Zeman
Director, Hospital and Clinic Activations, Stanford Health Care
In the complex tapestry of today’s professional world, the narrative of first-generation professional women—those who are the first in their families to carve paths in their professional sectors—embodies resilience, innovation, and a profound potential for leadership. This session aims to spotlight the distinct challenges and triumphs of these pioneering women, offering insights into how they navigate a terrain devoid of familial precedents, and how organizations can cultivate an environment where diversity of background fuels excellence and innovation.
Leveraging in-depth interviews and comprehensive surveys with first-generation professional women across a variety of industries, the presentation will explore the unique barriers they face, from confronting entrenched gender biases and breaking into tightly-knit professional networks, to mastering the unspoken codes of corporate culture. Crucially, we will celebrate the adaptive strategies these women employ and the resilience they demonstrate, showcasing how their journeys enrich their professional environments with fresh perspectives and robust problem-solving skills.
JOURNEY
The Brutifal Entrepeneur Journey
Presenter: Joanna LaFleur
CEO/Founder, Memory Lane Foundation
Joanna delves into the dichotomy of the entrepreneur’s journey, emphasizing its blend of brutality and beauty. Drawing from her personal experiences of launching two businesses and initiating a non-profit—all from scratch with just a modest investment and the power of Google—she’ll discuss the factors that fueled her perseverance. Join her as she reveals the inspirations that kept her going, along with some valuable tips and tricks for success, offering insights that can empower others on their entrepreneurial path.
BALANCE
Un-Pause Your Passion Project: Self-Motivation Tactics
Presenter: Natalie Bycraft
Founder and CEO, Multipassionite
Many of us have a side hustle, hobby, or project in mind. Something we’re passionate about starting up or getting back into. We say we’ll make time for it after work or in between all the chores that life demands of us. But even despite our best intentions, sometimes when we get home after a long day and the chores are finally taken care of, there simply isn’t any time or energy left to achieve our personal ambitions.
When overcoming barriers like these in order to accomplish the types of goals we set for ourselves, we need a different set of tactics than we would at our jobs. No boss means being in charge of ourselves to make progress. And no deadlines on achieving that goal or learning that skill makes it so easy to push it off. The ability to self-motivate is key!
WELLBEING
Managing Stress and Overcoming Burnout: How to Live with Intention and Purpose
Presenter: Cheya Thousand
Founder and CEO, CT Wellness Co.
When you feel overwhelmed or “burnt out” and in need of a reset, it can be hard to identify the best next steps to take to improve your situation. Join us in this session as we learn how to identify the signs of burnout, how to recover from feelings of overwhelm and how to prioritize self-care.
COLLABORATION
How to Network: Leading Yourself to Lead Others
Presenter: Klementina (Tina) Sula
Lecturer, University of Michigan Program in International and Comparative Studies
It’s not good enough to be good at what you do. You also have to be good at accessing opportunities that will enable you to do the work you do best and the work that is meaningful to you. That’s where networking comes in. Networking is the “how to” of leadership, enabling you to connect and build relationships with others who have the opportunities that you seek. And networking can happen anywhere.
Cultivating a networking mindset is a strategic advantage at work and in life. After all, life is a relationship business and the world is our work. Success in today’s complex, dynamic, and unpredictable world depends on our ability to cultivate, nurture and activate relationships—it depends on our ability to network.
COLLABORATION
Building a Robust Mentorship Network for Women
Presenter: Doris Augusta Tarawalie
President, World in Serbia and Serbia for Serbs Association
Our session focuses on harnessing collective strength to develop a robust mentorship network for women in Sierra Leone. Despite significant achievements by many women, the absence of strong mentorship support systems remains a critical challenge. Led by Doris and her team of accomplished women, our presentation will address the need for developing an ecosystem of support to help young women navigate the challenges they face.
Our session will explore the current landscape of women’s support, identifying persistent gaps despite NGO efforts. We’ll highlight mentorship’s importance in personal and professional development, showcasing its impact in domestic, professional, business and youth settings. Strategies proposed will foster growth through mentorship, ensuring young women access necessary resources and support.
COLLABORATION
Conversations Worth Having and SOAR Workshop
Presenter: Dr. Jackie Stavros
Author, Faculty, Keynote Speaker, Conversations Worth Having and Lawrence Technical University
In today’s dynamic organizational landscape, effective communication stands as a pivotal issue impacting teams, relationships, and overall success. Join us for an inspirational workshop designed to unlock the power of meaningful conversations and strategic thinking through the Conversations Worth Having and SOAR frameworks.
Our Conversations Worth Having program cultivates engagement, enthusiasm, and commitment, fostering high-performance teams and continuous learning. Participants will experience the benefits of routine feedback, creativity, and innovation, while promoting inclusivity, trust, and mutual respect—creating a culture of “we.”
The Learning to SOAR workshop offers a deep dive into the SOAR framework—Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results. This session empowers participants to identify internal strengths, seize external opportunities, clarify aspirations, and achieve specific results. Through interactive discussions and practical examples, attendees will gain the tools and mindset to approach strategy development with positivity and appreciation, driving sustainable growth and innovation within their organizations. Whether for business, personal development, or team dynamics, this workshop is a gateway to unleashing the full potential of the SOAR framework.
WORK
Empowering Leaders with Force Field Analysis for Change Management
Presenter: Shubha G. Kashyap, PhD
Director of Student Affairs & Faculty Relations, Nexus, College of Engineering, University of Michigan
Whether you are a leader, manager, or change agent, this session will empower you with the skills to identify and balance the forces that drive and resist change within your organization. Developed by Kurt Lewin, Force Field Analysis (FFA) is a proven method for analyzing driving and restraining forces that impact change initiatives.
Through a combination of insightful presentations, interactive exercises, and real-world case studies, you will learn how to effectively apply FFA to facilitate successful change. Please join us—transform your approach to change management and propel your organization forward!
WORK
MENTORSHIP PANEL: 6 Decades of Women in IT: Similarities and Differences
Moderator: Dr. Michelle Brooks
Professor of Business Management, Program Coordinator for Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies, Bowling Green State University
This panel is the story of two IT professionals moderated by a professor as the starting point for a conversation about opportunities and challenges for women in technology, past, present, and future.
The first story is about CG, a pioneer with a twenty-five-year corporate IT career that began in the mid ’60s from data processing to information systems, to knowledge management and collaborative technologies. She was hired as a computer programmer trainee at AT&T when only women were employed as programmers because the jobs were categorized in the same way as those of telephone operators. The supervisors were all men.
The second story is of Dr. EL, a woman working in IT in city government at the beginning of her career. Ebony shares her experience as the only woman in IT leadership. The session, moderated by professor Dr. Michelle Brodke, field–of IO Psych and Lean, surfaces stories, lived experiences, similarities, and differences over time for women in IT as well as the current interest in and impact of generative AI as the starting point for the conversation with the audience.
MHEALTHY WELLNESS INSTRUCTOR
Self-Care and Managing Stress: What You Need to Know to Thrive in Your World
| Main Ballroom | Arbor Room | Salon E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00am | Breakfast | 30-minute Yoga Ava Butzu | |
| 9:00am | Day 2 Welcome | ||
| 9:15am | Virtual Keynote Geralyn Ritter | ||
| 10:00am | Breakout Session 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Potential—Leadership Accelerator for Women Presenter: Julie Ulstrup | Breakout Session Resiliency is a Symptom of a Broken System: A Framework for Treating the Root Causes of Burnout Presenter: Maxime Von Zeman, Michaela Sullivan, Tiffany Morales | |
| 11:00am | Break | ||
| 11:15 | Breakout Session From Boss to Visionary: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential Presenter: Moni Gill | Breakout Session Women Supporting Women Presenter: Doris Augusta Tarawalie | |
| 11:45 | From Boss to Visionary: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential Continued | Breakout Session Creating Your Own Success Presenter: Kyona McGhee | |
| 12:15pm | Lunch | ||
| 1:15pm | Breakout Session Demonstrating Relevance Presenter: Jd Marhevko | Breakout Session Creating a Healthy, Balanced Life Through Values, Vulnerability, and Boundaries Presenter: Erin Bircher | |
| 2:15pm | Break | ||
| 2:30pm | Giveaway & Ice Breaker | ||
| 2:45pm | Keynote Egypt Otis | ||
| 3:45pm | Closing | ||