The 2019 Conference Center

The 2019 Massachusetts Conference for Women was held December 12, 2019 in Boston, MA.

View the abridged print program (PDF)

READ KEYNOTE RECAPS

Malala Yousafzai

“I realize that when you speak out, people will target you, bully you, and harass you through social media. But the whole intention of those things is to silence you,” Nobel Peace Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai said. “If I stay silent, that means giving up on my cause and missing out on living a purposeful life, which is important to me. So, that is why I stick to my objectives and keep on fighting.” More.

Megan Rapinoe

“You are more impactful than you think,” the co-captain of the world’s greatest women’s soccer team and 2019 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the year said. Emphasizing the importance of connecting with other women, she added: “We need to gain power from each other’s stories and find those common threads. Often, if feels difficult, because we feel isolated. But take the expertise and power that other women have for yourself as a way to motivate you in your life.” More.

Tara Westover

“An educated person is not someone who can recite an army of facts and knows a lot, but [someone] who has nurtured an interest in other people and is curious to see things from another person’s perspective,” said Tara Westover, author of New York Times bestseller, Educated. More.

Simon Sinek

There are two kinds of games in life, leadership expert Simon Sinek said: finite games, like football; and infinite games, like most things—from business to personal relationships. To play well, there are five things you need to know. More.

Yara Shahidi

“I lean on networks,” said actress, activist, and Harvard student Yara Shahidi. “My family was the first to connect me to what it means to be socially engaged. My friends remind me I am not alone in the fight for a fair and equitable world. My mentors and peers are part of my personal infrastructure.” Networks, she said, help us “lift one another up regardless of personal outcome, and we all get to grow as a result.” More.

Amanda Southworth

“As far-fetched as it may seem right now, we can make the future that we want to see. We can be the better person. We can take responsibility,” said Amanda Southworth, creator of AnxietyHelper and founder of the software nonprofit Astra Labs. More.