2023 Agenda

• Women Owned Business Marketplace: Support and learn about women-owned business organizations.
• Learning Stage: Attend mini masterclasses featuring bite-sized actionable takeaways on leadership, career advancement, or personal development. Full schedule will be available in our digital program book closer to the event. Space is limited and first-come, first-served.
• Career Services: Sign up to meet with a career coach 1:1, meet with recruiters, and to have your resume reviewed.
• Networking & Meet-Ups: Stop by the Career Connections Meet-Up area to participate in both structured and informal opportunities with peers, conference sponsors, and board members.
• Bookstore: Find books for purchase by authors speaking at the conference and participate in author book signings.

That’s a Good Question | Navigating Board Dynamics

Whether you are on the board for a local non-profit, corporate organization, the school committee or PTO, the role requires a unique set of skills to maximize your impact. Your fellow board members may have different agendas than you, more aggressive personalities and/or distinctive end-goals that make it challenging to contribute or advance the board’s goals. In this interactive session, based on our wildly popular Women Amplified podcast segment That’s a Good Question, the audience drives the conversation. Executive Mentors including senior professionals, community leaders and conference board veterans will offer insights for how to navigate the job skillfully, help your board succeed and learn how to secure a board position that leverages your background and expertise.

Moderator: Peggy Byrd, Chief Marketing Officer, The Boston Globe

Executive Mentors:

Speaker: Laurie Dalton White, Founding Executive Director and Strategic Advisor, Conferences for Women

Additional Executive Mentors to be announced.

That’s a Good Question | Managing Up

Relationships, productivity, accountability and consensus building are challenging to navigate in a hybrid workplace where interactions with managers are more limited. Now more than ever, the ability to manage up is key to increasing your influence.

In this interactive session, based on our wildly popular Women Amplified podcast segment That’s a Good Question, the audience drives the conversation. Executive Mentors including Conference board members, senior professionals and community leaders will respond to LIVE attendee questions offering insights and lessons learned for how you can increase your influence and propel your career to the next level.

Moderator: Shirley Leung, Columnist and Associate Editor, The Boston Globe

Executive Mentors to be announced.

That’s a Good Question | How to Soar in STEM

The STEM community has historically had a lack of visible mentors and role models for women. While that is slowly changing, more change is needed. In this interactive session, based on our wildly popular Women Amplified podcast segment That’s a Good Question, the audience drives the conversation. Executive Mentors including Conference board members, senior STEM professionals and community leaders will respond to LIVE attendee questions offering insights and lessons learned for how to navigate the male-dominated STEM field.

Moderator and Executive Mentors to be announced.

Essential Labor: What Caregivers Really Need from Workplaces

Domestic care and labor make all other work possible, yet workplaces have yet to find a solution to fully support caregivers. If “mothering” is among the only essential work humans do, why don’t we have a social safety net to support them? This session, designed for everyone – including and especially people who aren’t parents – will expand our understanding of what ‘mothering’ can and should look like. Acclaimed author Angela Garbes will explore assumptions about care, work and deservedness and offer strategies to help you imagine and achieve a more equitable and caring path forward.

Speaker: Angela Garbes, Author, Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change & Like a Mother

Brought to you by: MA Conference for Women and State Street

Cultivating Creativity and Collaboration in Workplace Culture

Many employees have spent the past few years in home office setups. And while studies show that short term productivity has not suffered, and in fact even gone up, creativity and collaboration have taken a hit. When leaders prioritize creativity and give their teams time and space for creative ideation, productivity, performance, and retention increase. In this interactive session, bestselling author Eve Rodsky will share actionable ways to build a culture of intentional creativity that allows teams to create time to tap into their unique expression, making it a must-have, and not an optional skill relegated to the bottom of to-do lists. Rediscover the art of collaboration and innovation to drive business results, create happy and fulfilled teams and help your employees get their mojo back.

Speaker: Eve Rodsky, Creative Leadership expert and New York Times best-selling Author, Find Your Unicorn Space

How to Advocate for Yourself and Others

The ability to advocate for yourself or others can be complicated, especially in the workplace. In this session, we will explore advocacy and what it takes to be a pioneer for change. After initial remarks, a panel of leaders on the frontlines will share their experiences and insights around diversity and belonging initiatives so you feel ready and confident to advocate for yourself and others.

Thought Leader: Carol Fulp, CEO, Fulp Diversity and Founding Board Member, MA Conference for Women

Panelists

Speaker: Kristy Lilas, VP, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, GoDaddy

Next Move, Best Move: A Strategic Approach to Lasting Career Decisions

Over the last several years, professionals have reprioritized what’s important to them and taken a different approach to their careers. Whether you are content at your current level, seeking advancement or looking to try something completely new, the process to figure out what’s right for you can be daunting. In this session, career expert Kimberly Brown will offer a framework to help you create a career strategy and determine what’s right for you short-and-long term. Learn how to regain control so you can take a strategic approach for making your next best move – even if that means you stay put.

Speaker: Kimberly Brown, Career & Leadership Expert and Author, Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning into a Career You’ll Love

Reclaim Your Time: A Tool to Revive Your Career

According to researcher and author Jenny Odell, the clock we live by was built for profit and converted into productivity, not people. An all work and no play mentality doesn’t just lead to burnout; it can consume your mental capacity and actually stall your career. This session will offer a cerebral exploration of productivity and offer a brand-new practical approach outside the typical narratives of efficiency for experiencing time. Odell will help you slow down and reset so you can better navigate boundaries, bolster a more humane life and free up mental space to reinvigorate your sense of purpose and ultimately your career.

Speaker: Jenny Odell, Writer, Artist & best-selling Author, Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock

Rebuilding Relationships in a Disconnected World

The loneliness epidemic has been on the rise for decades and the pandemic along with the continuation of remote work has further exacerbated the issue resulting in significant impacts on overall health and wellbeing. Now more than ever, people need socialization and spaces to foster relationships and find a sense of belonging. In this fireside chat, successful entrepreneur and co-founder of Soulcycle Julie Rice will explore the power of community and her latest phenomenon Peoplehood. With a mix of research and real-life experiences, you will learn ways to create new relational habits, exercise listening and empathy muscles and forge strong and meaningful connections to support your best physical and emotional wellbeing.

Moderator: Meghna Chakrabarti, WBUR

Speaker: Julie Rice, Co-founder, Peoplehood & Co-founder, SoulCycle

Session title and speaker to be announced.

Cultivating Creativity and Collaboration in Workplace Culture

Many employees have spent the past few years in home office setups. And while studies show that short term productivity has not suffered, and in fact even gone up, creativity and collaboration have taken a hit. When leaders prioritize creativity and give their teams time and space for creative ideation, productivity, performance, and retention increase. In this interactive session, bestselling author Eve Rodsky will share actionable ways to build a culture of intentional creativity that allows teams to create time to tap into their unique expression, making it a must-have, and not an optional skill relegated to the bottom of to-do lists. Rediscover the art of collaboration and innovation to drive business results, create happy and fulfilled teams and help your employees get their mojo back.

Speaker: Eve Rodsky, Creative Leadership expert and New York Times best-selling Author, Find Your Unicorn Space

Host: Laysha Ward, Executive Vice President and Chief External Engagement Officer, Target

Navigating Age in a Multigenerational Workplace

There are five different generations of employees in the workforce and for the first time in history, grandparents and grandchildren may find themselves working side-by side in an office. This session will explore the importance of and the ways to harness an age-diverse workforce. After initial remarks from the thought-leader, a panel of professionals will share their experience around navigating age in a multigenerational workplace. Learn tips to bridge the divide, address generational conflict and biases, and create a culture of inclusion where age is celebrated and respected.

Thought-Leader: Carolina Caro, Leadership & DEI Speaker, Coach, Consultant and Trainer

Panelists to be announced.

Next Move, Best Move: A Strategic Approach to Lasting Career Decisions

Over the last several years, professionals have reprioritized what’s important to them and taken a different approach to their careers. Whether you are content at your current level, seeking advancement or looking to try something completely new, the process to figure out what’s right for you can be daunting. In this session, career expert Kimberly Brown will offer a framework to help you create a career strategy and determine what’s right for you short-and-long term. Learn how to regain control so you can take a strategic approach for making your next best move – even if that means you stay put.

Speaker: Kimberly Brown, Career & Leadership Expert and Author, Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning into a Career You’ll Love

Reclaim Your Time: A Tool to Revive Your Career

According to researcher and author Jenny Odell, the clock we live by was built for profit and converted into productivity, not people. An all work and no play mentality doesn’t just lead to burnout; it can consume your mental capacity and actually stall your career. This session will offer a cerebral exploration of productivity and offer a brand-new practical approach outside the typical narratives of efficiency for experiencing time. Odell will help you slow down and reset so you can better navigate boundaries, bolster a more humane life and free up mental space to reinvigorate your sense of purpose and ultimately your career.

Speaker: Jenny Odell, Writer, Artist & best-selling Author, Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock

Rebuilding Relationships in a Disconnected World

The loneliness epidemic has been on the rise for decades and the pandemic along with the continuation of remote work has further exacerbated the issue resulting in significant impacts on overall health and wellbeing. Now more than ever, people need socialization and spaces to foster relationships and find a sense of belonging. In this fireside chat, successful entrepreneur and co-founder of Soulcycle Julie Rice will explore the power of community and her latest phenomenon Peoplehood. With a mix of research and real-life experiences, you will learn ways to create new relational habits, exercise listening and empathy muscles and forge strong and meaningful connections to support your best physical and emotional wellbeing.

Moderator: Meghna Chakrabarti, WBUR

Speaker: Julie Rice, Co-founder, Peoplehood & Co-founder, SoulCycle

Session title and speaker to be announced.

• Women Owned Business Marketplace: Support and learn about women-owned business organizations.
• Learning Stage: Attend mini masterclasses featuring bite-sized actionable takeaways on leadership, career advancement, or personal development. Full schedule will be available in our digital program book closer to the event. Space is limited and first-come, first-served.
• Career Services: Sign up to meet with a career coach 1:1, meet with recruiters, and to have your resume reviewed.
• Networking & Meet-Ups: Stop by the Career Connections Meet-Up area to participate in both structured and informal opportunities with peers, conference sponsors, and board members.
• Bookstore: Find books for purchase by authors speaking at the conference and participate in author book signings.