2021 Agenda

Beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET, the virtual Exhibit Hall will open with plenty of things to do. Space is limited for networking sessions, resume review, and career coaching, so sign up early!

In the Exhibit Hall, you can:

• Browse the virtual Exhibit Hall pavilions and booths
• Join a Learning Burst session (Learning Stage)
• Sign up to have your resume reviewed (Career Hub)
• Sign up to meet with a career coach (Career Hub)
• Meet one-on-one with recruiters (Career Hub)
• Browse the Conference bookstore (Lifestyle & Learning Hub)*
  *Plus, enjoy custom book readings and free shipping on speakers’ books!
• Support women-owned exhibitors (Women-Owned Business & Community Hub)

VIEW ALL EXHIBIT HALL OFFERINGS

In the Networking Lounge, you can:

• Sign up for a Facilitated Networking session
• Participate in a Peer Networking discussions & join us on LinkedIn

VIEW FACILITATED NETWORKING DISCUSSIONS

Master of Ceremonies: Celeste Headlee, award-winning journalist & author, Speaking of Race @celesteheadlee

Target Storytellers Presentation featuring Laysha Ward, EVP, chief external engagement officer, Target @target

Lisa Hellmann, SVP, global human resources & corporate communication, Hologic @hologic

Jay Shetty, award-winning podcaster, purpose coach and best-selling author, Think Like a Monk @jayshettyIW

Renee Connolly, chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer, supporting the businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Selma Blair, disability advocate and actress @selmablair
in conversation with Lisa Ling, executive producer & host, THIS IS LIFE on CNN @lisaling

Trust goes hand in hand with leadership. Trust is the bridge between the known and unknown. We are living in times of transition as the world continues to change by the second. This session will explore the different dimensions of trust (trust in our virtual teams, trust in our leaders, trust in ourselves and our organizations). Trust is a conduit for innovation and necessary to move forward and beyond 2020. Address how trust is shifting, the variables affecting perceptions, the impact and consequences of communication and the importance of transparency. How trust enables us to navigate uncertainty, place our faith in people and take leaps into the unknown.

Speaker:  Dr. Maya Shankar, global director, behavioral economics, Google

Host:  Veronica Lee, SVP, global head, accounting, product management, asset services, State Street Corporation @statestreet

Executive Spotlight:  Sangeeta Moorjani, head, tax exempt markets & retirement solutions, Fidelity Investments @fidelity

Women felt the impacts of 2020 hardest – especially working moms, reaping havoc on our ability to get things done and do it well. Being productive doesn’t mean doing it all. How can we work smarter and get more done by doing less? Traditional productivity books—written by men—barely touch the tangle of cultural pressures that women feel. This session will explore how to reframe productivity so that you can stop doing everything for everyone and start doing what matters. Learn how to identify where you want to excel, how to off-load, outsource, and finally how to just stop giving a damn about the rest. Leave with tools to create a tactical plan to reach short, mid and long-term goals so you accomplish what you want and feel successful.

Speaker:   Erin Falconer, editor-in-chief & co-owner, Pick the Brain and author, How to Get Sh*t Done @erinfalconer

Host:   Carole Huntsman, head, Sanofi Genzyme North America and US country lead @sanofius

Executive Spotlight:  Jennifer Schneiders, VP, laboratory diagnostic solutions, Hologic @hologic

We can’t ignore the damage and lasting impact the pandemic has had on women and people of color; many left the workforce (not by choice) with caregiving as a major cause. The pandemic didn’t create issues around inequity and imbalanced power—it exacerbated everything. If we don’t act now, we risk turning back the clock on progress in the workplace forever. Featuring one of the most iconic Olympians of all-time, Allyson Felix will talk about the obstacles and inequities she faced during her pregnancy, the actions she took to fight back to challenge a system made for and by men, and how she successfully changed the playing field for female athletes everywhere. Drawing on her experiences, we will explore ageism, discrimination against parents, maternity protections and pay equity. Leave armed with advice and inspiration to confidently advocate for yourself and ultimately help reshape a better and more equitable workplace so women can thrive.

Speaker:  Allyson Felix, legendary Olympic gold athlete, advocate for women’s rights and founder, Saysh @allysonfelix

Moderator:  Erica Williams Simon, president, SageHouse; founder, Snapchat’s Creators Lab; social Impact strategist & author @missewill

Host:  Khalil Smith, VP, inclusion, diversity, and engagement, Akamai Technologies @akamaicareers

Executive Spotlight:  Renee LaRoche-Morris, senior vice president, State Street Corporation @statestreet

One in four experience mental health issues every year and, in these strange and unsettling times, more of us than ever are struggling to cope. For journalist and mental health advocate Bryony Gordon, mental illness has been part of her life for decades having struggled with OCD, depression, anxiety and addiction. And while it led to some of her worst times … along her path to wellness, she realized that it also led to some of her most brilliant. Speaking candidly about her journey, she will offer a fresh perspective to help you vastly improve your mental well-being and determine when it’s time to meditate, medicate or seek counseling. Whether you’re feeling a little worried, anxious or blah or coping with a more serious mental health challenge, you will leave this session feeling stronger and a little less alone.

Speaker:  Bryony Gordon, award-winning journalist, mental health campaigner, & best-selling author, No Such Thing as Normal @bryonygordon (IG)

Host:  Lauren Gohde, head, organizational effectiveness, Phillips @phillipsna

Board Spotlight:  Gloria Cordes Larson, former president, Bentley University & board president, MA CFW @masswomen

We all know that excessive stress is a health hazard. What is less talked about are the effects of burnout on business performance. Stress makes people nearly three times as likely to leave their jobs, temporarily impairs strategic thinking, and lowers creative abilities. Burnout is a growing phenomenon in the workplace – leaders experience it as individuals and at same time responsible for teams feeling it. Being able to address and mitigate burnout is a critical new leadership skill as we navigate this new world of work for ourselves and our teams. Explore ways you can take care of yourself and also develop team cultures that inspire people to tap into their core resilience capabilities. Learn how to develop team norms; recognize and respond to burnout in your people; guard your team against the six person-job mismatches that lead to burnout and foster conditions for increased psychological safety.

Speaker:  Dr. Jacinta M. Jiménez, award-winning psychologist & author, The Burnout Fix @drjacinta

Host:  Kristin Longobardi, VP, R&D quality and strategic operations, Biogen @biogen

Executive Spotlight:  Jane Graham, GVP, relationship management, UKG @ukginc

Networking is often considered a necessary evil for all working professionals. With social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook at our disposal, reaching peers, investors, clients or employers is that much easier. Yet, these connections often feel transactional, agenda-driven, and dehumanizing, leaving professionals feeling burnt out and stressed out – even more so now as remote work limits our human interaction. In this session, serial connector and communications expert, Susan McPherson, will guide you through her 3-step “Gather, Ask, Do” methodology to help you uncover a new way to network and connect in a meaningful way. You will learn how to reclaim the power of human contact, and use technology as a tool versus a means to an end so that you build authentic relationships that last.

Speaker:  Susan McPherson, serial connector, founder and CEO, McPherson Strategies and author @susanmcp1

Host:  Kimberly Hyland, managing director, relationship management, MFS Investment Management @followmfs

Board Spotlight:  Alison Quirk, independent director, senior advisor & board member, MA CFW @masswomen

To give our fullest contribution, we must bring our full selves to work; however research shows many do not feel comfortable doing so. Instead, valuable energy and time is spent minimizing or managing aspects of our own diversity – of identity, background, experience – in order to succeed. Being the “only” is exhausting and women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and people with disabilities feel the burden. As a woman who came out at twenty-two years old, stage performer turned corporate professional Jennifer Brown struggled to find other openly gay professionals whom she could identify with in the leadership roles she aspired to fill. In this session we will explore her journey, what it means to feel like an “other” and the impact it has on individuals and the business – especially given the added complexities of a virtual workplace. You will learn actionable advice to help you feel confident in expressing yourself and welcoming others at the same time.

Speaker:  Jennifer Brown, diversity, inclusion, & workplace strategist @jenniferbrown

Host:  Montra Ellis, senior director, research & innovation, UKG @ukginc

Executive Spotlight:  Natalie Edwards, chief diversity officer, National Grid @nationalgridus

We’re all afraid after living in fear for over a year – subconsciously for many – scared to leave our homes, go to the market or see a friend in person. Fear isn’t new however. Before the pandemic we were afraid – scared to ask for what we want because we’re afraid of hearing “no.” Afraid of being different, of being too much or not enough. Afraid of leaving behind the known for the unknown. But in order to do the things that will truly, meaningfully change our lives – and actually start living again, we have to become professional troublemakers: people who are committed to not letting fear talk them out of the things they need to do; not to be fearless, but to know we are afraid and charge forward regardless. Learn how to live boldly in a new world in spite of all the reasons we have to cower.

Speaker:  Luvvie Ajayi Jones, New York Times best-selling author, podcast host, & digital strategist @luvvie

Host:  Megan Deal, AVPD, GM, HomeGoods distribution, TJX

Executive Spotlight:  Jennifer Farmer, VP, global diversity and inclusion, Thermo Fisher Scientific @thermofisher

Master of Ceremonies: Celeste Headlee, award-winning journalist & author, Speaking of Race @celesteheadlee

Gwen Murphy, VP, storytelling, Cisco Systems @cisco

Gloria Cordes Larson, former president, Bentley University & board president, MA CFW @masswomen

Kathy Horgan, EVP & CHRO, State Street Corporation and board member, MA CFW @statestreet

Pat Mitchell, editorial director, TEDWomen & former CEO, PBS @patmitchell

Stacey Abrams, founder, #1 New York Times best-selling author, & voter rights activist @staceyabrams

Regina King, Academy award-winning actress, director and activist @reginaking

Chloé Zhao, Academy award-winning director 

Most people don’t like change: they like things to stay the same. So it’s no surprise that the last 18+ months challenged leaders in unimaginable ways, forcing us to scramble to manage the accelerated shifts within the workplace. Were you able to thrive when the disruption of the Pandemic hit or were you struggling to survive? And more importantly when disruption strikes again (and we know it will) how do you want to show up? In this session, best-selling author and leadership expert Charlene Li will explore why it’s so important to look beyond the horizon and how to harness the strategic tools to think like a futurist.Sharing pragmatic advice you will learn how to rethink risk, create a long-term strategy for disruption and refine your leadership style to transform the culture of your team so that everyone is prepared to show up when disruption happens again… and thrive.

Speaker:  Charlene Li, expert, digital transformation & leadership, and New York Times best-selling author @charleneli

Host:  Devin Hood, sr. director, digital experience, Cisco @cisco

Executive Spotlight:  Vanessa Wolfeler, head, US respiratory & GI franchise, Sanofi Genzyme @sanofigenzyme

The dramatic changes in the world and the workplace, coupled with the added pressures of work-life balance have left women feeling vulnerable and looking for ways to stay relevant as they navigate the normal of now. In this session, future-of-work strategist Heather McGowan addresses the importance learning plays in our ability to stay marketable and thrive professionally. She will explore the role of upskilling and reskilling as a way for women to evolve and advance within a rapidly changing landscape. You’ll learn how to finesse or upgrade your soft and hard skills to remain indispensable, make a pivot, land a promotion and position yourself for success when the next inevitable disruption hits.

Speaker:  Heather McGowan, future of work strategist & 2017 Global LinkedIn Top Voice for Education @heathermcgowan

Host:  Adrienne Dawson, head, diversity, equity & inclusion, North America, supporting the businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, German

Executive Spotlight:  Elvie Gee, VP, DEI business advisor, Liberty Mutual Insurance @workatliberty

Growing up in majority-white schools, organizations, and churches, Austin Channing Brown “had to learn what it means to love blackness”. In this session she will share her personal journey to self-worth and explore the complexity of America’s social fabric–from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.

After her remarks, she will be joined in conversation to explore insights for navigating America’s racial divide, ways to practice genuine inclusion and why we must confront apathy. Together they will shed new light on racial justice and inequality while offering concrete actions to take with hope for a better future.

Speaker:  Austin Channing Brown, media producer, best-selling author, and racial justice advocate

Moderator:  Celeste Headlee, award-winning journalist & author, We Need To Talk, Do Nothing and Speaking of Race

Host:  Laysha Ward, EVP, chief external engagement officer, Target @target

Executive Spotlight:  Mariana McQuattie, SVP, grooming, North America, Gillette @gillettevenus

As we emerge from the challenges of the last 18+ months, there is an overriding feeling of hopelessness. And it’s not just the pandemic – the country is divided, racial injustice has reached a tipping point and mass shootings are on the rise. Grief has been experienced at tremendous levels. This session will acknowledge our heavy hearts, unpack various forms of grief that all hue-mxns experience and put into practice the 5 R’s of radical hope. Folx will leave feeling empowered in their journey to better show up for themselves and others.

Speaker:  Rachel Ricketts, racial justice activist, grief healer, & author, Do Better

Host:  Erica Faulkner, senior manager, NA business solutions, Johnson & Johnson @jnjnews

Executive Spotlight:  Uthra Sundaram, EVP, head, global product & launch strategy, Takeda @takeda

Join Massachusetts Conference for Women board members for live, small-group facilitated networking discussions to power your personal and professional growth. Designed to encourage effective dialogue, participation is limited and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Attendees can sign up for a networking session starting at 8:00 a.m. on December 2nd. Space is limited, so sign up early!

VIEW FACILITATED NETWORKING DISCUSSIONS

Join on-demand learning bursts – mini sessions intended to deliver insightful and digestible content – via the Learning Stage!

VIEW LEARNING BURSTS