2024 National Virtual Agenda

There’s plenty to do before the first keynote session begins at 11:00am ET.

• Fine-tune your profile. (pro tip: add a photo!)
• Search for other attendees by various profile categories & lay out your networking plan for the day.
• Stop by the Cisco Networking Lounge to connect with us on LinkedIn, check out the Regional MeetUp, or contribute to a Group Chat.
• Explore the Interactive Hall.
• Plan which breakout sessions you’d like to attend by browsing the agenda.
• Click on the playlist link in the lobby to get the groove started!

NOTE: The Help Desk will be open from 9:30am – 5:30pm ET on March 14th. Stop by to view helpful videos, or chat live with a CFW team member.

Emcee: Celeste Headlee, Host, Women Amplified podcast, award-winning Journalist & Author, Speaking of Race

Board Welcome: Tamara Fields, Austin Office Managing Director, South Market Unit COO, Accenture & Board President, TX Conference for Women,  Gloria Cordes Larson, Former President, Bentley University and Board President, MA Conference for Women, Leslie Stiles, Board President, PA Conference for Women, Hillary Weingast, VP, Deputy General Counsel & Head, Corporate Social Responsibility, Juniper Networks, Inc. and  Board President, CA Conference for Women

Introduction: Laysha Ward, Strategic Advisor, Target

Speaker: Michelle Zauner, Musician, Japanese Breakfast; Author, Crying in H Mart in conversation with Nora McInerny, best-selling Author, Creator & Host, Terrible Thanks for Asking and It’s Going to Be OK podcasts

Introduction:  Melanie Foley, EVP and Chief Purpose and DEI Officer and MA Conference for Women Board Member

Speaker: Carla Harris, Senior Client Advisor, Morgan Stanley

Power Leaks: Communicating Effectively to Create Impact & Influence

There is an art and science to influential communication and it starts with the voice. Yet, very few know how to use the power of voice effectively. Worse, we have many unconscious habits that undermine our authority and negatively impact the way we are perceived – ultimately getting in the way of our success. Join this session to explore the biggest communication power leaks that siphon away our impact and influence. You will learn the strategies to navigate common communication challenges so that you can establish trust, have your voice heard, and your ideas respected. Walk away with the skills to better advocate, influence and move people to action.

Speaker: Hillary Wicht, Executive Leadership Coach & Human Systems Expert

Host: Linda West, VP, Marketing Systems, Indeed 

Executive Spotlight: Doreen Burse, SVP, Worldwide Sales, United Airlines

Tapping into Your Inner Genius to Progress Your Career

Many of us feel stuck in our career trajectory after three years of change and uncertainty. But, what if the key to progressing your career is already inside you: Your Inner Genius. In this session, you will learn how to tap into the part of you responsible for breakthrough ideas, innovative problem-solving, and your highest quality work. By identifying your competence areas, your motivators and where you slide into strength overload, you will learn how to produce your best work, where you want to grow and how best to get there. 

Speaker: Liz Tran, Founder, Reset & Author, The Karma of Success: Spiritual Strategies to Free Your Inner Genius

Host:  Donnetta Hagist, Google

Executive Spotlight: Aleta Howell, Director, Global DEI Talent Strategy, Cisco Systems

Reclaim Your Time: A Tool to Revive Your Life

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 at work and in life.

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

Host: Marissa Humphrey, CFO, PECO

Executive Spotlight: Marissa Humphrey, CFO, PECO

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 imagine and achieve a more equitable and caring path forward.

Speaker: Angela Garbes, National best-selling Author, Essential Labor

Host: Alba Kiihl, Managing Director, Head, Compliance Risk Testing, State Street Corporation

Executive Spotlight: Ann Fogarty, EVP & Head, Global Diversity, State Street Corporation

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.

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

Host: Crysta Dungee, Head, US DEI, Takeda Pharmaceuticals 

Executive Spotlight: Evonne Delaney, CHRO, Yeti

Fixed Flexibility: How to Negotiate What You Need to Stay

The workplace has evolved over the last several years, and employee priorities have shifted dramatically as well. Beyond compensation, professionals are placing tremendous value on flexibility, quality of life and career growth – and they are willing to walk away if their needs are not met. This session will offer negotiation strategies that leverage your skills and strengths to secure what you need to stay. Learn actionable steps that allow you to emerge in the strongest position possible.

Speaker: Meg Myers Morgan, PhD, Author & Executive Coach

Host: Madeyline Brown, VP, North America Channel Inside Sales, Dell Technologies & TX Conference for Women Board Member 

Transform & Glow: Mastering the Art of Self-Healing

In the current, frenetic climate, self-care is more essential than ever, but few of us have the tool kit necessary to nurture ourselves. Stripped of her job and grappling with resurfaced traumas during the pandemic, Tara Schuster faced a reckoning that led to radical self-healing. Sharing her time-tested strategies, Tara will address the root causes of anxiety and how to navigate through trauma to move beyond feeling emotionally drained and directionless and find a purpose greater than yourself. This workshop offers access to the self-care superpowers needed to reclaim your authentic self and reignite your inner light. Prepare to be empowered and come ready to glow!

Speaker: Tara Schuster, best-selling Author, Former VP, Client Development, Comedy Central

Host: Kajal Gupta, Small Business Strategy & Initiatives Executive, Bank of America 

Speaking Up Impactfully…Without Risking Your Reputation

Have you been in a meeting and disagreed with a colleague but stayed silent? Have you personally experienced or been a bystander to disparaging comments? The ability to speak up can be complicated, especially in the workplace. Yet your silence can have lasting negative impacts on your ability to drive positive change for yourself and others. In this session, inclusion strategist and bestselling author Amber Cabral will offer a mix of communications tactics that arm you with the skills and language to speak up impactfully and with confidence. Walk away with the tools to advocate effectively, gain respect in the workplace and accelerate your career.

Speaker: Amber Cabral, Founder, Cabral Co, Inclusion Strategist and Author, Say More About That

Host: Marian Heard, President & CEO, Oxen Hill Partners and Board Vice Chair, MA Conference for Women

Emcee: Celeste Headlee, Host, Women Amplified podcast, award-winning Journalist & Author, Speaking of Race

Introduction: Dr. Shanika Hope, Education for Social Impact Director, Google

Speaker: Kristen Kish, Chef & Partner, Arlo Grey, Host, Bravo’s Top Chef, Producer & Author

Introduction: Greg Meyers, Executive Vice President, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Bristol Myers Squibb

Speaker: Margaret Atwood, two-time Booker Prize-winning Author of over 50 books, including The Handmaid’s Tale in conversation with Radhika Jones, Editor-in-Chief, Vanity Fair

Introduction: Yvette Hollingsworth Clark, EVP & Chief Compliance Officer, State Street Corporation

Speaker: America Ferrera, Emmy, Golden Globe & SAG award-winning Actress, Director, Producer in conversation with  Ellen McGirt, Editor-in-chief, Design Observer

Remarks: Krista Berger, SVP, Marketing, Barbie and Dolls

Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives

The way we work has changed and the expectation now from our team members is for more flexible work. As a result, successful leaders are redesigning every aspect of how work gets done to ensure a level playing field for all employees. In this session, Helen Kupp will offer a blueprint for using flexible work to unlock the potential of your people and outline the steps necessary to build the new principles and guardrails to empower flexible, high-performing teams. Attendees will learn how to utilize AI to create flexibility without overburdening teams and walk away with a better understanding of the outcomes for redesigning the way we work together for truly flexible and productive teamwork.

Speaker: Helen Kupp, Author, How The Future Works

Host: Michelle Janisch, VP, Diagnostics, Marketing & Strategic Alliances, Hologic

Executive Spotlight: Nasim Afsar, Chief Health Officer & SVP, Oracle

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

Host: Iva Morse, Head, Global Strategic Accounts & Services, US Country Speaker, the US Businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Executive Spotlight: Melissa Nicholas, Global Diversity Recruiting, Oracle

Fair Play at Home: Creating Time for Your Personal & Professional Growth

In today’s fast-paced world, creating time for yourself is essential to living a fulfilling life and Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play Method offers a game-changing approach to creating that time. Join us as Rodsky applies a system to redistribute household responsibilities in a way that promotes equity, efficiency, and teamwork that will free up your mental space and time. Learn to set boundaries and discover strategies for effective communication and collaboration that will reduce stress and enable you to achieve your personal growth goals while maintaining a rich inner life.

Speaker: Eve Rodsky, New York Times best-selling Author & Creative Leadership Expert

Host: Iman Abbasi, CHRO, PLUME

Executive Spotlight:  Jean English, SVP, CMO, Juniper

Strengthening Social Connection, Community, And Collaboration… And Why It Matters

The need for connection is fundamentally human and underlies everything—our health, our motivation, our work, and our sense of who we are. And yet, we are in the middle of a loneliness epidemic and our communities are disconnected. In this session, Dr. Marisa Franco will share insights into the science of connection and why belonging makes individuals and communities more resilient. She will share skills and hands-on tips for initiating and maintaining collaboration, community, and friendship.

Speaker: Dr. Marisa Franco, Psychologist, Professor & New York Times best-selling Author, Platonic

Host: Stacey Furtado, Sr. Director, Internal Communications, Klaviyo

Executive Spotlight: Katie Mazuk, VP, Patient Experience & Customer Solutions, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

This “walk & talk” experience is a brand new offering! Using an interactive map, you can place yourself around a virtual outdoor lounge area. Move around and join other conversations to share the best of what you learned from the day.

This session type utilizes your audio to speak and hear from others who you’re in close proximity with on the map.

Join us for these scheduled, interactive networking opportunities. Led by an expert moderator from the International Coaching Federation, you’ll be guided through a series of prompts where everyone has the chance to share and walk away with new insights, perspectives and peer connections.

Choose from one of the below groups.

General
Health/Life Sciences
Financial Services
Technology
Non-Profit/Education

• Learning Stage | brought to you by Google: Watch on-demand mini masterclasses featuring bite-sized actionable takeaways on leadership, career advancement, or personal development. All Learning Bursts are available through the on-demand period. Session listing here.

• Bookstore | brought to you by Liberty Mutual: Purchase discounted books by Conference Authors, and watch featured author readings – recorded just for us!
• Career Services: Sign up to meet with a career coach 1:1, meet with recruiters, and to have your resume reviewed. This is an incredible offering included in the price of your ticket. Sign up early – spots are limited and fill quickly!

• Women-Owned Business Hub | brought to you by Bank of America: Explore and shop Women-Owned businesses from each of our four Conference markets.
• Interactive Photo Mosaic | take a selfie and add your personality! Choose backgrounds, banners and icons to share with other attendees, and see the mosaic magic happen.
• Also explore other Conference for Women curated booths designed to provide all of the content & insights that we have to offer – right at your digital fingertips!

Thank you to Cisco for being our premier Networking partner for this event. Check out all of the offerings available to you from anywhere in the virtual platform.

• Session Chats

• Profile Search

• Peer Video & Text Chats