2018 Agenda

Once you’re through security, you’ll pick up a conference goodie bag that includes a printed program and a lanyard with badge holder (among other things).

To save time, cut out your badge when you print it so you can pop it into the holder and go! 

• Women-Owned Business Marketplace
• Bookstore featuring Author Signings and Meet & Greets
• Complimentary Resume Review & Career Coaching
• Community Connection Pavilion
• Health & Wellness Pavilion and Classroom
• Small Business & Tech Roundtables
• Free Headshot Opportunities

Take advantage of free one-on-one “speed coaching” sessions and/or get help perfecting your resume from 7:30 am – 5:00 pm (excluding keynote sessions). Learn more. To sign up, just join the standby line in the Career Pavilion

10:00 am– 11:00: What Can an MBA Do for You? Hear from Women Who Earned Theirs

A panel of MBA alumnae will talk about why they made the decision to earn an MBA, how their MBA led them to the next level, the gender-related challenges they’ve faced while moving up in their careers, finding work-life balance while adding a graduate degree program, and more.

Panelists:

⚬ Karimah S. Bell Lynum, associate director, clinical project scientist, neuroscience, Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.
⚬ Brittany Jean-Baptiste, manager, customer experience and assurance, Comcast Cable
⚬ Colleen Yurkanin, senior innovation specialist, Vanguard Innovation Studio

Moderator: Carmita Champ, director, graduate student services, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business

11:30 am – 12:30 pm: #BossTalk: Networking Up

BossTalk: Networking UpIn the dictionary, work comes before worth. You have to put in the work to increase your net worth. Learn strategies such as identifying the right people and events to engage with, to overcome fears about networking and begin to develop a professional network that helps you level-up your career.

Speaker: Raquel Arredondo, associate director, outreach, engagement and professional development, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business

12: 30 pm – 1:00 pm: Shine Bright: Set Yourself Apart (YWT)

This interactive session will help you navigate your school life and your professional life with insights on how to distinguish yourself from other candidates when applying to college, jobs, and even volunteer opportunities. Learn tips and techniques that will help you shine bright like a diamond and stand out from the crowd. This session will cover:

·         Identifying what makes you uniquely qualified

·         Building your confidence and taking the big leap

·         Developing your brand

Speakers:

Lori Miceli, assistant director, graduate student services, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business

Noor Jemy, program manager, graduate student services, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business

3: 00 pm – 4:00 Women in Leadership

In this session, we will discuss strategies to identify a mentor or sponsor, as well as how to position yourself as an ideal mentee.

Panelists:

⚬ Anastasia Bottos, COO and chief strategy officer, My Alarm Center
⚬ Tamara Lashchyk, author, Lose the Gum
⚬ Gail Onorato, apparel industry executive

Moderator: Raquel Arredondo, associate director, outreach, engagement and professional development, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business

4: 00 pm 4:45 pm: Best Practices in Resume Writing

Your resume is your most important piece of professional collateral, so it’s important to make sure it’s a great representation of your value proposition. Use these best practices to get your resume past the applicant tracking system and make sure it stands out for all of the right reasons.

Speaker: Lisa DeLuca, director, undergraduate career services, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business

At the Luncheon Keynote session, refer to your printed badge for your table assignment.

LEADERSHIP: Designed for a seasoned or aspiring leader looking to climb the ladder and shatter the glass ceiling
Session I: 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Are you tired of waiting for C-level directives to address the equity and diversity gaps in your organization? Don’t sit around and wait! Be a pioneer and create the change you want. Using best practices and lessons learned from first-hand experiences, this panel of experts will share expert advice on gender partnership and diversity initiatives. Get ready to leave this session armed with knowledge, actionable tips, and the motivation to make change in your organization.

Thought Leader: Michelle Duguid, professor of management, Cornell University  

Panelists: 
⚬ Carol Fulp, author, Success through Diversity
⚬ David Gonzales, head, global diversity and inclusion, Bristol Myers Squibb
                                                        

CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Designed for the mid/senior level professional with significant experience looking for advice around professional skills and job advancement.
Session I: 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Whether you are at a mid-career inflection point, wanting to advance professionally, or returning from a child-rearing hiatus, uncertainty about your path may cause you to feel stuck. Career planning isn’t easy, and this session can give you the nudge you need to approach a career transition with confidence. Join this panel of experts to identify opportunities, better market yourself, and develop the skill- expanding and relationship building steps to get where you want to go.  This session will inspire you to challenge your status quo, get unstuck and pivot into your next role.

Thought Leader: Wendy Sachs,  author of Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot and Relaunch Their Careers

Panelists:
⚬ Raquel Arredondo, assistant director, Graduate Career Services, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business
⚬ Bonnie Marcus, former CEO, Servicemaster and author, The Politics of Promotion
⚬ Gwen Wunderlich, CEO and founder, Wunderlich Kaplan Communications and co-founder, The Enternship

CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Designed for the mid/senior level professional with significant experience looking for advice around professional skills and job advancement
Session I: 10:00 – 11:00 am

Managing up is one of the most valuable soft skills you can develop in your career. It’s about building a relationship that fosters more communication, collaboration, and understanding between people at different levels of power, perspectives, and skills. Mastering these skills will help you build your reputation for effectiveness and grow a successful career. Leadership consultant Mary Abbajay and a panel of experts will share actionable tips to:

• Understand your manager’s work and behavioral style and adjust yours accordingly
• Enhance your self-awareness and become more adaptable
• Read body language better
• Develop true, lasting connections

Thought Leader: Mary Abbajay, author, Managing Up

Panelists: 
⚬ Lorenzo Claridy, head, inclusion & diversity, U.S., GlaxoSmithKline
⚬ Amy Gallo, author, HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict
⚬ Alison Green, author, Ask a Manager

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS: Designed for Millennials and newer professionals entering or re-entering the workforce
Session I: 10:00 – 11:00 am

The #MeToo movement is accomplishing what the laws created to prevent sexual harassment didn’t do. Sexual harassment is finally being taken seriously and numerous companies are working to put an end to it. While this massive movement is a welcome shift for women, it is also changing the landscape for many.  What are the consequences of this movement? How should it be discussed in the workplace? Are men less willing to mentor women out of fear? Do female entrepreneurs and potential job recruits have less opportunity because men are avoiding engaging with women? Come listen to this panel of experts discuss the ins and outs of a new workplace with a heightened awareness surrounding about harassment.

Thought Leader: Grace E. Speights, partner, Morgan Lewis

Panelists:
⚬ Michael Chamberlain, VP, global events & men advocating real change, Catalyst

Emcee: Kathy Lentini, PECO

TRANSITIONS: Offering expertise for maneuvering career and life transitions
Session I: 10:00 – 11:00 am

People tend to come up with their own perceptions about who you are, what you’re good at—and, quite likely, what you’re not good at. They “brand” you in their own minds. But why let others define your reputation? Join this session to explore how to brand or rebrand yourself. These branding experts will teach you how to re-assess your brand –in person and online—and adjust your communication to attract high-profile projects, solidifying your reputation as a leader.

Thought Leader: Catherine Kaputa, founder, Selfbrand

Panelists:
⚬ Kailei Carr, branding expert and CEO, The Asbury Group

Emcee:  Jennifer Shockley, SVP, director of marketing and creative services, Beneficial

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace
Session I: 10:00 – 11:00 am

Talent and luck play a big part on your road to success, but what role does grit and perseverance play? When Dr. Jen Welter joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, she was the first woman to ever break the glass sideline of the NFL and became a trailblazer in the ultimate boys’ club. In this session, Dr. Welter will provide specifics as to how she succeeded despite the odds, through force of will and determination, and reveal the wisdom she gained over countless setbacks and challenges.  With vivid wit and candor, she will share her hard-earned advice for cultivating true perseverance and toughness so that you can get big things done.

Speaker:  Dr. Jen Welter, first female NFL coach and author, Play Big

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace
Session I: 10:00 – 11:00 am

Are you overwhelmed by busyness? The quest to earn more, produce more, and be more can complicate the simpler, more intentional lives we desire. Author Courtney Carver knows first-hand about the consequences of a busy life, which compromised her relationships and eventually threatened her health. In this workshop, the author of Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More will share how to stop getting caught up in the rush and to discover the power of simplicity. She shares how conscious minimalism can improve health, build more meaningful relationships, and relieve stress in our lives. You will learn how to get rid of excess and create more with less—more space, more time, and even more love.

Speaker: Courtney Carver, blogger, creator of Project 333, & author, Soulful Simplicity

YOUNG WOMEN’S PROGRAM: Designed for high school junior and senior girls
Session I: 10:00 – 11:00 am

We all have blind spots or biases about people from other cultures, religions, and genders. These hidden biases influence the friends we choose, the organizations we join—and can influence our careers. Recognizing and braving our own blind-spots is challenging enough, but how do we ensure others are assessing us in a fair and accurate way? Whether negative or positive, these stereotypes influence others’ behavior towards us.  Join this panel of leaders to learn how they overcame broad generalizations about who they were to accomplish their lofty goals.

Thought Leader: Tiffany Jana, author, Overcoming Bias

Panelists:
⚬ Alexa Curtis, founder, Life in the Fast Lane and Media Impact and Navigation for Teens (MINT)
⚬ Zaniya Lewis, ED, YesSheCanCampaign

Author lineup coming soon!

LEADERSHIP: Designed for a seasoned or aspiring leader looking to climb the ladder and shatter the glass ceiling
Session II: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Some people’s careers take off, while others’ take longer — or even stall out.  Common wisdom says that the former attend elite MBA programs, land high-powered jobs right out of school at prestigious firms, and climb the ladder straight to the top, carefully avoiding risky moves. But the CEO Genome Project overturned these myths and shows a completely different picture.  This 10-year study, in which more than 17,000 C-suite executives were assessed to analyze who gets to the top and how, revealed more counterintuitive choices that set apart successful CEOs. This session will share the four key behaviors of these success stories and the three types of career catapults that anyone can undertake. Join Shoma Chatterjee, one of the principals of this study, and this panel of executives to learn how to:

• Fast-track your career by deploying the career catapults used by those who get to the top quickly
• Overcome the hidden handicaps to getting the job we want.
• Avoid the 5 hazards that most commonly derail those promoted into a new role.

Thought Leader: Shoma Chatterjee, principal, ghSMART & Company

Panelists:  

⚬ Joanne Ryder, EVP, Chief Administration Officer, Beneficial Bank
⚬ Dr. Jen Welter, first female NFL coach and author, Play Big
⚬ Cindy Whitehead, founder & CEO, The Pink Ceiling

Emcee: Reshema Kemps-Polanco, VP, sales and marketing, solid tumors, Janssen Oncology, Johnson & Johnson

CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Designed for the mid/senior level professional with significant experience looking for advice around professional skills and job advancement
Session II: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Whether climbing the corporate ladder, or striking out on your own as an entrepreneur, the very skills and habits that made you successful early on could actually be holding you back as you advance to the next stage of your working life. Leadership guru Sally Helgesen will identify the specific behaviors that may keep women from realizing their full potential, no matter the stage of their career. A panel of senior executive will share why certain strategies worked for them in the past, or didn’t get them where they want to go in the future — and how to finally shed those behaviors so you can advance to the next level.

Thought Leader:  Sally Helgesen, author, How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion or Job

Panelists:
⚬ Dani Rylan, founder, National Women’s Hockey League and Fast Company “Most Creative People in Business 2016”
⚬ Fran Hauser, author, The Myth of the Nice Girl
⚬ Karen Etzkorn, CIO, Qurate Retail Group

Emcee: Stephanie L. Pindyck-Costantino, partner, Pepper Hamilton

CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Designed for the mid/senior level professional with significant experience looking for advice around professional skills and job advancement
Session II: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Ego-driven behaviors are the #1 source of drama in workplaces today, generating huge amounts of emotional waste. Some people thrive on the drama and toxicity. But for most of us, it is an unwanted distraction.  How do we eliminate the big egos and frenzy from our organizations? In this session, leadership expert Cy Wakeman will show you how to ditch the drama so you can be responsible for your own success and learn to love you job again, no matter your level at an organization.She will provide you offer the tips and tools for cultivating accountability so you can help drive results and restore sanity to the workplace.

Thought Leader: Cy Wakeman, president and founder, Reality Based Leadership and best-selling author

       Emcee: Amy Hamilton, PECO

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace
Session II: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

We love our kids, but do we love our role as parents? Many parents crave a greater sense of happiness in their daily lives. KJ Dell’Antonia, the former lead editor of the New York Times Motherlode blog, decided to dig deep to find out if we could change our family life so that it is full of the joy we’d always hoped for. In this session, she will share the nine common problem spots that cause parents the most grief, and offer doable steps to make them better. Whether it’s getting everyone out the door on time in the morning, or making sure chores and homework get done without another battle, this session will show that having a family isn’t just about raising great kids and churning them out at destination: success. It’s about experiencing joy–real joy, the kind you look back on, look forward to, and live for – along the way.

Speaker: KJ Dell’Antonia,  columnist and contributing editor, the New York Times and author, How to Be a Happier Parent

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS: Designed for Millennials and newer professionals entering or re-entering the workforce
Session II: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Faced with pivotal and thought- provoking moments in their careers, college friends Hana Schank and Elizabeth Wallace came back together decades post-graduation to embark on a project about women, ambition, transition, crisis and achievement. This workshop will share their rich insights, findings and first-hand experiences about the changing meaning of ambition. Drawing on their project,The Ambition Interviews,  they will offer insights into the variables that push women to make big decisions, and offer tools to help emerging professionals make those decisions easier.  For a new generation of working women or anyone at a crossroads, this session will explore the impact of modern parenting, a 24/7 work culture, and sexism in the workplace so that those big decisions become a little easier to make.

Speakers:  Hana Schank & Elizabeth Wallace, co-authors, The Ambition Decisions

TRANSITIONS: Offering expertise for maneuvering career and life transitions
Session II: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Women are the majority of today’s college graduates, but less than a quarter make it past middle management. And we are being paid 80% of what men make. Now is the time to change this staggering reality. Whether you’re interviewing for a new job or want a raise in a current one, this panel of experts will discuss how to prepare, best ways to present yourself, and what to say when you’re getting pushback during a negotiation. Leave this session with the courage to get paid what you deserve.

Thought Leader: Claire Wasserman, founder, Ladies Get Paid

Panelists: 
⚬ Alison Green, author, Ask a Manager
⚬ Selena Rezvani, VP, Be Leaderly and author, Pushback 
⚬ Joyce Russell, PhD, dean, Villanova School of Business

Emcee: Ande Frazier, CEO, Leap Systems and VP, distribution, Penn Mutual

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace
Session II: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Personal finance may seem dreadful, but it doesn’t have to be. By having a better understanding of how your finances work, you’ll “get” money and leave out the stress and intimidation. In this session, personal finance expert Kristin Wong will show you how to get more money in your pocket without letting it rule your life. She will share how to build a budget that actually works and how to:

• Super-charging a debt payoff plan
• Strategically hack your credit score
• Side-hustle to speed up your money goals
• Start a lazy investment portfolio

Speaker: Kristin Wong, personal finance and career journalist

YOUNG WOMEN’S PROGRAM: Designed for high school junior and senior girls
Session II: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

History has proven that nothing gets accomplished unless someone speaks up. But being the person who speaks up can be hard. In this session, Swarthmore College president Valerie Smith will provide real-world examples from her own experience of speaking up, and offer an arsenal of strategies for effective communication on topics of high importance today.  She will then be joined by the founders of “Ladies OUT LOUD” who will share the tips and tools to help you speak up. You will leave the session with the skillset to start a career of “getting loud” so that nothing stands in your way.

Speakers: 

Valerie Smith, president, Swarthmore College

Dena Blizzard, comedian and founder, Ladies OUT LOUD

Author lineup coming soon!

Speaker lineup coming soon!

LEADERSHIP: Designed for a seasoned or aspiring leader looking to climb the ladder and shatter the glass ceiling
Session III: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Why do some careers take off while others stall? Common wisdom says that successful people attended elite an MBA program, landed high-powered jobs right out of school, and climbed the ladder straight to the top. But the CEO Genome Project shattered these myths. This 10-year study of more than 17,000 C-suite revealed some surprising choices that set successful CEO apart. Join this session to learn the four key behaviors of successful CEOs—and three moves that can catapult your career. Emily Sheeren, one of the principals of this study, and a panel of executives will share how to:

• Fast-track your career by deploying career catapults
• Overcome hidden handicaps to getting the job you want.
• Avoid common hazards that can derail people promoted into a new role.

Thought Leader:  Shoma Chatterjee, principal, ghSMART & Company

Panelists:
⚬ Denice Hasty, CMO, Comcast Business
⚬ Valerie Smith, president, Swarthmore College

Emcee:  Colleen Prichett, Dupont

CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Designed for the mid/senior level professional with significant experience looking for advice around professional skills and job advancement
Session III: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Even in 2018, we continue to grapple with the negative perception of women’s “niceness” in the business world. If women are nice, they are seen as weak and ineffective. But if they are tough, they are labeled some other things This is the perfect session for those trying to navigate the complexity of relationships at work while staying kind and respectful of others. Explore how women can reclaim “nice” and sidestep regressive stereotypes about what a strong leader looks like.  Sharing her time-tested strategies, Fran Hauser will prove that women don’t have to sacrifice their values or hide their authentic personalities to be successful. Join her to explore how to:

• Balance being empathetic and decisive
• Ask for what you want without feeling badly
• Become a boss who is respected, not feared
• Lead with kindness, empathy, and strength

Speaker: Fran Hauser, media executive, startup investor, and author, The Myth of the Nice Girl

Emcee: Denise Allen Williams, lead, global competitive intelligence, corporate development, Merck

CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Designed for the mid/senior level professional with significant experience looking for advice around professional skills and job advancement
Session III: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Ego-driven behaviors are the #1 source of drama in workplaces today, generating huge amounts of emotional waste. Some people thrive on the drama and toxicity. But for most of us, it is an unwanted distraction.  How do we eliminate the big egos and frenzy from our organizations? In this session, leadership expert Cy Wakeman will show you how to ditch the drama so you can be responsible for your own success and learn to love you job again, no matter your level at an organization. She will provide you offer the tips and tools for cultivating accountability so you can help drive results and restore sanity to the workplace.

Speaker: Cy Wakeman, president and founder, Reality Based Leadership and best-selling author

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS: Designed for Millennials and newer professionals entering or re-entering the workforce
Session III: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Your innovative idea could solve problems, create new paradigms, lead to breakthroughs, and possibly even change the world. What’s holding you back?  This panel of experts, led by serial entrepreneur Nathalie Molina Nino, will explore how you can unlock your boundless potential to create and innovate. You will learn how to clarify your vision, design for scalability, and take a few helpful shortcuts to navigate the obstacles that have kept that audacious idea of yours from becoming a reality.

Thought Leader:  Nathalie Molina Nino, CEO, Brava Investments and author, Leap Frog: 50 Hacks for Women Entrepreneurs

Panelists:
⚬ Nisa Amoils, venture partner, Scout Ventures
⚬ Danielle Kayembe, female futurist and social entrepreneur
⚬ Sally Susman, EVP, Corporate Affairs, Pfizer

Emcee: Colleen Rooney, VP, communications & community, Qurate Retail Group

TRANSITIONS: Offering expertise for maneuvering career and life transitions
Session III: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Women are the majority of today’s college graduates, but less than a quarter make it past middle management. And we are being paid 80% of what men make. Now is the time to change this staggering reality. Whether you’re interviewing for a new job or want a raise in a current one, this panel of experts will discuss how to prepare, best ways to present yourself, and what to say when you’re getting pushback during a negotiation. Leave this session with the courage to get paid what you deserve.

Thought Leader: Claire Wasserman, founder, Ladies Get Paid

Panelists:
⚬ Amy Gallo, author, HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict

⚬ Kristin Wong, personal finance and career journalist

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace
Session III: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

For most of us, a life with more time to do what you want and less stress would be optimal. But, making intentional, purposeful choices to create a life with more clarity and ease when you feel so harried is challenging. Whether you are on a quest to earn and produce more and feel overwhelmed by busyness, a new parent returning to work and trying to manage the balance, or just looking for more time-saving tips, this session will help you un-complicate to try and achieve the simpler, more intentional lives we desire. Join this panel of experts to learn:

• How to boycott busy, get rid of excess, and create more with less—more space, more time, and less stress
• How to establish sanity back into your life with practical tips for managing the mental, emotional, and physical challenges of returning to work as a new parent
• Practical tips for finding more time in your day

Thought Leader: Carrie Bucci, founder, Mixtape Talent

Panelists: 
⚬ Courtney Carver, author, Soulful Simplicity
⚬ KJ Dell’Antonia, columnist and contributing editor, the New York Times and author, How to Be a Happier Parent
⚬ Lauren Smith Brody, author, the Fifth Trimester 

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace
Session III: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Feeling “hormonal” is not usually seen as a positive thing, even though it is entirely natural. But Martie Haselton, the world’s leading researcher on sexuality, argues that there is great value to be had in better understanding the hidden intelligence of hormones. In this session, she will clearly explain the biological processes that profoundly influence our behavior and offer a radical new understanding of our bodies, minds, and relationships. Once we embrace hormonal cycles as adaptive solutions to genuine biological challenges, we can stop letting these changes bring us down and use this information to make better-informed choices. Plan to leave less fearful of hormonal shifts and armed with a new appreciation for how hormones can empower you to succeed.

Speaker: Martie Haselton, professor, UCLA and author, Hormonal: The Hidden Intelligence of Hormone

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace
Session III: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Worry. Fear. Doubt. It can stifle a dream, hinder a relationship, or bring your life and career to a halt. But while we often think fear is a challenge to overcome, what if instead it’s an ally on the path to unlocking our full potential? Author, speaker, and artist Amber Rae urges us to “choose wonder” as we embrace discomfort, and shares with us a unique approach for understanding the hidden meaning in our emotions: by dialoguing with them. Join Amber Rae as she guides you to reframe your relationship to emotions like anxiety, fear, stress, imposter syndrome, and envy so you can be the best you in life and work.

Speaker: Amber Rae, Choose Wonder Over Worry

Emcee: Valerie Biberaj, director, Kate Spade New York Foundation

Do you know in your gut what your finances “should be,” but are frustrated that the numbers from the bookkeeper never match up with your expectations? Entrepreneurs almost always have a better grasp on their finances than they think they do. Join this roundtable to learn the specific actions that you can take to control your finances (instead of letting your finances control you). You will learn that finance can even be fun when it’s translated into entrepreneur-speak instead of accounting-Greek.

Speaker: Pam Prior, author, radio host, and CPA

Employment-related issues often plague entrepreneurs and start-ups. Join the session to learn the tools to effectively navigate nuanced employment law issues and ensure successful employee-relations—before you even hire your first employee. Led by experienced employment attorney Teleicia Dambreville, this roundtable will dispel myths about employee relations matters and help entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes as they build their business and workforce. While this roundtable discussion is not meant to replace the services of a qualified attorney, participants will walk away with a greater awareness of sound employment policies to adopt to minimize liability, establish workplace norms to create the desired company culture, and avoid expensive litigation.

Speaker: Teleicia Dambreville, labor & employment lawyer, Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney

Surviving and thriving as an entrepreneur, freelancer, or startup requires strong financial management skills, but getting there can feel stressful and overwhelming, especially when your income is variable. Join independent financial expert Galia Gichon for an introduction to a painless, step-by-step plan for taking control of your personal finances. You will learn about setting goals, creating a spending plan that works, and establishing habits–like investing and retirement planning–that lead to financial health.

Speaker: Galia Gichon, financial expert, Down to Earth Financial

The ability to effectively communicate your business’s story is crucial to your long-term success and should be approached with a clear messaging strategy in mind. But many small and medium-sized businesses avoid doing it, or worse, miss their mark. Attendees of this lively discussion with award-winning branding and communications strategist Shakira M. Brown, aka “The Small Biz Whisperer,” can expect to leave with an understanding of who they are as a business, who they want to be, and how they want to be perceived—the primary elements needed to clarify their messages to compel people to listen.

Speaker: Shakira M. Brown, managing principal and CEO, SMB Strategic Media

Snapchat. Instagram. Twitter. Facebook. Thinking about creative strategies to reach your audience via social media can be overwhelming, but the answer might already be in your pocket. 5 Shorts creator S.L. Sawyer assists aspiring filmmakers with creating short films, and in this roundtable discussion, she will share her tips and tricks for turning your smartphone into a marketing machine by creating videos for social media.

Speaker:  S.L. Sawyer, creator, 5 Shorts

Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, consumers are looking to fellow consumers more and more to inform their purchasing decisions. Savvy brands can now connect more directly and organically with their customers through thoughtful influencer marketing. Come learn about this growing technique, including affiliate, social, and peer-to-peer marketing, and how you can get influencers to help your products take off.

Speaker: Tara Siegel, senior director, marketing, Pepperjam

There is more to LinkedIn than just resume building and job-seeking. The platform has become a hotbed for lead generation and social acquisition marketing. Whether you are a small business owner, entrepreneur, or an aspiring influencer, join this roundtable discussion to learn how to create content for LinkedIn that maximizes customer acquisition on a budget.

Speaker: Bianca Jackson, LinkedIn marketing specialist, Jax Digital

Internet search engines can lead potential customers and clients to your website—or lead them astray. To make sure that your website is reaching its true potential audience, focus on search engine optimization. In this roundtable discussion, you will discover ways to maximize your website content, boost your site rankings, use tags, and ensure that your page doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

Speaker: Maria Novak, president, Maria L. Novak Marketing Solutions & Business Development

Building a strong brand on social media means not just producing irresistible content but also connecting authentically with your audience. While there is no sure recipe for being the biggest thing on the Internet, comedian Dena Blizzard shares what she’s learned from building her online brand “One Funny Mother.” Join this roundtable to learn best practices for building a community on social media, creating content that people remember, and trying new things (because even “dumb” ideas can be great ideas!).

Speaker:  Dena Blizzard, comedian and founder, Ladies OUT LOUD

More than 112 million Americans have listened to podcasts over the past decade, with 67 million listening to podcasts at least monthly. That’s a lot of potential listeners to reach with your unique voice and perspective. Join this roundtable discussion with podcast host and award-winning public relations consultant Dana Dobson to learn how you can take advantage of the podcast zeitgeist, including finding your niche, learning the technology, preparing to launch, building your audience, and keeping your content fresh and timely.

Speaker: Dana Dobson, public relations consultant and host, Media Pro Spotlight Podcast

Marketing automation tools can help you send the right message to the right people at the right time–without having to remember each one yourself. Join this roundtable discussion to learn how you can stay connected to your audience, streamline your email processes, and win back lapsed customers through automated emails. You will walk away with new tools to customize, test, and repeat your emails on a variety of email platforms.

Speaker: Marsha Pearson, owner, Market Your Socks Off

Author lineup coming soon!

Author lineup coming soon!

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