Speakers

Thank you to our amazing 2016 speakers!

We are no longer accepting speaker proposals for 2017. Click here to learn more about speaking at the PA Conference for Women.

2017 speakers will be announced here as they are confirmed. 

Main Stage Speakers

Former First Lady Michelle Obama

FORMER FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. As a transformative First Lady, Mrs. Obama launch... Read Full Bio

Shawn Achor

SHAWN ACHOR is the New York Times best-selling author of The Happiness Advantage and Befo... Read Full Bio

Dr. Brené Brown

BRENÉ BROWN is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate Co... Read Full Bio

Carla Harris

CARLA HARRIS is a vice chairman, wealth management, managing director and senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley.  She is responsible for... Read Full Bio

Special Guest Speakers

Sandra Leung

SANDRA LEUNG is the executive vice president and general counsel with Bristol-Myers Squibb. She serves as legal advisor to the board of direct... Read Full Bio

Breakout Session Speakers

Anna Akbari

ANNA AKBARI, PhD is a sociologist, entrepreneur, and writer. She is the founder of Sociology of Style, an image and life coaching company, and ... Read Full Bio

Patrice Banks

PATRICE BANKS is a former auto airhead and founder of Girls Auto Clinic (GAC). She’s taking on the automotive industry with her inspiring and... Read Full Bio

Lisa Bodell

LISA BODELL is an award-winning author and CEO of futurethink. As a futurist and expert on the topic of change, she serves as a globa... Read Full Bio

Janet Crawford

JANET CRAWFORD is CEO of Cascadance, a Bay Area-based firm supporting leaders in building brain-friendly organizations. A female scientist... Read Full Bio

Tiffany Dufu

TIFFANY DUFU is chief leadership officer of Levo and launch team member to Lean In. She was named in the Huffington Post as one ... Read Full Bio

Teresa Ghilarducci

TERESA GHILARDUCCI is an expert on retirement, pensions and personal savings. She is the Bernard L. and Irene Schwartz chair in economic policy... Read Full Bio

Amy Cooper Hakim

AMY COOPER HAKIM, Ph.D. is an industrial-organizational psychology practitioner and workplace expert. She is a speaker, author, and the executi... Read Full Bio

Jeffery Tobias Halter

JEFFERY TOBIAS HALTER is a gender strategist and the President of YWomen, a strategic consulting company focused on engaging men in women’s l... Read Full Bio

Nydia Han

NYDIA HAN is the 6abc consumer reporter, and co-anchor of Action News Sunday mornings. Prior to joining Action News in October of 2002, Han pro... Read Full Bio

Marian L. Heard

MARIAN L. HEARD is the president and CEO of Oxen Hill Partners, a Boston-based company specializing in leadership development programs and bran... Read Full Bio

MJ Hegar

MARY JENNINGS “MJ” HEGAR is a Purple Heart recipient, and the second women ever to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross with the Valor De... Read Full Bio

Mellody Hobson

MELLODY HOBSON is president of Ariel Investments. Headquartered in Chicago, the firm offers six no-load mutual funds for individual investors a... Read Full Bio

Kelly Hoey

KELLY HOEY is the author of Build Your Dream Network (January 2017 / Tarcher Perigee). She has been lauded from Forbes as “... Read Full Bio

Grace Killelea

GRACE KILLELEA is the CEO and founder of the GKC Group, a leadership development firm based in Philadelphia. A veteran of the telecommunication... Read Full Bio

Michelle King

MICHELLE KING is a leading global expert in gender and organizations. She is a keynote speaker, researcher, writer and advocate. She has signif... Read Full Bio

Jessica Lahey

JESSICA LAHEY is a teacher, writer, and mom. She writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Atlantic, Vermont Public... Read Full Bio

Stephanie Kaplan Lewis

STEPHANIE KAPLAN LEWIS co-founded Her Campus in 2009 as an undergrad at Harvard University. She has grown Her Campus to over 70 million mo... Read Full Bio

Julie Lythcott-Haims

JULIE LYTHCOTT-HAIMS is the author of the New York Times best-selling book How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting ... Read Full Bio

Carol Lee Mitchell

CAROL LEE MITCHELL is senior vice president, group head of U.S. markets leading the Bank of America Enterprise globally. In this role, she lead... Read Full Bio

Robyn Moreno

ROBYN MORENO is the editorial director of Latina magazine and Latina.com; the largest media property aimed at acculturated Latinas in ... Read Full Bio

Loraine Ballard Morrill

LORAINE BALLARD MORRILL is currently news director and community affairs director for iHeartMedia’s six Philadelphia stations. They are ... Read Full Bio

Jennifer Mueller

JENNIFER MUELLER earned her PhD in social and developmental psychology at Brandeis University, and has been on the faculty of many top business... Read Full Bio

Jamila Payne

JAMILA PAYNE brings a new twist on personal development to busy professionals. Forget what you thought you knew about having it all. Payne has ... Read Full Bio

Esther Perel

ESTHER PEREL is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and provocative voices on personal and professional relationships. A celebrated ... Read Full Bio

Christine Porath

CHRISTINE PORATH is a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Prior to that, she taught at Marshall School of B... Read Full Bio

Ashley Primis

ASHLEY PRIMIS is the executive editor of Philadelphia magazine. She joined the magazine in 2005 as managing editor and has also been l... Read Full Bio

Colleen Rooney

COLLEEN ROONEY is vice president of global communications with QVC. She joined QVC in August 2015. She is responsible for advancing internal co... Read Full Bio

Joyce E. A. Russell

JOYCE E. A. RUSSELL was named The Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business (VSB) in 2016. The dean serves as the ch... Read Full Bio

Ruth Sherman

RUTH SHERMAN works with global CEOs, international celebrities, and public figures looking to have a greater impact in their personal, public c... Read Full Bio

Ann Shoket

ANN SHOKET is the author of THE BIG LIFE:  Embrace the Mess, Work Your Side Hustle, Find a Monumental Relationship, and Become the Bad... Read Full Bio

Emily Esfahani Smith

EMILY ESFAHANI SMITH is the author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters (Crown). In her book, articles, and... Read Full Bio

Lisa Stone

LISA STONE is a board director, movement-builder and founder who creates scale movements with technology, story-telling and consumer aspiration... Read Full Bio

Lisa Skeete Tatum

LISA SKEETE TATUM is founder and CEO of Landit, a technology platform created to increase the success and engagement of women in the workplace,... Read Full Bio

Celeste Warren

CELESTE WARREN is vice president, human resources and Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence with Merck. In this dual role, she ha... Read Full Bio

Caroline Webb

CAROLINE WEBB is CEO of Sevenshift, a firm that shows people how to use insights from behavioral science to improve their working life. Her boo... Read Full Bio