Events

Susan Aplin gets the day started off welcoming all attendees to the 15th Annual Women Spanning the Globe Leadership Conference.

SUSAN APLIN
Co-CEO
World Trade Center Institute

KELLY SCHULZ
Secretary of Commerce
Maryland Department of Commerce

LYNN MANTHY
SVP, Senior Relationship Manager
Wells Fargo

CNN news anchor Brooke Baldwin shared insights from her recent book, Huddle:  How Women Unlock Their Collective Power – an examination of this fascinating huddle phenomenon, periods of huddle ‘droughts” in America, ways that Black women have been huddling for centuries, the “secret sauce” that makes many things possible for women: success in the workplace, effective grassroots change, confidence in girlhood, and a better physical and mental health profile in adulthood.  

She shared her own personal journey of growing up in the South and climbing the ladder of a male-dominated industry. Like so many women in her field, she encountered many sharp elbows on her career path, but became an early believer in adding more seats to the table and huddling with other women for strength and solidarity. In the process of writing HUDDLE, Baldwin learned that this seemingly new phenomenon is actually something women have been doing for generations—a quiet, collective power she learns to unlock in her transformation from journalist to champion for women.

BROOKE BALDWIN
Veteran Journalist, Anchor, Author
CNN

MONICA MITCHELL
VP, Community Development
Wells Fargo

The American Dream continues to resonate with immigrants from around the world. Millions of people hope to come to the United States to build a better life for themselves and their families, often by creating and growing new ventures and companies. While not everyone succeeds, many do. Mei Xu is one of those successes. In Burn, entrepreneur and international businesswoman Mei Xu tells her story of ingenuity, determination, and luck. Spanning three decades, from 1991 when she arrived at Washington’s Dulles Airport, to today, Xu’s story is one of stunning success. She built a multi-million dollar company, met and counseled thousands of entrepreneurs and businesspeople, and even advised President of the United States Barack Obama on the topic of job creation. In this session, we heard Mei’s inspiring story, from the successes to the failures, how she navigated and lead, and the advisors who played a key a role. This was a true Masterclass.

MEI XU
CEO
YesSheMay

In this workshop, Iris shared ways in which business leaders and professionals can build strength and resilience when working under pressure. In the face of growing complexity and overwhelm, we all need to develop a new set of skills and capabilities to counter daily stress. And, with 30% of illness related to work stress, it is imperative that women understand this connection and develop methods for building and enhancing stress-resilience. 

Iris taught us how to use a mind-body mindfulness method that leads to greater resilience, well-being, better immune response, and job satisfaction. 

As one EVP of Salesforce said, “Mindfulness is a super-skill that brings out the best in people.” Also, Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic, noted, “The main business case for mindfulness is that if you are fully present on the job, you become more effective as a leader, you make better decisions and you will work better with other people.” 

IRIS NEWALU
Women’s Leadership Development Consultant, Executive Coach, Workshop Facilitator
 
SHEELA MURTHY
Founder & President
Murthy Law

The workplace: an ever changing, ever evolving aspect of our daily lives. After COVID hit, every office in every city was forced to pivot, and pivot fast. As employees shifted to total or partial remote work, we saw changes happening everywhere as a result. Parents were working at home with children, extroverts were forced to adapt to an isolated environment, employee engagement and productivity was brought to the forefront. Now more than ever, our work has a profound impact on our mental health and well-being. Research shows that almost 50% of women believe that work contributed to their mental health and wellness – positively or negatively. In the ongoing battle for work-life- balance, flexible hours and location can promote employee engagement, satisfaction, overall productivity, and enhanced talent acquisition. As companies across the world analyze the effects of a mostly remote work environment, what does this mean for the current and future workplace? How are companies shifting in the aftermath of COVID and how are employers prioritizing employee engagement and company culture? 

SUE ELIAS
Executive Director
Moveable Feast

JODY COSTA
VP, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships
Barcoding

JILL GREEN
Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Experience
Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to grow their roles and responsibilities more quickly than others?   Have you ever experienced frustration with communication you have had with your leader, where you just are not on the same page? For those of you who lead teams, have you considered what characteristics in your team members make them most valuable to you and the business, and what you can do to encourage those?  

In the session “Managing Up – The I’s Have It,” our experienced panelists explored five key elements to unlocking power and influence in the workplace and beyond. 

RACHEL KUTZ
VP, Consumer Supply Chain & Global Logistics
AT&T

DEENA GHAZARIAN
CEO, Founder & Managing Partner
Austere

JESSICA FINNEFROCK
Executive Director
MarginEdge

LIZ ROBINSON
Chief Operating Officer
VoiceComm

Financial wellness is built on a foundation of planning for your financial security, providing clarity and confidence to make the right decision today, tomorrow and years into the future. In this session, we gained insights on defining our tomorrow,

our retirement price tag, and manageable steps to take now to maintain your current lifestyle needs as well as to reach tomorrow’s goals.

LYNN MANTHY
SVP, Senior Relationship Manager
Wells Fargo
 
KATE BELDEN SCHOFF
Senior Financial Advisor, Managing Director
Wells Fargo

TRACEY GILLESPIE
SVP & Senior Business Transition Strategist
Wells Fargo