This just in! We are excited to announce our opening Keynote Speaker for the 2021 Women|Future Conference; Sandy Carter, Vice President of Public Sector Partners and Programs, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

We have some truly incredible speakers this year who are leading the industry in everything from Finance to Influencer Marketing, Social Media, Lead Generation, and Public Relations, but in today's blog, we highlight our anticipated Opening Keynote Speaker, Sandy Carter of Amazon Web Services.

To say that Sandy is a woman who wears many hats would be an understatement. Sandy has earned dozens of impressive accolades for her work spanning from Cloud Computing to thought leadership, to her positive influence on girls in technology. Sandy's responsibilities at AWS include evolving partner models to intensify partner innovation, AWS cloud adoption, and the creation of mission-critical cloud solutions with partners across the public sector. In addition to driving next-generation partnering at AWS, Sandy has also been a Founder and CEO of a startup, and in her last role at IBM, she ran the Cloud and AI/ML Ecosystem on behalf of the IBM corporation.

Sandy is the Chairman of the Board of Girls in Tech, Chairwoman for WIoTCoE, and an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley. As if that wasn't enough, Sandy is also the author of the book, Extreme Innovation: Three Superpowers for Purpose and Profit. 

• Federal 100 Award Winner
• 2020 Stevie Award Winner for Woman of the Year – Technology
• Women in Tech: Top 50 Influencers
• CRN Women of the Channel 2021 Power 100
• 2021 Cloud Girls Rising Inaugural Visionary Award
• Top 50 Influencers
• Top 150 Global Cloud Thought Leaders and Next Generation Leaders of 2021
• Top 40 Cloud Computing Influencers on Twitter
• Top 50 Digital Influencers
• Awards Magazine Top 50 Women of Influence
• Top 15 IoT Premier League
• Lifetime Achievement Winner, 'Excellence in Cloud Achievement'
• AI Innovator Nominee of the Year
• Top 10 AI Influencers 2019
• Verdicts ten of the most influential people in artificial intelligence on Twitter during Q4 2020
• Top 10 Cloud Computing Influencer
  
  

Our closing Keynote Speaker will be announced later this month.

What to Expect at the 2021 Women|Future Conference

Hundreds of ambitious women business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives from around the world will be tuning in to the fourth annual Women|Future Conference November 1-5, 2021. The Women|Future Conference is a professional and personal development, learning, networking, and mentorship conference hosted by The Stevie® Awards.

The five-day agenda features over 40 sessions, interactive workshops, and a motivational keynote. Topics range from mental health to financial wellness, lead generation, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, and workplace diversity. The 140+ Speakers at this year's conference are a diverse mix of women from global organizations such as Facebook, IBM, Infosys Limited, John Hancock, Pinterest, Quartz, Ralph Lauren, Salesforce, SAP North America, Talkspace, and others. Below is a partial list of conference panels, sessions, and workshops:

• Entrepreneurship – Success Stories Fireside Chat
• How to Blend Strategy and Storytelling to Grow Your Company
• Marketing Tactics to Future Proof Your Business & Your Career
• Networking Tips & Tricks: Learn How to Become Memorable and Build Authentic Relationships
• Personal Development Training: Abundance 360 - Creating Your Best Life Ever
• Real Life First Impressions: Rethinking How To Do Business
• The Future of Work - Preparing for the Changing Business Landscape
• The Truth Bombs on Work-Life Balance to Avoid Burnout for Busy Women
• Top Secrets from World-Class Speakers on How to Use Presentations to Grow Your Business
• Why Diverse Teams Drive Better Outcomes
• The Smart Women's Guide to Financial Success

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Attendees save 10% when groups of three or more individuals register together. Students may attend the Women|Future Conference for a discounted rate of $49 (with proof of a valid current student ID).

👍Get Social With the Women|Future Conference 

Instagram 

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Questions about the Conference?

Conference Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities

Ruslana Milikhiker, Conference & Event Manager

Ruslana@stevieawards.com

Conference Marketing and PR 

Nina Moore, Marketing Manager

Nina@stevieawards.com

All women-owned businesses founded in November 2018 or later are invited to enter the 2021 Women|Future Conference Business Pitch Competition for a chance to win funding! 💸 For the second year in a row, the Women|Future Conference is hosting this 'Shark Tank' style pitch competition for female business owners and entrepreneurs.

If you are a female founder navigating the startup phase of your business, looking for funding, or simply seeking exposure presenting in front of hundreds of women professionals around the world, consider entering the Pitch Competition. The deadline to enter is September 24. 

The Pitch Competition is funded entirely through the generosity of our sponsors. If your organization is interested in sponsoring, email Ruslana@stevieawards.com or visit our Sponsorship and Advertising Page to request information. We love working with organizations that are aligned with our mission of supporting women in business!

*A monetary prize will be sent in the form of a check to the first, second, and third place winners. The amount of prize money will be determined by the Women|Future Conference Pitch Competition Sponsorship money raised.

Our 2nd annual Pitch Competition will be hosted by Quinn Conyers, a Speaking Strategist for Entrepreneurs, Emcee, and Pitch Competition Host. Quinn has over 16 years of virtual and in-person speaking, event hosting, and training experience. Quinn is the author of 2 books, and made it to the second round of Shark Tank auditions four times! She's been featured on the Entrepreneurs Elevator Pitch TV show as well Essence, Black Enterprise, Vision and Purpose, and Empowering Women to Speak Out Magazines.

What to Expect at the 2021 Women|Future Conference

Hundreds of ambitious women business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives from around the world will be tuning in to the fourth annual Women|Future Conference November 1-5, 2021. The Women|Future Conference is a professional and personal development, learning, networking, and mentorship conference hosted by The Stevie® Awards.

The five-day agenda features over 40 sessions, interactive workshops, and a motivational keynote. Topics range from mental health to financial wellness, lead generation, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, and workplace diversity. The 110+ Speakers at this year's conference are a diverse mix of women from global organizations such as Facebook, IBM, Infosys Limited, John Hancock, Pinterest, Quartz, Ralph Lauren, Salesforce, SAP North America, Talkspace, and others. Below is a partial list of conference panels, sessions, and workshops:

• Entrepreneurship – Success Stories Fireside Chat
• Financial Planning -The Smart Women's Guide to Financial Success
• How to Blend Strategy and Storytelling to Grow Your Company
• How to Deliver a Presentation that Stands Out: On and Off the Screen
• Marketing Tactics to Future Proof Your Business & Your Career
• Networking Tips & Tricks: Learn How to Become Memorable and Build Authentic Relationships
• Personal Development Training: Abundance 360 - Creating Your Best Life Ever
• Real Life First Impressions: Rethinking How To Do Business
• The Future of Work - Preparing for the Changing Business Landscape
• The Truth Bombs on Work-Life Balance to Avoid Burnout for Busy Women
• Why Diverse Teams Drive Better Outcomes

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Attendees save 10% when groups of three or more individuals register together. Students may attend the Women|Future Conference for a discounted rate of $49 (with proof of a valid current student ID).

👍Get Social With the Women|Future Conference 

Instagram 

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Questions about the Conference?

Conference Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities

Ruslana Milikhiker, Conference & Event Manager

Ruslana@stevieawards.com

Conference Marketing and PR 

Nina Moore, Marketing Manager

Nina@stevieawards.com

Eva Mattheeussen ist Head of Human Resources bei DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) Middle East & Africa, einer Region mit über 1.900 Mitarbeitern, und Global Project Lead von "Women at DHL Global Forwarding", einer Organisation mit über 38.000 Mitarbeitern.

Bei den Stevie Awards for Women in Business 2020 wurde DHL mit vier goldenen Stevie Awards ausgezeichnet. Einer der Awards zeichnete Eva Mattheeussen als Female Executive of the Year aus. 

Eva Mattheeussen nimmt nichts im Leben als selbstverständlich hin, besonders die dauerhaften Beziehungen zu den Menschen, die ihr lieb und teuer sind. Mattheeussen, die von klein auf von Pflegeeltern in Antwerpen, Belgien, aufgezogen wurde, hat immer die schönen Erinnerungen und die engen Bindungen geschätzt, die sie im Laufe der Jahre mit ihrer Familie, Freunden und Kolleg:innen aufgebaut hat.

In ihren 15 Jahren im Unternehmen war sie an der Spitze mehrerer Teams. Ihre jüngste Verantwortung als Global Project Lead for Women bei DGF zeigt ihr Engagement für Diversity & Inclusion und Employee Engagement.

Eva Mattheeussen hat maßgeblich dazu beigetragen, Vielfalt, Inklusion und Gender auf ein neues Level zu bringen, indem sie das Sponsoring des DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) Vorstands erhalten und Frauen bei DGF in die DGF-Prioritäten 2020 und die Strategie 2025 aufgenommen hat.

DGF bringt Menschen aus den unterschiedlichsten Gesellschaften und kulturellen Hintergründen zusammen – alle mit unterschiedlichen Fähigkeiten, Erfahrungen und Ansichten. 46 Prozent der Belegschaft sind Frauen unterschiedlichen Alters und Herkunft.

Seit 2019 hat Eva Mattheeussen als Global Project Lead of Women bei DHL Global Forwarding  die Aufmerksamkeit des Managements auf das Thema Gender und die Notwendigkeit gelenkt, den Wert von D&I-Initiativen im gesamten Unternehmen zu nutzen und sie strategisch in die Arbeitsplatzkultur und -praktiken zu integrieren.

Wir freuen uns, dass Eva Mattheeussen bereit war, und einige Fragen zu Ihrem Gewinn bei den Stevie Awards for Women in Business zu beantworten:

Wie hat sich Ihr Erfolg bei den Stevie Awards for Women in Business auf Ihr Unternehmen und/oder Ihre Mitarbeiter:innen ausgewirkt?

Die Förderung von talentierten Frauen in unserem Unternehmen ist ein Schwerpunkt für uns alle bei Deutsche Post DHL und DHL Global Forwarding. Unser Ziel ist es, mehr Frauen in Führungspositionen zu bringen, und unsere Initiative 'Women at DHL Global Forwarding' ist der Hauptantrieb dafür. Vielfalt, Inklusion und Zugehörigkeit sind Teil der Kernwerte unseres Unternehmens, und wir freuen uns darauf, weiterhin einen großartigen Arbeitsplatz zu schaffen, an dem jeder willkommen ist.

Diese Auszeichnungen sind etwas ganz Besonderes, weil sie unsere Mitarbeiter zusammenbringen, um Diversity & Inclusion zu feiern, aber auch, weil sie uns helfen, DHL Global Forwarding nach außen hin als den bevorzugten Arbeitgeber und die richtige Spedition für Frauen zu positionieren.

Der Bewerbungsprozess war auch deshalb sehr wertvoll für uns, weil wir nach der Auswahl ein Feedback von der Jury erhalten haben, das wir genutzt haben, um die Arbeitsbereiche von 'Women at DHL Global Forwarding' zu bewerten und die Auswirkungen des Projekts für 2021 zu planen.

Was würden Sie zukünftigen Teilnehmer:innen der Stevie Awards empfehlen?

Die Stevie® Awards sind die weltweit wichtigsten Wirtschaftsauszeichnungen. Kleine Unternehmen haben also genauso gute Chancen, einen Stevie zu gewinnen wie große Unternehmen wie DHL. Wir haben uns für die Teilnahme an den Stevie Awards for Women in Business entschieden, da Diversity & Inclusion ein Teil unserer Geschäftsprofis ist und wir unser Projekt 'Women at DHL Global Forwarding' vorstellen und Feedback von der Jury erhalten wollten, um unsere Pläne und Auswirkungen zu verbessern.

Der Gewinn der Stevie Awards for Women in Business in den vier Kategorien gab uns eine großartige Plattform, um unsere Karrieren nach außen zu tragen und unser Unternehmen weiterhin als Top-Arbeitgeber zu positionieren.

Möchten Sie auch an den Stevie Awards for Women in Business teilnehmen? Dann reichen Sie noch bis zum 25. August 2021 Ihre Nominierungen ein!

This just in—the 2021 Women|Future Conference agenda has launched with an incredible lineup of speakers leading thought-provoking conversations for the ambitious, career-driven woman. The Women|Future Conference will be held virtually over five days, with 40+ sessions, panels, and interactive workshops led by inspiring female leaders around the world.

The fourth annual Women|Future Conference celebrates women in business, professional and personal development, and progress. Attendees will explore a variety of topics including mental health and financial wellness, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, and preparing for the changing business landscape. With panel discussions, invaluable networking opportunities, and a woman-owned business pitch competition, this is an event you won't want to miss!

Kicking off the conference on Monday, November 1 at 11:00 am EST will be the opening keynote about the future of work for women (speaker coming soon!) followed by breakout sessions and workshops, starting with "The Truth Bombs on Work-Life Balance to Avoid Burnout for Busy Women" at 11:45 am. Other sessions on day one are "Women Leading in a Male-Dominated Industry" and "Financial Planning- The Smart Women's Guide to Financial Success." The full agenda can be viewed here. The 100+ speakers at this year's conference are a diverse mix of female CEOs, Founders, Entrepreneurs, and executives leading organizations such as Facebook, IBM, Infosys Limited, John Hancock, Pinterest, Quartz, SAP North America, Talkspace, and others.

Over the course of the week, there will be 1-hour and 15-minute blocks in between sessions designated for networking, mentorship, yoga, meditation, or mini-style consultations to break up the days. New for 2021, attendees can schedule one-on-one mini-style consultations with Monica Barnett, Founder & Chief Image Curator of Blueprint for Style, a wardrobe styling and personal branding company based in Washington, DC. Across Ms. Barnett’s distinguished career, she has partnered with major corporations such as Marriott International, NBC Universal, Comcast, Georgetown University’s Schools of Business and Law, and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management to fine-tune their employees’ style and brand.

What to Expect at the 2021Women|Future Conference

Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights about challenges and changes that impact their industry, their career, their personal lives. Below is a partial list of some of this year's sessions. 

• Career Reinvention in Mid-Career Crisis
• Confidence Code: Embrace Your Uniqueness
• Entrepreneurship - Success Stories Fireside Chat with female founders
• Future of Work - Preparing for the Changing Business Landscape
• How to Blend Strategy and Storytelling to Grow Your Company
• How to Deliver Presentations that Stand Out: On and Off the Screen
• Lessons from Women STEAM Leaders
• LinkedIn Logic: Leveraging Your Professional Connections
• Managing Crisis: Becoming a Resilient Leader
• Marketing and Lead Generation Strategies to Future Proof Your Business and Your Career
• Personal Development Training: Creating Your Best Life Ever
• ‘Shark Tank’ style pitch competition for newly founded woman-owned businesses
• The Power of Purpose: Organizations that Give Back
• Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a Change Management Initiative
• ...and many more

Stay tuned for our Keynote announcement and featured speakers. This already world-class lineup will continue to grow!

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Take advantage of the $49 student special and save 10% when groups of three (3) or more register together.

About the 2021 Women|Future Conference

The 4th annual Women|Future Conference is a five-day virtual event happening November 1-5, 2021 for women in business and entrepreneurs. The conference encourages connections, professional and personal development, and mental health and financial wellness through motivational keynotes, educational sessions, and networking. From aspiring business professionals to inspiring entrepreneurs to executives, there are sessions for women in all stages of life that open your mind and inspire action. The Women|Future Conference is hosted by the Stevie® Awards, the world's premier business awards.

👍 Get Social With the Women|Future Conference 

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Questions?

In 1990, Jane Johnson launched a technology consulting business; and, like most entrepreneurs, she eventually decided to sell it.

Then came the proverbial “wake up call”: just because you want to sell your business does not mean you will. Most U.S. entrepreneurs - 85% - decide at some point to sell and only 15% can do so.

Enter Johnson, who in 2013 inaugurated Business Transition Academy (BTA), the first U.S. business dedicated to educating business owners on how to prepare themselves and their businesses to sell - at the right time, to the right buyer, for the best price and without the anxiety, poor advice and high fees that usually come with it.

As Johnson knows, the missing link is education and a strategic exit plan.

“Without a plan, success on your terms is unlikely and consequences can be pretty serious. It’s not unusual for that free time you’ve dreamed of to be replaced by a job working for someone else because you didn’t get enough for your business.”

It was Johnson’s experience selling her own company that inspired her to spend her life helping others avoid the pitfalls of exiting. In Johnson’s case, the business broker she had hired withheld information during the negotiation so that she and her partners would sell quickly for a lot less than the business was worth.

Johnson fired the broker; the sale was ultimately successful; and Johnson’s passion to help owners avoid this and many other pitfalls was ignited.

Enter BTA, which stands alone in taking a “holistic” approach to a business sale at a time when the norm is for owners to hire multiple experts – a broker, wealth manager, attorney and/or CPA - each of whom handles one aspect of it. All BTA exit plans are multi-faceted; and if you are working one-on-one with Johnson, there’s a quarterback to execute the plan for you. If you need an expert, Johnson will tell you and if necessary, recommend the best one(s).

And while the norm is often to get a fast commission, Johnson takes the time to recommend whatever you need. Many times – and especially during COVID-19 – owners need to rebuild their businesses before they can sell on their terms and timeline. Johnson is there for you throughout the process, even if that means five years from start to closing your deal.

As for that future filled with free time, Johnson knows that your life choices are a critical and possibly the most important part of your exit planning. For that reason, every BTA client begins by answering questions related to their exit goals. If you choose to retire, do you know what you want to do next? “Without answering this fundamental question,” emphasizes Johnson, “you can easily wind up with seller’s remorse.”

And, if you are in a family-based business, Johnson will ask you this to prevent serious “damage” that may take place down the road: do you know how to split the assets between adult children who are in the business and those who are not so as to avoid the “sibling strife” that often results, and can sometimes linger for generations? Johnson does.

BTA has a 100% completion rate. Every client can construct a strategic plan that results in a sale – to either insiders or an outside third party.

And at a time when many owners cannot afford to pay the usual $20,000 or more in advisory fees an exit can cost, Johnson had the foresight (right before COVID) to launch the country’s first digital platform aimed at giving owners everything they need – an “exit education” and the templates - to construct a strategic exit plan.

The first level of membership – 100% free-of-charge - helps you, in six steps, understand everything you need to do to exit; the next gives you what you need to put together your own exit plan. As Johnson says, “I care about owners – especially now when opportunistic buyers are ‘dialing for dollars’ in search of businesses to acquire for pennies-on-the-dollar.” During COVID, sign-ups for the free level soared.

As 2021 dawned, Johnson added another crucial program to the digital platform: an interactive “Expert” level that gives small groups of owners everything they need to plan and execute their individual strategic exit plans under the watchful eyes of Johnson and BTA transition mentors who have successfully gone through the process themselves - to advise and answer questions.

This new CEO peer-group offering features live webinars three times/month with Johnson centerstage teaching best practices, answering owners’ questions and interviewing innovative entrepreneurs who have successfully sold their businesses to insiders as well as to external third parties.

You may be wondering – as Johnson admittedly does every day - how is it possible in 2021 that the entrepreneurs who make up this country’s innovative business landscape know so much about business and so little about the one thing they will all seek to do one day – Exit?

With Johnson at the helm, those days are on their way to fading away.

For more information on exit planning and BTA’s educational memberships, please visit BusinessTransitionAcademy.com. Visit the home page for a free copy of Johnson’s Book “Cashing Out of Your Business” and upcoming live webinars showcasing the six steps to exiting well and achieving your goals.

Jane Johnson won a Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Business Services in the 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Interested in the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business?