Nina Moore

The Women|Future Conference Announces Call for Entries to Business Pitch Competition

Posted by Nina Moore on Wed, Aug 03, 2022 @ 02:16 PM

The Women|Future Conference is an annual learning and networking event for women professionals hosted by the Stevie® Awards. The 2022 conference will take place virtually from November 8-10, 2022.

Do you or someone you know run a women-owned business founded in November 2019 or later? All eligible individuals are invited to enter the third annual Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition. This is an opportunity for female founders to advertise their business, improve their communication and presentation skills, network with like-minded attendees, and compete for a cash prize.

Interested applicants may enter by submitting an application by the October 3 entry deadline. There is no fee to enter. The competition will take place during the 2022 Women|Future Conference on Wednesday, November 9.

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 competition.

Pitch competition finalists will have opportunities to:

Learn how to craft the perfect pitch to investors and concisely and eloquently present their business model
Receive one-on-one mentoring about how to present their best pitch prior to the competition
Network with judges and fellow pitch competition competitors
Receive written and real-time feedback from judges and attendees
Attend the 2022 Women|Future Conference

Attendees who watch the competition will learn how to pitch their own business, gain insight into the organizational structure of other women-owned businesses, vote for their favorite pitch, and connect with competitors and judges.

Pitch Competition Format

The initial pitch applications will be reviewed by the Women|Future Conference leadership team. Five finalists will be selected in mid-October and invited to participate in the virtual competition during the conference on November 9. The competition will be judged by a live panel of successful and established women entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors.

The format of the competition is similar to ABC's 'Shark Tank' reality TV show where finalists present a timed virtual pitch about their product/service, business model, and target market before the judges and conference attendees. There will be one winner who will receive a monetary prize. The amount of prize money will be announced in October.

Sponsor the Pitch Competiton

We love working with organizations that are aligned with our mission of supporting women in business. The Pitch Competition is funded entirely through the generosity of our sponsors. Sponsorship offers visibility among a demographic of women business owners, executives, and professionals.

For more information on available sponsorship packages, please email Ruslana@stevieawards.com or visit the conference Sponsorship and Advertising Page to request information.

What to Expect at the 2022 Women|Future Conference

Hundreds of driven women business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives from around the world will virtually attend the fifth annual Women|Future Conference from November 8-10, 2022. The mission of the conference is to help women share insights about changes that will impact their businesses, their industries, their careers, and their lives. Attendees gain practical takeaways through panels and workshops in seven tracks that are useful for every industry:

Entrepreneurship
Future of Work
Leadership
Marketing
Personal Development
Technology
Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The conference agenda features over 20 sessions hosted by diverse speakers from small businesses and global organizations such as Accenture, Cisco, Goldman Sachs, Hilton, IBM, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Nestle, SAP, T-Mobile, Wolters Kluwer, and others.

The sessions cover everything from how to gain traction through public relations, overcome the imposter syndrome, and think like an investor. Below is a partial list of sessions:

Building Your Community of Mentors
Cultivating an Inclusive Workplace: How Diversity Creates Opportunity
FearLESS: Facing Adversity
Find Your Voice: Insider Secrets from Seasoned Speakers
Legal Tips For Your Trade
Generational Work Styles: Understanding the Old and the New
Silencing Self Doubt: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Strategic Storytelling: Advertising and PR Tactics for Your Business
The Next Generation of Tech
The Ever-changing World of Social Media
The Evolution of Connection: In-person vs Virtual Networking
The Snowball Effect: How Women-Led Businesses Create an Impact
Think Like an Investor: How to Get the Funding You Deserve
Turning Passion into Profit
…and more

Registration

Registration for the 2022 Women|Future Conference is open. Take advantage of these savings and reserve your virtual seat:

Bring the whole team to #WomenFuture22! Groups of three (3) or more who register together get 10% savings with our group discount
Student tickets are $39 with proof of a valid student ID

More About the Women|Future Conference

The Women|Future Conference is a professional and personal development, learning, and networking conference hosted by The Stevie® Awards. The conference encourages connections, professional and personal development, and mental health and wellness through motivational keynotes, educational sessions, and networking. From business professionals to inspiring entrepreneurs to executives, there are sessions for women in all stages of life that open your mind and inspire action.

👍 Get Social With the Women|Future Conference

Instagram
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook

Questions?

Conference Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities
Ruslana Milikhiker, Senior Manager, Events
Ruslana@stevieawards.com

Conference Marketing and PR
Nina Moore, Director of Marketing & Communications
Nina@stevieawards.com

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Topics: women awards, Women in Business, Awards for Women in Business, female entrepreneurs, woman awards, Stevies awards for women, women in busines, Women Future Conference

The 2022 Women|Future Conference Agenda Launched

Posted by Nina Moore on Mon, Jul 18, 2022 @ 11:21 AM

Did you hear the news? The 2022 Women|Future Conference agenda is live! We've got an inspiring lineup of 70+ women CEOs, founders, small business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches, and executives. The 5th annual Women|Future Conference will be held virtually from November 8-10, 2022.

The Women|Future Conference celebrates women in business, professional and personal development, and progress. This year's agenda contains 20+ sessions that fall within seven tracks: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, Future of Work, Leadership, Marketing, Personal Development, and Technology.

The sessions are designed for ambitious, career-driven professionals to learn and share what’s working in their organizations, troubleshoot the challenges they collectively face, and make meaningful connections.

Conference speakers are from small businesses as well as Fortune 500 organizations including Accenture, Goldman Sachs, Hilton, IBM, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Nestle, T-Mobile, and others. We invite you to explore the speaker lineup and browse the agenda to see the sessions occurring each day, including pre-conference sessions on November 7.

Kicking off the conference on Monday, November 7 at 11:00 am EST is our first of three pre-conference sessions, "Find Your Voice: Insider Secrets from Seasoned Speakers," followed by a technology panel at 12:00 pm, "The Ever-changing World of Social Media." On November 8, attendees will hear the opening leadership session, "Building Your Community of Mentors," which will provide resources on how to build your mentorship roadmap- whether as a mentor or mentee. The second session of day one is the anticipated opening keynote about the future of work for women (speaker coming soon!) followed by a mix of panels and workshops in each of our seven session tracks. There are designated 30-minute and 5-minute blocks between sessions each day for networking, as well as a 15-minute guided yoga mediation break on November 9. Explore the full agenda.

What to Expect at the 2022 Women|Future Conference

Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights about challenges and changes that impact their industry, their career, and their personal lives.

The sessions cover everything from how to gain traction through public relations, overcome the imposter syndrome, and think like an investor. Below is a partial list of some of this year's sessions.

Building Your Community of Mentors
Cultivating an Inclusive Workplace: How Diversity Creates Opportunity
FearLESS: Facing Adversity
Generational Work Styles: Understanding the Old and the New
‘Shark Tank’ style pitch competition for newly founded woman-owned businesses
Silencing Self Doubt: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Strategic Storytelling: Advertising and PR Tactics for Your Business
The Balancing Act: Self-Care and a Sustainable Work Life
The Next Generation of Tech
The Ever-changing World of Social Media
The Evolution of Connection: In-person vs Virtual Networking
The Snowball Effect: How Women-Led Businesses Create an Impact
Think Like an Investor: How to Get the Funding You Deserve
Turning Passion into Profit
...and many more

Registration

Registration for the 2022 Women|Future Conference is currently open. Take advantage of these savings and reserve your virtual seat!

Bring the whole team to #WomenFuture22. Groups of three (3) or more who register together get 10% savings with our group discount.
Student tickets are $39, with proof of a valid student ID.

More About the 2022 Women|Future Conference

The Women|Future Conference is a professional and personal development, learning, and networking conference hosted by The Stevie® Awards, the world’s premier business awards. Driven women worldwide attend the conference year after year to be inspired, build resilience, and share insights into changes that impact their industries, their careers, and their lives.

The 5th annual Women|Future Conference is a three-day virtual event happening November 8-10 for women in business and entrepreneurs. The conference encourages connections, professional and personal development, and mental health and 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.

👍 Get Social With the Women|Future Conference

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LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook

Questions?

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Topics: women awards, Women in Business, Awards for Women in Business, female entrepreneurs, woman awards, Stevies awards for women, women in busines, Women Future Conference

Founder’s Journey: How Michael Gallagher Built the Stevie Awards 20 Years Ago from the Ground Up

Posted by Nina Moore on Mon, Jun 13, 2022 @ 09:00 AM

Today, the Stevie® Awards are widely known as the world's premier business awards, but the journey to get here did not come without risks, challenges, clear goals, determination, and a dedicated team.

Michael Gallagher founded the Stevie Awards in 2002 to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working professionals worldwide. Thousands of nominations are submitted year after year in a myriad of categories across eight Stevie Awards programs. All organizations—public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small—may submit nominations. Entries detailing everything from achievement in product innovation, thought leadership, creative marketing campaigns, outstanding customer service, entrepreneurial ventures, and more recently, COVID-19 response, are reviewed by our respected group of judges.

Past notable Stevie Award winners include Aflac, Apple, Chipotle, Bank of America, Ford Motor Company, IBM, ING, PayPal, Procter & Gamble, Roche Group, Samsung, and Verizon, among many others. In short order, the crystal pyramid-topped Stevie trophy has become one of the most coveted prizes in the business world.

In the following interview responses, Michael Gallagher shares his personal background and experiences that molded the foundation and core values of the Stevie Awards.

How and why did you come up with the idea to found the Stevie Awards?

I was at a point in my life where I needed to find something else to do, after working for other people since I was 16. I enjoyed working for a company called The New York Festivals for six years in the ‘80s that staged awards for video, advertising, radio, television, and other media, and thought, I enjoyed that, but the world doesn’t need any more film festivals. But why isn’t there an “Oscars” for business?

What was your previous business experience and background before you founded the Stevie Awards?

After working for The New York Festivals for six years, I moved to the Washington, DC area and worked in the tradeshow and conference industry for seven years, then in the dot-com world in various marketing and sales roles through 2001.

What were some of your goals for the Stevie Awards when you first started the organization? Have they come to fruition and/or evolved since then?

I wanted them to become known as the “Oscars for business,” and to some extent, we’ve achieved that, but of course, we’re not as well known yet as the Academy Awards.

What are the most challenging experiences you faced when first starting the Stevie Awards?

The first year is always the hardest for any new venture. Every process, procedure, and system has to be imagined, designed, and created for the first time. Cash was in short supply so we had to scramble for just about everything. But the advantage of having to do almost everything yourself is that you learn how to do just about everything.

How do you define success at the Stevie Awards?

A well-subscribed competition, reviewed and rated by a sufficient number of experienced professionals in the judging process, resulting in a diverse body of winners, leading to a well-attended awards ceremony that comes off without a major problem.

What is something that all Stevie Award winners have in common?

The aspiration to have their achievements recognized by a wider audience than just their colleagues.

What do the Stevie Awards mean to you?

I try not to dwell on the past too much. I think I’m very forward-thinking. I think of the Stevie Awards as a movement, rather than a company or organization. A movement toward wider public recognition of the achievements of people in the workplace, beyond the headline-grabbing billionaires who hoard so much of the news coverage of business. We’ve achieved that to a large extent in some nations and regions, and hardly at all in others. So we still have work to do.

What has surprised you most over the past 20 years with the Stevie Awards?

That I’m still doing this and enjoying every day of it.

What is your role like today compared to when you first started the Stevie Awards in 2002?

I don’t have to do everything as I did the first few years - yay! We have a good team now and I don’t fret over every little thing as I used to.

Which awards programs are most promising for future growth?

Awards programs usually grow slowly for the first few years, then grow quickly in years five through 10, say, and then grow incrementally each year after that. All eight of our programs have followed that pattern, more or less. I can’t say which of our existing programs will grow the most. Maybe it will be the ones we haven’t started yet.

What has changed the most in the past 20 years at the Stevie Awards?

There was a lot of skepticism in the early years that I’d be able to pull it off, at first, and that I’d be able to keep making it work, after that. We’re well beyond that point now. I don’t know that there are many now who doubt that the Stevie Awards are credible and here to stay.

What do you believe the next 20 years of the Stevie Awards will look like?

Wider acceptance and growth in areas that haven’t really accepted the Stevie Awards yet, such as central and South America, Japan, and other places. And a new Stevie Awards competition of some type every three to five years.

The 2022 American Business Awards® Celebrates 20 Years

The first Stevie Awards program was The American Business Awards®. In 2003, honorees of the first competition were recognized at an awards gala in New York City. Today, Monday, June 13, winners of The 2022 (20th annual) American Business Awards will be celebrated during an awards banquet at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, New York City. This event will be the first live, in-person ABA awards ceremony since June 2019. More than 520 professionals from across the USA will gather to network and celebrate one another's achievements.

Grand, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and People's Choice Stevie® Awards will be presented to winners announced in April and May this year. TV personality Cheryl Casone will emcee the ceremony. The presentations will be live-streamed here on the Stevie Awards website and on the Stevie Awards Facebook page, beginning at 7:00 pm ET.

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For a complete list of the 2022 American Business Award winners, visit www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

“We are thrilled to be able to recognize such a wide array of American organizations in The 2022 American Business Awards. American companies have thrived in the face of hardship and have adapted to the needs of their workforce,” said Stevie Awards President, Maggie Miller. This year’s Stevie-winning nominations in The American Business Awards are testament to the commitment, passion, adaptability, and creativity of the American people. We look forward to seeing Stevie Award winners and their guests at the first in-person awards ceremony since 2019.”

All organizations operating in the U.S.A. – large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit - are eligible to submit nominations to the ABAs in a wide range of categories, honoring achievement in every aspect of work life, from customer service and management to public relations and product development. More than 3,700 nominations were considered in the judging process this year by more than 240 professionals worldwide, whose average scores determined the winners.

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Topics: American business awards

Early-Bird Tickets Available for the 2022 Women|Future Conference

Posted by Nina Moore on Tue, May 24, 2022 @ 11:00 AM

If your goals include being more proactive, expanding your personal and professional network, achieving better business outcomes, and being prepared for unexpected changes ahead, you don't want to miss the 2022 Women|Future Conference!

The last day to get your Women|Future Conference ticket for $69 USD, the lowest early-bird rate, is Tuesday, May 31. Register here.

The fifth annual Women|Future Conference hosted by the Stevie® Awards encourages engaging connections, professional and personal development, and health and financial wellness through keynotes, educational sessions, and networking. This year's conference will be a two-day virtual event from November 8-10, 2022.

Our conference is for ambitious professionals to learn and share what’s working in their organizations, troubleshoot the challenges they collectively face and make meaningful connections.

Divide and conquer the agenda! Bring the whole team to the 2022 Women|Future Conference and get 10% savings with our group discount when groups of three (3) or more register together by 11:59 pm EST on May 31.

We've got an Inspiring Lineup Taking Shape

The 2022 Advisory Board and Leadership Team are reviewing over 1,500 speaker submissions we received to help us build the conference agenda, which will be released this summer.

This year's speakers range from changemakers at Fortune 500 companies to small business owners and entrepreneurs. You can expect discussions about everything from how to utilize mentorship as a path to professional and personal development, gain traction through public relations, overcome the imposter syndrome, and think like an investor.

While the 2022 agenda is not yet released, you can explore the 2021 agenda and read the summary of the 2021 Women|Future Conference to see what attendees experienced last year. Previous speakers included female executives and leaders from Facebook, IBM, Infosys Limited, John Hancock, Pinterest, Quartz, SAP North America, Talkspace, and others.

If you applied to speak, you will be notified by July 11 as to whether or not you were selected.

What to Expect

➡️ 20+ interactive Sessions — Each day of the conference will kick off with an opening keynote, followed by engaging panel sessions, breakouts, and workshops centered around seven session tracks.

➡️ Seven Session Tracks — World-class speakers will share practical, actionable takeaways centered around seven tracks:

Cultivate Your Tomorrow
Entrepreneurship
Future of Work
Marketing
Personal Development
Technology
Workplace DEI

➡️ Meaningful Connections — Get ready to connect, be inspired, and network with a fantastic community of women worldwide. Speakers and attendees build lasting connections as business partners, mentors, and even friends. There will be dedicated breaks on the agenda for structured networking and matchmaking.

➡️ Diverse Perspectives — The diversity of people you will learn from and meet is invaluable. In any given session, you may find yourself in the company of an online business owner, the founder of a non-profit, a lawyer, a CEO, a retired nurse, and a college professor!

Whether you're a female entrepreneur, small business owner, executive, or employee, the Women|Future Conference welcomes movers and shakers like you, looking to Cultivate Your Tomorrow. With panel discussions, a must-see keynote, invaluable networking opportunities, and a Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition, there will be sessions for women in all stages of life that open your mind and inspire action!

👍Get Social With the Women|Future Conference

Keep your eyes on our social media pages for updates on this exciting experience.

Instagram
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook

Questions?

Conference Registration and Sponsorship
Ruslana Milikhiker, Senior Manager, Events
Ruslana@stevieawards.com

Conference Marketing and PR
Nina Moore, Director of Marketing
Nina@stevieawards.com

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: Women in Business, female entrepreneurs, Women Future Conference

The 2021 Women|Future Conference Highlights

Posted by Nina Moore on Thu, Nov 18, 2021 @ 10:30 AM

From November 1-5, the 4th annual Women|Future Conference returned to the virtual stage and attracted more than 400 women professionals from around the world for an experience like no other! We had an information-packed week full of powerful content, networking, and empowering stories from industry-leading women in business.

Attendees gained powerful insights to help them in their professional and personal lives through sessions ranging from entrepreneurship to personal finance, workplace diversity, mental health, overcoming the imposter syndrome, lead generation strategies, social media marketing, and more. Read this blog for a recap of conference activities and highlights.

What Attendees are Saying

The 2021 Women|Future Conference was made up of over 140 transformative speakers from multiple industries and fields of thought. Speakers ranged from female founders, CEOs, small business owners, and executives of Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Frito-Lay, IBM, Infosys, John Hancock, Meta, Pinterest, Ralph Lauren, and SAP.

Here's what some of our attendees are saying about their experience:

I am so grateful and excited to have found this conference!...I've been to a lot of conferences over the years in my non-profit career. This is one of the best! These ladies know their stuff and the virtual aspect really makes it very personal in a fun way. They gave very focused, detailed insight on their specific topic and answered questions too!

- Ruby Gary, Registered Nurse, Bayless School District

The Women|Future Conference completely exceeded my expectations. It was the best virtual conference I have ever participated in. I loved the diversity of topics and speakers - I will definitely attend the next one!

-Virginia Marcolin, CEO/Founder, Aroma Textiles Lab

This is my second time attending the Women|Future Conference. The speakers who attended this conference truly care about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Recognizing that different people have different needs. If we are committed to giving people what they need to succeed, everyone then wins. The conference concentrate on different industries from technology, marketing, e-commerce, financing, and mental health. it was a big chance to connect with powerful women, tell their own stories, and how they have overcome obstacles to get to where they are now. It was a great experience and still by far the best conference I have attended.

- Shirin M. Alhroob, University of North Carolina

The WomenIFuture Conference offered access to a wealth of speakers, authors, and executives who shared their tips and techniques to build confidence and foster collaboration to create the life & career you desire and deserve. Fabulous.

- Nicole Smith, NJ Chapter Leader, Room to Read

If you're looking for a conference that focuses on supporting women in business, the Women|Future Conference is for you. Jam-packed with sessions that cover everything from personal to professional development, you'll have an outstanding experience.

- Debra Jason, Speaker/Copywriter, The Write Direction

The Opening Keynote

Sandy Carter, the Vice President of Public Sector Partners and Programs at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Stevie Award winner, kicked off the 2021 Women|Future Conference on November 1 with her opening keynote address, " Embracing Diversity & Empowering the Next Generation." Sandy provided insight into her expansive career through sharing her raw and real-life stories as a pioneering woman in tech. Each story she told was centered around one of her seven hacks for diversity and inclusion in the workforce for attendees to draw upon the lessons she learned from her experiences.

One of Sandy's seven hacks, "acting like an open API," was illustrated through a story she shared about a time she was faced with an unexpected, yet transformative 150-person meet and greet at her hotel upon landing in India in the middle of the night! She took the stage and gave an impromptu presentation after a 21-hour flight.

While explaining another diversity hack, "embracing failure," Sandy talked about a mistake she made early on in her career with AWS. She was encouraged by her boss to share this mistake with others in a public meeting, despite being very reluctant to focus on her mistake in a room full of employees.

"Probably one of the most impactful things in my career was admitting that I had made a big mistake, explaining why I had made it, taking full responsibility myself, and what I have done to fix it," she said.

Sandy told attendees that Amazonians "fail fast and move forward" and that some of Amazon's "most fantastic failures gave birth to groundbreaking new opportunities." She encouraged attendees to take the lesson she learned from her mistake and embrace their own failures;

"Take that bold move to share your failures publicly because it really does have an impact on what others learn and how others move forward. If you can’t embrace your failures, typically you can’t move forward as fast or drive what you need to in the marketplace."

Sandy Carter credits much of her success to surrounding herself with the right people who she refers to as her "own board of supporters" and taking care of her team. "One of my favorite things that one of my mentors told me is to always reach back and pull someone forward, because if you do that, imagine the impact you'll see in the world," she recited during the session.

Best Sessions from the Week

Throughout the week, Women|Future Conference attendees heard sessions about business networking, work-life balance, wealth attraction, overcoming adversity, mentorship, and more. The five-day agenda featured 43 sessions, workshops, and plenty of networking opportunities. View the full 2021 agenda.

The top conference sessions by the number of registered attendees for each session were:

Hear Me, Love Me, Hire Me: Top Secrets from World-Class Speakers on How to Use Presentations to Grow Your Business
Marketing Tactics to Future Proof Your Business & Your Career
The Future of Work - Preparing For the Changing Business Landscape
The Most Powerful Marketing Mix: Blend Storytelling + Strategy to Grow Your Business
LinkedIn Logic
Personal Development Training: Abundance 360 - Creating Your Best Life Ever
Why Diverse Teams Drive Better Outcomes

The Future of Work Panel

Pictured above is a screen capture from the Wednesday, November 3 opening general session, "The Future of Work - Preparing For the Changing Business Landscape." The panelists discussed everything from social justice issues permeating workplace discussions, and the very definition of a workspace changing for good. Kate Winkler, the CEO of Ruby, moderated the panel which was made up of four women leaders from Park Place Payments, Skillsoft, Lions +Tigers, and Corporate Class Inc.

Selina Meere, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Park Place Payments, mentioned the importance of hiring people from different industries, educational backgrounds, and experience levels in order to further diversify and innovate within an organization; "I feel very strongly that you shouldn't only look at industry experience when hiring," she said. "If you keep hiring from within your industry, you are not going to get out of that cycle or let new thoughts in." She continued,

"The biggest impact can be made if someone comes from outside of your industry who is smart, empathetic, strategic, can see high-level, and can ask thoughtful questions that someobody who has been in the industry wouldn't ask...Get out of that box-checking idea that someone has to have certain experiences before hiring them. Rethink what success looks like! Success isn't necessarily where someone went to school, or what pedigree of companies they worked for."

One of the top breakout sessions at the Women|Future Conference was, "Personal Development Training: Abundance 360- Creating Your Best Life Ever" by one of the world's most requested motivational speakers, media personality, and corporate CEO; Lisa Nichols. On November 4, Lisa moved attendees to kickstart their personal transformation journies.

She eloquently and passionately talked about how to use your words, voice, and thoughts to remove the barriers that have held you back from living the life of your dreams.

Some of the mantras Lisa asked attendees to type in the chatbox during her session were: "You are not alone," "REclaim your time; don’t give dollar time to penny tasks" and "REchoose your soul-fueled goals."

Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition

The second annual Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition at the Women|Future Conference provided a platform for eight women-owned businesses to compete for a chance to win funding. During this live, 'Shark Tank'-style competition on November 4, a panel of judges and attendees watched each finalist present a live four-minute pitch. The Pitch Competition finalists answered questions from the judges about their business model, target market, and operations strategy. View the finalists and read more about the competition here.

The winner of the Pitch Competition was LAMIK Beauty, a tech-enabled clean color cosmetics company focusing on women of all diverse backgrounds. Founder Kim Roxie won a $5,000 cash prize and a $4,200 value certification from Certify My Company.

The second place winner of the Pitch Competition was Kul Mocks Craft Mocktails, a non-alcoholic hand-crafted cocktail brand. The Founder of Kul Mocks, Danielle Goss, won $2,500 for her business.

In third place was Fetchadate, a dating app for single pet lovers. Founder Sheryl Mathys received $1,000 to support her business.

Access the 2021 Conference Sessions On-Demand

Did you miss this year's conference? You can register to watch the replays of over 40 sessions including our opening keynote for just $39.

On-demand attendees will have access to the 2021 virtual Women|Future Conference platform through November 2022. The platform includes five days of sessions and the lists of speakers, attendees, mentors, and sponsors that participated in the 2021 Women|Future Conference.

The 2022 Women|Future Conference

We look forward to an even bigger and more exciting event next year at the fifth annual Women|Future Conference! This will be a virtual event held from November 8-10, 2022 presented in conjunction with the 2022 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Sign up for our mailing list to get notified when early-bird tickets launch for the 2022 Women|Future Conference, the call for speakers opens, and other exciting announcements.

Special Thanks to our 2021 Sponsors and Partners

We are proud to partner with the following publications, media outlets, and organizations that share our mission in supporting women in business. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities for the 2022 Women|Future Conference, sign up here to get notified when the 2022 prospectus is released.

👍Get Social With the Women|Future Conference

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Twitter

Facebook

Questions?

Conference Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities

Ruslana Milikhiker, Conference & Event Manager

Ruslana@stevieawards.com

Conference Marketing and PR

Nina Moore, Marketing Manager

Nina@stevieawards.com

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: Women in Business, Awards for Women in Business, female entrepreneurs, Stevies awards for women, Women Future Conference

Last Chance to Register for the 2021 Virtual Women|Future Conference

Posted by Nina Moore on Fri, Oct 29, 2021 @ 03:17 PM

We're just days away until the official kick-off of the 2021 Women|Future Conference (November 1-5, virtual). Take full advantage of all that the conference has to offer – including 40+ sessions, interactive live workshops, speed networking, and mentorship matching. Not registered yet? There’s still time! Online registration is available through November 1.

The 4th annual Women|Future Conference begins on November 1 at 11:00 am ET with the opening keynote, "Embracing Diversity & Empowering the Next Generation" by Sandy Carter, Vice President of Public Sector Partners & Programs at Amazon Web Services (AWS). The Women|Future Conference is designed for career-driven women looking to be inspired, build resilience, and prepare for changes ahead. The five-day agenda is packed with 40+ sessions hosted by women CEOs, Founders, Executives, Entrepreneurs, and Small Business Owners from global organizations such as Facebook, IBM, Infosys, Pinterest, Ralph Lauren, SAP, Talkspace, and others.

Attendees will gain practical, actionable takeaways to implement in their professional and personal lives. Session topics include financial wellness, lead generation, entrepreneurship success, how to blend storytelling and strategy to grow your business, imposter syndrome, work-life balance, mentorship, workplace diversity, speaking engagements as a business growth strategy, and more.

One of the best things about the virtual conference platform is the networking; attendees make lasting connections as business partners, mentors, and friends long after the conference is over. See for yourself what past attendees had to say about their experience! View Testimonials from Past Attendees.

Following Sandy Carter's keynote on November 1 are two breakout sessions, "The Truth Bombs on Work-Life Balance to Avoid Burnout for Busy Women" and "Networking Tips & Tricks: Learn How to Become Memorable and Build Authentic Relationships" at 11:45 am ET. Other sessions on day one are "Leading Authentically in Male-Dominated Industries” and "The Smart Woman's Guide to Financial Success." Throughout the week, there will be one hour and 15-minute blocks in between sessions designated for networking, mentorship, yoga, meditation, or style consultations to break up the days.

New Session Alert! Fireside Chat with the Vice President of Frito-Lay

Women Future Conference Session

The Vice President of Marketing at Frito-Lay North America, Ciara Dilley, will be closing out the first day of the Women|Future Conference in a fireside chat with Neera Chaudhary, President, North America at Ketchum. Their chat is titled, "How One Female-Founded Pita Chip Brand Had Helped Thousands of Other Female Entrepreneurs Success," and will take place live on November 1 at 4:15 pm ET.

As a female-founded brand, Stacy’s Pita Chips has always upheld a commitment to help other female entrepreneurs succeed. In this session, Ciara Dilley, VP of marketing at Frito- Lay North America, will discuss the Stacy’s Rise Project, an annual initiative that accomplishes just that – and then some. Neera Chaudhary, President of North America, Ketchum, will moderate the session.

The fireside chat will explore the evolution of this initiative – from the early days of ideation to the thousands of female founders it has helped via mentorship, grants, networking opportunities, and much more. Ciara will also discuss how she’s engrained purpose into the core of the brands she leads and why she believes the economic empowerment of women is the single most powerful contribution we can make to advance female equality.

What Else to Expect at the 2021 Women|Future Conference

The Women|Future Conference is a professional and personal development, learning, networking, and mentorship conference hosted by The Stevie® Awards. The Women|Future Conference & Event Manager, Ruslana Milikhiker, remarked on the transformation since the first annual Women|Future Conference in 2018;

“The first conference took place four years ago to complement The Stevie® Awards for Women in Business program. Now it has evolved to serve women on a larger scale. Our conference tagline Cultivate Your Tomorrow was added in 2020. We chose this phrase because the Women|Future Conference encourages women to not only embrace their tomorrow, but to tackle career, personal, and life goals. The conference goes beyond the changing business landscape and focuses on current issues we all face as working women juggling a busy schedule and doing it all.”

Nina Moore, the Marketing Manager of the Women|Future Conference, commented on the decision to make this year’s conference virtual;

“We successfully pivoted from in-person to virtual for the first time in 2020. Encouraged by glowing testimonials from past attendees and the flexibility of virtual, we are doing the same in 2021. Virtual events are accessible, affordable, and deliver just as much value and networking opportunities to people around the world, especially those unable to travel. This forward-thinking conference does just that and more!”

Below is a partial list of 2021 Women|Future Conference panels, sessions, and workshops:

Creating a Rockstar LinkedIn® Profile
Giving Voice To Women's Voices: How Podcasting Can Benefit Female Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship – Success Stories Fireside Chat
How to Embrace Women Super Powers in the World of Tech
Leadership Tips from 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business Winners
Networking Tips & Tricks: Learn How to Become Memorable and Build Authentic Relationships
Personal Development Training: Abundance 360 - Creating Your Best Life Ever
Protecting Your Business and Intellectual Assets
The Future of Work - Preparing for the Changing Business Landscape
The Power of Purpose: Organizations that Give Back
Top Five Lead Generation Strategies for 2022
Why Diverse Teams Drive Better Outcomes
Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition Finalists Presentations

A Message from our Sponsor RFG Advisory

On November 4, eight women-owned businesses founded in November 2018 or later will pitch their product/service before a panel of judges for a chance to win funding during the 2021 Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition.

The Pitch Competition is sponsored by RFG Advisory, an innovator in the wealth management industry. The President of RFG Advisory, Shannon Spotswood, is one of four judges who will evaluate each pitch. Shannon is an Entrepreneur, Business Owner, and 25-year industry veteran in financial services with an outstanding reputation built on leadership roles in investment banking, hedge fund management, and business development.

Only 2.3% of venture funding went to female-led businesses in 2020 according to Harvard Business Review. RFG Advisory is on a mission to change that, supporting one female-led business at a time!

Asia-Pacific Segment of the Women|Future Conference

Women Future Conference APAC This is the first year the Women|Future Conference is hosting sessions exclusively by female leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together the APAC women’s community with the Stevie Awards international audience.

These sessions focus on the advancements of female executives from the Asia-Pacific region who are championing the power of leadership and management in traditionally male-dominated industries such as financial technology, banking, insurance, and e-commerce. The Asia-Pacific conference agenda aims to further broaden and develop the fintech industry in Asia with the help of these female leaders.

Asia-Pacific Digital Infrastructure Sessions Include:

- Building the New Digital Infrastructure
- The Future is Female: Building the New Generation of Financially Literate Women
- Leadership Tips from Stevie Awards for Women in Business Winners
- Women in E-commerce and Mobility: Creating the Asian E-commerce and Mobility Highway
- Women Leading Legacy Industries: Edutech, Proptech, and Insurtech
- Women in Fintech: Reshaping the Industry and Bridging the Gap

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Attendees save 10% when groups of three or more individuals register together. Students may register for the Women|Future Conference at a discounted rate of $49 (with proof of a valid current student ID). Sessions are recorded and available for replay through 2022 for your convenience.

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