Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future consideration—it is already transforming the way organizations operate, compete, and innovate.

During the first Women|Future Webinar of 2026, "Future-Proofing Your Organization: Crafting an AI Strategy to Navigate Risks and Unlock New Opportunities," industry leaders explored how organizations can develop practical AI strategies, balance innovation with risk, and prepare their workforce for a rapidly evolving future.

The Women|Future Webinars are an annual series of free webinars hosted by the Stevie® Awards, designed for women small business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in starting a business.

The first webinar took place on June 17, 2026 and featured insights from past Stevie Award-winning women from leading global organizations. Speakers included:

• Ipsita Mohanty, Applied Science Manager at Amazon and Vice Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering

• Mariesa Coughanour, Head of the Growth Office and AI Workforce Transformation for Cognizant Consulting

• Jaya Eripilla, VP, Senior Technology Manager at Bank of America

• Casey Foss, Chief Growth Officer at Penta Group

The Cost of Standing Still
One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion was that organizations face significant risks when they delay AI adoption. While concerns about security, governance, and compliance are valid, panelists emphasized that companies that fail to build AI capabilities today may quickly lose ground to competitors that are actively experimenting and learning.

As Casey Foss noted, organizations are already seeing a widening gap between employees who embrace AI tools and those who do not. Rather than focusing solely on the risks of AI, leaders should also consider the risks of inaction.

Start With Business Problems, Not Technology
The panel repeatedly stressed that successful AI strategies begin with business objectives rather than technology selection. Instead of asking, “What is our AI strategy?” organizations should ask, “How can AI help us achieve our business goals?”

Leaders were encouraged to identify high-impact business challenges, define measurable outcomes, and then determine whether AI is the best solution. Whether the goal is to improve customer experiences, increase operational efficiency, or accelerate decision-making, AI should serve as a strategic enabler rather than a standalone initiative.

Governance and Innovation Must Work Together
While organizations are eager to move quickly, panelists emphasized the importance of balancing innovation with responsible governance. Building clear policies, involving security teams early, and establishing guardrails can help organizations reduce risk while still empowering employees to experiment and innovate.

Mariesa Coughanour highlighted that employees are often already using AI tools independently. Rather than resisting this reality, organizations should create frameworks that support responsible experimentation, encourage collaboration between business and technology teams, and provide visibility into emerging use cases.

People Remain the Competitive Advantage
Although AI capabilities continue to advance rapidly, panelists agreed that uniquely human skills will become even more valuable in the future. Trust, judgment, empathy, leadership, and relationship-building remain difficult to replicate through technology. As organizations automate routine tasks, employees will increasingly focus on supervising systems, making complex decisions, and building meaningful connections with customers and colleagues.

Jaya Eripilla emphasized that organizations should view AI as a collaborator rather than a competitor. The goal is not to replace human expertise but to augment it—allowing employees to spend more time on higher-value work that requires creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

Creating a Culture of AI Adoption
The panelists also highlighted the importance of organizational culture in successful AI adoption. Companies that foster excitement, psychological safety, and learning opportunities are more likely to uncover innovative ideas across their workforce. Examples included AI innovation challenges, hackathons, gamification programs, and AI fluency initiatives designed to help employees build confidence and practical skills.

Rather than limiting AI exploration to a small group of specialists, organizations should encourage broad participation and provide employees with opportunities to contribute ideas and solutions.

Focus on Proof of Value
When beginning an AI journey, panelists recommended focusing on projects that demonstrate clear business value rather than small experiments that fail to generate meaningful impact.

Organizations should prioritize initiatives with measurable outcomes, whether through increased revenue, improved customer experiences, reduced operational costs, or greater employee productivity. Demonstrating tangible results helps build organizational momentum and encourages broader adoption.

One Final Piece of Advice
When asked for their most important recommendation for leaders looking to future-proof their organizations, the panelists delivered a consistent message: invest in your people.

Providing AI training, fostering a culture of experimentation, and preparing employees to work alongside AI technologies will be critical for long-term success. Organizations that empower their workforce while maintaining strong governance will be best positioned to adapt, innovate, and thrive in an AI-driven future.

As the discussion concluded, one message stood out above all others: AI is not a temporary trend. It is becoming a fundamental part of how work gets done, and organizations that combine technology, strategy, and human potential will be best equipped for what comes next.

Upcoming Women|Future Webinar Sessions

Join the next two webinars to discover practical strategies to build credibility through business awards, and get firsthand perspectives from women entrepreneurs who have successfully built and scaled their businesses. Register individually for each webinar you wish to attend:

Your Competitive Edge: How Earning Business Awards Boosts Recognition

The Founder Mindset: Overcoming Fear, Failure & Doubt to Build a Business

The Stevie® Awards is excited to unveil a new era for the Women|Future Conference. Starting in 2025, the conference will transform into the Women|Future Webinars, a series of free webinars designed for women professionals, entrepreneurs, and small business owners.

Since its launch in 2018, the Women|Future Conference has been a hub for thought leaders, executives, and aspiring entrepreneurs to connect, learn, and grow. After seven successful years as an annual event, we are evolving into a more accessible and dynamic experience.

The new webinar series will take place over three months—June, July, and August 2025—aligning with the 22nd annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business, which opens for nominations on May 13, and has a final entry deadline of August 20.

What to Expect
Each Women|Future Webinar will feature inspiring and practical takeaways from accomplished entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and many Stevie Award winners. Topics will include:

•   Strategies for growing, launching, and sustaining a successful business
•   Benefits of entering business awards and leveraging recognition
•   Storytelling techniques to differentiate your brand from the competition

With expert-led discussions and actionable insights, attendees will walk away with the tools they need to Cultivate Their Tomorrow—both professionally and personally.

Who Should Attend?
The Women|Future Webinars are designed for forward-thinking women across all industries and career levels. Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, executive, director, manager, or someone navigating a career transition, these sessions provide fresh perspectives and valuable learning experiences from successful women in business.

Join Us
We invite you to be part of this exciting new journey. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, practical business advice, or networking opportunities, the Women|Future Webinars offer a space to learn from women who are leading the way. Have questions or want to get in touch with us?  Learn More.

Sign up individually for each webinar session you wish to attend using the buttons below.

June 18, 2025, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
 Register Now

July 16, 2025, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Register Now

August 13, 2025, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Register Now

Sponsorship/Partnership Opportunities
Want to connect with a global community of ambitious women? Sponsoring the Women|Future Webinars is an opportunity to showcase your brand to a network of business leaders and entrepreneurs worldwide. Sponsors receive visibility across our website, social media, email campaigns, and live webinar sessions. Request Sponsorship / Partnership Information.

The 7th annual Women|Future Conference was held virtually on July 23, bringing together ambitious, forward-thinking women from across industries and career stages to connect and discuss key issues impacting their industries, careers, and lives.

A professional development, learning, and networking event launched in 2018 to complement the highly successful Stevie® Awards for Women in Business program, the Women|Future Conference brings together a community of women small business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals interested in starting a business.

Attendees tuned in from cities across the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia, and Europe. This year the agenda featured sessions that focus on small business and entrepreneurship.

If you missed the live conference, you can still watch all the session replays for just $5, available until the end of 2024 through Zoom Events. Register for access here.

Key Takeaways and Quotations
The conference kicked off with Keynote Speaker Heather Hoytink, President, South Division PepsiCo Beverages North America. In this role, Heather leads a beverage portfolio that has grown to nearly $5.5B since she started in 2022. As the company’s first woman named division president, she is responsible for end-to-end P&L ownership and manages all cross-functional activity inclusive of commercial, go-to-market, manufacturing, operations, and marketing. Heather was honored with a Gold Stevie Award for Female Executive of the Year in the 2023 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business.

In her session titled "Igniting Your Influence," Heather was joined by ForbesWomen Contributor, Vickie Chachere, to engage in an intimate fireside chat delving into the profound impact of influence and relationships on one’s path to career success. 

Heather shared how her relationships have shaped her career, how she feels about being a woman in an executive role, and the concept of "returnship." She commented: "Be grounded in what sacrifices and trade-offs you're willing to make in your career and stay true to your principles. If you have great joy somewhere, stay the course. The grass isn't always greener somewhere else. Worry more about the collection of qualifications that will best help you get your dream job down the line."

She emphasized how mentors completely transformed her career: "They took a vested interest in me and helped me navigate corporate America," teaching her how to persuade and influence, how to design a career map, and sharing their professional insights. To help other women reach success, Heather created a returnship program at PepsiCo in partnership with "Path Forward." These are 16-week paid learning opportunities for women who had to take a break from work, whether due to family needs, health issues, etc. Returnships serve to help women assimilate back into corporate America with the support, mentors, and resources to be successful. At the end of the experience, if both parties are interested, "returners" may be offered a permanent position.

In her closing remarks, Heather encouraged the audience: "It's a great time to be a woman—we need to harness this moment and do great things."

The next session was a panel discussion, "Unlocking Awards Success: The Power of Stevie Awards in Building Credibility and Business Growth," which examined how organizations can utilize Stevie Awards to enhance their credibility, leverage their achievements to drive business growth, and effectively integrate award recognition into their overall strategic approach.

Nicole Schmitz, Founder & CEO of a leadership coaching consultancy, started her business during the COVID pandemic. She shared how winning an International Business Award helped her business grow rapidly. She encouraged others not to wait to nominate their business if they have found success—even if their business is newer: "My business went from zero to 100 after I won that first International Business Award. The more awards you enter, the more credibility, confidence, and experience you gain!"

She explained how "the backstage interview and the awards ceremony add another layer of leverage that provide value as well," while sharing that her red carpet interview from The 2023 International Business Awards ceremony in Rome, Italy, racked up over 20k views online!

CEO of Branch & Bramble Emily Lyman commented: "Applying for an award is a testament to your confidence in your company or your campaign to even submit. You can build out your campaigns with the Stevie Awards in mind: How can I craft a campaign that is award worthy? What is cutting edge and innovative and will help us win?"

Managing Partner and Founder of Purpol Marketing and 36-time Stevie Award winner Denise O'Leary, MBE, said that she collects press mentions, screenshots, and other articles that will support her Stevie Award nominations throughout the year. She recommends that all prospective entrants make a practice of this, so that it's easier to find and craft the story of your business accomplishments when it's time to collect evidence and make a case for any award submission.

In the third session of the conference, "Building a Trusted Brand: Authenticity in a Time of Public Scrutiny and Hot News Cycles" panelists hosted by Trust Relations CEO & Founder April White shared advice for brand leaders to decide when to take a public stance on issues in the press and how to prepare for and manage crisis situations.

Panelists included Rachel Griffin, Co-Founder of PlayWise Partners; Ronjini Joshua, Owner & President of The Silver Telegram; Catharine Montgomery, Founder & CEO of Better Together; and Marissa Nance, CEO & Founder of Native Tongue Communications.

All panelists agreed how important honesty and consistency are in developing trust with an audience. Catherine noted that it is just as essential to know your audience: "If leaders and companies don't know their audience, they can't connect authentically." Understanding your audience will help you create messaging that will truly resonate.

Ronjini added that consistency of messaging across channels should involve clear communication between internal teams so that all departments of an organization can be on the same page regarding messaging and tactics.

These strategies contribute to building authentic connections and trust with your audience and customers. In addition, if an organization makes a misstep in messaging or has compromised its reputation in another way, having that foundation of trust will help to repair and heal brand loyalty. Panelists highly recommend that leaders have a ready-to-go crisis management plan in place (before it's ever needed) that is up-to-date and consistently reviewed.

Marissa offered four practical tips for organizations who find themselves in a crisis situation: 1) make sure you clearly understand what the issue is—don't react to a misunderstanding or something that doesn't even exist; 2) determine if the issue is based in fact or fiction; 3) address it with sincerity in a way people feel seen and heard; and 4) take a step back during the situation and reflect on if what you're doing is actually working—if not, optimize and relaunch where and when needed.

If resources allow, there may be instances when you need to ask for help. "Don’t spend hours trying to be an expert when you can outsource to someone who is an expert," said Rachel. Even though social and cultural pressure sometimes makes women feel they should manage alone, part of being a leader is honestly evaluating your strengths and determining when to ask for assistance and support.

In the next session, "Breaking Barriers, Building Empires and Elevating Women: Driving Change in Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Business" speakers shared their personal journeys and experiences through the world of leadership and entrepreneurship.

It all begins with self-confidence, noted business strategist Kerry-Ann Powell, Founder of Trafalgar Strategies LLC: "It is important for you to always go back to how you see yourself....Do the work within....That internal belief about who you are and your vision is what enables you to step into yourself in a more positive way." 

Bosky Mukerjee, Founder of PMDojo, echoed Kerry-Ann's sentiments and added that you need to decide on your non-negotiable priorities that support your core values. She related her own experiences of hitting rock bottom in her mental and physical health while serving as President of a tech company. She said it was months of inner work reflecting on what she really cared about and what she wanted the next few years to look like: "You only grow when you are in the deep end of the pool," she said. Despite the intense pressure to shatter the glass ceiling, sometimes you have to walk away from roles or activities that are not serving your vision-- even if they might be million-dollar offers.

The panelists examined the role “hustle culture” has played in motivating and driving change, however, Angelique Hamilton, CEO & Chief Coaching Officer at HRCG, noted that there should be boundaries and parameters that you determine for yourself. Business Growth Strategist and Consultant Danielle Levy of The Boardroom League agreed, noting that this involves being in alignment with who you are to create your own journey of what work-life balance and professional development look like in practice.

Bosky highlighted the value of “finding your tribe”—the people who understand and support you—or if you can’t find a tribe you fit into, create your own and invite others with like priorities and goals. This also gives women leaders an opportunity to make space for other women in challenging sectors, she noted.

When it comes to battling against stereotypes and snap judgments in the workplace, panelists remarked that there are times for productive corrections and times to let it go. You can’t teach everyone good manners, said Bosky, relating how she used to get quite angry at the stereotyping that occurred in her workplace: “It’s all about picking your fights….be at peace in the things you can control.” 

In the final session of the conference, speakers explored "Leveraging AI Technology and Navigating the Social Media Landscape" panelists discussed the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for businesses, featuring insights from industry leaders including an AI tech startup Founder, a Product Leader, an AI Strategist, and the SVP of Growth for Fortune 500 client brands.

AMP Solutions CEO Lisa Thee emphasized the importance of automation in reducing the mental load for leaders and employees and establishing a brand presence. She highlighted how AI and social media can help startups and businesses create engaging content, turning complex information into digestible sound bites. "AI is like hiring an amazing assistant that allows you to focus more on your super special powers," Lisa commented, which allows professionals to do less of the minor organizing and planning tasks that get in the way of executing their vision.

Kristen Dolan, SVP of Growth at Influential, discussed the integration of AI into social platforms, including tools like ChatGPT, and how companies are leveraging AI to enhance productivity. She cited examples like Meta AI, TikTok Symphony, and Snapchat’s MY AI, which provide small and medium-sized businesses with powerful, accessible tools for content creation and trend detection.

Deboshree Dutta, Founder & CEO of Criya, elaborated on AI’s impact on marketing, explaining how AI can create multi-mode content, streamline drip campaigns, and boost sales productivity by providing executive summaries and outlines.

The panel conversation also touched on the evolution of creator content. Kristen underscored the enduring need for genuine human connections, while Deboshree spoke about the burgeoning creator and influencer economy. She noted that content creation involves not just creativity but also business acumen, and AI can assist with the demanding business aspects. The panelists agreed that AI tools can help creators maintain authenticity and scale their efforts, suggesting that businesses and individuals experiment with AI to understand its capabilities.

Stay Connected: Replay Sessions and Nominate for Women in Business Stevies
If you didn’t get a chance to register for the live event, you can watch all the session replays for just $5, available until the end of 2024 through Zoom Events. Whether you attended the conference or are catching up now, these sessions are a treasure trove of knowledge.

Individuals and organizations can also still submit nominations for the 2024 (21st annual) Stevie® Awards for Women in Business. Entries will be accepted through August 21. Request the Entry Kit Now.

Finalists will be announced in September, and the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie-winner placements of the Finalists revealed during a gala awards dinner in New York City on Friday, November 8.

Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates about next year's conference.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2024 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS​

Gold Sponsor:
The Boardroom League

Silver Sponsors: 
nFOLD
Dominique Young Law, P.C. 

Bronze Sponsors:
Enterprising Women Magazine
Divine Wealth Solutions
Lead Twist
PMDojo