Vom 11. bis 13. November nahmen über 320 Teilnehmerinnen aus der ganzen Welt virtuell an der Women|Future Conference 2020 teil, um Neues zu lernen und sich inspirieren zu lassen. Ursprünglich war die dritte jährliche Women|Future Conference als persönliche Veranstaltung in Las Vegas geplant. Vom Switch zur virtuellen Konferenz ließen sich die Teilnehmerinnen aber nicht daran hindern, interessante Kontakte zu knüpfen und zukunftsorientierte Diskussionen zu führen. In Sitzungen, die von Unternehmertum bis hin zu Finanzplanung, Vielfalt am Arbeitsplatz, Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden, Überwindung des Hochstaplersyndroms und Social-Media-Marketing reichten, erhielten die Teilnehmerinnen eindrucksvolle Einblicke, die ihnen in ihrem beruflichen und privaten Leben helfen konnten.
Die Women|Future Conference 2020 setzte sich aus 108 transformativen Rednerinnen aus verschiedenen Branchen und Denkfeldern zusammen. Die Rednerinnen reichten von Gründerinnen, CEOs, Kleinunternehmerinnen und weiblichen Führungskräften von Fortune-500-Unternehmen wie AT&T Business, Amazon, Deloitte, Cisco, Microsoft, Roku, HCL und PayPal. Die Konferenzsitzungen und Workshops ermutigten Frauen in allen Lebensphasen, sich nicht nur auf ihr "morgen" einzulassen, sondern auch sich motivieren zu lassen, ihre beruflichen, persönlichen und Lebensziele in Angriff zu nehmen. Dies nahmen Teilnehmerinnen der Women|Future Conference von der Konferenz mit:

"Ich habe bereits an vielen virtuellen Konferenzen teilgenommen und dies ist die beste Konferenz von allen. Ich habe viele gute Informationen erhalten und fabelhafte Damen getroffen, die Unterstützung, Ermutigung, Talent und Inspiration boten." - Shirin Alhroob, Universität von North Carolina

"Aufregend, einnehmend, informativ und inspirierend! Was für eine Show!" - April Traughber, Direktorin für Lernen & Entwicklung TTEC

"Die Teilnahme an der 2020 Women|Future Conference war eine absolute Ehre. Gleichgesinnte Frauen zu hören, wie sie Erfolgsgeschichten, Prüfungen und Erkenntnisse über ihre Wege austauschen, war äußerst inspirierend. Ich kann das Jahr 2021 kaum erwarten!" - Catina D'Achille Account Executivtrwqve, Park Place Payments

"Was für ein wirklich inspirierendes Ereignis! Ich fühlte mich engagiert und befähigt. Ich empfehle die Teilnahme an dieser Veranstaltung jedem, der daran interessiert ist, zu lernen, sein bestes Selbst zu sein". - Mirela Marceta, Entwicklungskoordinatorin, YWCA Hamilton

Die am Dienstag, den 10. November stattfindende Vorkonferenzsitzung mit der höchsten Teilnehmerzahl stand unter dem Titel: "Disrupt the Imposter Syndrome; Let the Real You Shine Through!" Die Podiumsteilnehmer dieser Sitzung diskutierten ihre eigenen "Hochstapler-Momente" und erforschten, wie unser innerer Kritiker als Ergebnis des Vergleichssyndroms herauskommt. Sie erklärten, dass wir, wenn wir uns mit anderen vergleichen, dazu neigen, unser Schlechtestes mit dem Besten von jemand anderem zu vergleichen.

"Wir stellen andere of auf ein Podest und sehen uns selbst in einem Zustand, der kleiner ist als die menschliche Natur", erklärte die Podiumsteilnehmerin Dee C. Marshall, CEO von Diverse and Engaged. "Wie können wir dieses Problem lösen? Ein Weg ist die Gewissheit, dass wir alle einzigartige Begabungen und Talente haben, die kein anderer hat. Denken Sie daran: Wenn jemand weiter fortgeschritten zu sein scheint als Sie, dann liegt das nicht daran, dass er besser ist als Sie, sondern daran, dass wir unterschiedliche Fähigkeiten haben."
"Wir vergleichen uns auch mit unserem zukünftigen und vergangenen Selbst", fügte Jen Coken, Executive Coach, Rednerin und Autorin, hinzu. "Ich glaube nicht, dass wir es jemals überwinden können, ich glaube, wir können einen neuen Neuropathiepfad schaffen, sobald Sie in der Lage sind, den alten Neuropathiepfad zu erwischen. Wenn Sie zeigen wollen, dass Sie fröhlich sind, gibt es dafür keine Formel - fröhlich zu sein, könnte bedeuten, dass ich Lachyoga mache, wie ein Verrückter die Straße runterspringe und die Leute denken, ich sei verrückt, oder es könnte bedeuten, dass ich die Leute anlächle. Es gibt so viele verschiedene Dinge, die man tun kann, und sobald man eine neue Praxis gefunden hat, um über der Linie zu bleiben, wird man immer stärker."

Tag 1- Women|Future Conference

Die Konferenz begann am Donnerstag, dem 12. November, mit der Eröffnungsrede "Today's Leadership, Tomorrow's Future" von Anne Chow, CEO von AT&T Business. Anne Chow vermittelte eine inspirierende Botschaft über das Führen mit Mitgefühl und Achtsamkeit gegenüber unserem gegenwärtigen Umfeld sowie über unbewusste Vorurteile am Arbeitsplatz. Sie umrahmte ihre Diskussion um die "7+C's" einer großartigen Führung, die ihrer Meinung nach für die heutige Zeit entscheidend und für unsere Zukunft entscheidend sind.

"Eines der Dinge, die ich in meiner Erfahrung gefunden habe, ist, dass Organisationen und Menschen innerhalb dieser Organisationen oft den Fehler machen, anzunehmen, dass wenn man Charakter hat, auch Kompetenz hat oder wenn man kompetent ist, auch Charakter hat, aber das ist absolut nicht wahr. Man braucht sowohl Charakter als auch Kompetenz als Grundlage für Vertrauen". Sie verwies auf das Buch "The Speed of Trust" von Stephen Covey, in dem diese Interaktion untersucht wird, sowie auf eine persönliche Anekdote, um ihren Standpunkt zu illustrieren; obwohl ihr Bruder, ein OB-GYN, der "äußersten Charakter" hat, war er nicht die geeignete Person, um ihre Schulterverletzung zu untersuchen. Als sie das C der Farbe (Colour) diskutierte, erklärte Anne,

"Große Führungspersönlichkeiten umgeben sich mit Menschen, die nicht so sind wie sie selbst, die eigentlich ganz anders sind als sie selbst... die Daten zeigen, dass vielfältige Teams bessere Ergebnisse erzielen."

"Wir wollen Kulturen schaffen, in denen jeder das Gefühl hat, als sein authentisches Selbst dazuzugehören... Vielfalt bedeutet, jemanden zur Party einzuladen, Einbeziehung bedeutet, ihn zum Tanzen aufzufordern, und für mich bedeutet Zugehörigkeit, dass man seinen eigenen Tanz zur Party mitbringt und anderen seinen Tanz beibringt, während man ihren lernt."

Anne Chow schloss ihre Grundsatzrede mit einer Live-Frage-und-Antwort-Runde aus dem Publikum. Weitere Sitzungen am ersten Tag der Women|Future Conference schlossen sich an:

• How to Be Resilient Through a Crisis
• Women Driving the Future of Tech- How AI, VR, and Robotics will be the Norm
• Health and Wellness 2020 & Beyond
• Stevie Awards for Women in Business Case Studies
• Passion to Profit
• Journalistic Approach to Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
• Balancing Motherhood + Business for “Mompreneurs” and Working Moms
• Finding Your Voice for Young Women
• The Power of Female Leadership
• Sustainability: Waste is a Design Flaw
• Women and Money: Investing 101
• How to Make Your Small Business Stand Out in the Crowd

Tag 2- Women|Future Conference

Der zweite Konferenztag begann mit einer gefragten Sitzung, die sich mit der individuellen Einstellung zu Geld und den vielen Dingen befasste, die unsere Fähigkeit, finanziell erfolgreich zu sein, beeinflussen. Die Podiumsteilnehmer zum Thema "Financial Wellness: Ihre Beziehung zum Geld" untersuchten, was es bedeutet, echte finanzielle Freiheit zu haben, und gaben Tipps, wie man verfolgen, auswählen und investieren kann, wohin das Geld fließt. Die Podiumsteilnehmer tauschten Ressourcen zum Thema Investieren und Sparen aus und erläuterten, wie Geld für Frauen ein emotional aufgeladeneres Thema sein kann als für Männer. Zusätzlich wurden zwei Tagessitzungen der Women|Future Conference angeboten:

• Create Joy in Your Career on Your Own Terms
• Business Chemistry: Using Science to Improve the Art of Relationships
• Getting Creative with Client Engagements
• Tips and Tricks: How to Get Funding for Your Business
• Building Your Dream Network for Introverts
• Conquer Crisis. Train Like a Triathalete. Body + Mind + Business
• Growth Through Social Media
• Bold Identity Branding to Build Your Business Post-Covid
• Creating Memorable Content
• E-Commerce and Online Business in Today’s Changing Climate

Auf dem Bild oben, von rechts, sind Judith Batty, Interim-CEO der Pfadfinderinnen der USA und Kelly Parisi, Kommunikationsbeauftragte der Pfadfinderinnen der USA zu sehen. Während ihrer Sitzung der Women|Future Conference Session, "Building the Next Generation of Women Leaders Who Make a Positive Impact in the World" (Aufbau der nächsten Generation von weiblichen Führungskräften, die einen positiven Einfluss auf die Welt haben), teilte Judith einige beeindruckende Statistiken über die rund 59 Millionen Pfadfinderinnen-Alumnae und den Einfluss, den sie auf die Welt hatten, mit.

"53% der Unternehmerinnen und Geschäftsinhaberinnen in den USA waren Pfadfinderinnen", erklärte Batty. "Pfadfinderinnen-Absolventinnen haben mit größerer Wahrscheinlichkeit als andere Frauen einen Wirtschaftsabschluss. Die Mehrheit der Frauen, die im Kongress dienen, waren auch Pfadfinderinnen. Betrachtet man die Wissenschaften, so war die Mehrheit der Astronautinnen ebenfalls Pfadfinderinnen. Wir schaffen Führungskräfte."

Eine unserer abschließenden Sitzungen des Tages war der "Shark Tank"-Wettbewerb, bei dem zehn Finalisten, deren Unternehmen im November 2017 oder später gegründet wurden, um die Chance auf eine Finanzierung konkurrierten. Ein Gremium aus Jurorinnen und Teilnehmerinnen sah sich einen dreiminütigen Pitch von jeder der Finalistinnen an und stimmte dann für ihre Favoritin ab.

Die Finalistinnen des Pitch-Wettbewerbs beantworteten Fragen der Jury zu ihren Geschäftsmodellen, ihren Zielgruppen und ihren Betriebsstrategien. Der Gewinner des Pitch-Wettbewerbs ist Clocr Inc., ein innovatives Nachlassplanungstool, mit dessen Hilfe eine Vollmacht zur legalen Weitergabe von digitalen Vermögenswerten und Online-Konten erstellt werden kann. Den zweiten Platz belegten Geschenkschachteln von Sam and Lance für ihren ethischen Marktplatz, den dritten Platz belegte Nutricraft Cookware.

Virtual Networking und roter Teppich

Der Übergang zu einer virtuellen Konferenz hatte zwar seine eigenen Herausforderungen, trotzdem konnte die persönliche Begegnung, die bei der Konferenz so beliebt ist beibehalten werden, darunter Networking, praktische Workshops und Momente auf dem roten Teppich. Die Konferenzplattform Swapcard und ihre Matchmaking-Fähigkeiten auf Basis künstlicher Intelligenz ermöglichten es den Teilnehmerinnen auch außerhalb der Konferenzsitzungen zu interagieren. Swapcard empfiehlt relevante Teilnehmer, Sponsoren, Sitzungen und Workshops auf der Grundlage gemeinsamer Interessen. Eine weitere unterhaltsame Funktion der Plattform war die Möglichkeit, von zu Hause aus ein Foto auf dem roten Teppich zu machen. Klicken Sie hier, um die Fotos vom roten Teppich anzusehen.

From November 12-13, over 320 attendees tuned in virtually from around the world to learn and be inspired at the 2020 Women|Future Conference. The third annual Women|Future Conference was originally planned as an in-person event in Las Vegas, but this year's pivot to virtual did not stop attendees from making engaging connections and having forward-thinking discussions. Attendees gained powerful insights to help them in their professional and personal lives through sessions ranging from entrepreneurship to financial planning, diversity in the workplace, health and wellness, overcoming the imposter syndrome, and social media marketing.

The 2020 Women|Future Conference was made up of 108 transformative speakers from multiple industries and fields of thought. Speakers ranged from female founders, CEOs, small business owners, and executives of Fortune 500 companies including AT&T Business, Amazon, Deloitte, Cisco, Microsoft, Roku, HCL and PayPal. The conference sessions and workshops encouraged women in all stages of life to not only embrace their tomorrow, but to walk away with lessons that motivate them to tackle career, personal, and life goals. Here’s what Women|Future Conference attendees took away from the conference:

"I have attended a lot of virtual conferences and this is the best conference out there. I took away a lot of good information and met fabulous ladies who delivered support, encouragement, talent and inspiration." - Shirin Alhroob, University of North Carolina

"Exciting, engaging, informative, and inspiring! What a show!" - April Traughber, Director of Learning & Development TTEC

"Taking part in the 2020 Women|Future Conference was an absolute honor. Hearing like-minded women share success stories, trials and insight on their stories was extremely inspiring. I can’t wait for 2021!" - Catina D’Achille Account Executivtrwqve, Park Place Payments

"I loved the mix of topics at the Conference. It was inspiring to be surrounded with knowledgeable women who have overcome trauma and other life events and rise to success. Everyone was very approachable and it was a great platform for networking. Would definitely recommend to other."  - Georgia Homsany, Founder of Daily Dose Wellness

"What a truly inspirational event! I felt engaged and empowered. I highly recommend attending this event to anyone who is interested in learning to be their best self". - Mirela Marceta, Development Coordinator, YWCA Hamilton

The top attended pre-conference session was on Tuesday, November 10 titled, "Disrupt the Imposter Syndrome; Let the Real You Shine Through!" Panelists of this session discussed their own “imposter moments” and explored how our inner critic comes out as a result of comparison syndrome. They explained that when we compare ourselves to others, we tend to compare our worst to someone else’s best.

“We see others in a more larger-than state, and see ourselves as less-than by human nature,” explained panelist Dee C. Marshall, CEO of Diverse and Engaged. “How we can resolve this? One way is to know that we all have unique gifts and talents that no one else can do. Remember, if someone appears to be farther along than you, it is not that they are better than you, it is that we have different skillsets.”

“We also compare ourselves to our future and past selves,” added Jen Coken, Executive Coach, Speaker and Author. “I don’t think we can ever overcome it, I think we can create a new neuropathway the moment you are able to catch the old neuropathway. If you want to show up being joyful, there’s no formula for that- being joyful could mean I do some laughter yoga, skip down the street like a nut job and people think I’m crazy, or it could mean I smile at people. There are so many different things you can do, and once you identify a new practice to stay above the line, the stronger you get.”

Day One- Women|Future Conference

The conference kicked off on Thursday, November 12 with the opening keynote, "Today's Leadership, Tomorrow's Future" by Anne Chow, CEO of AT&T Business. Anne delivered an inspiring message about leading with compassion and mindfulness of our current environment, as well as unconscious bias in the workplace. She framed her discussion around the “7+C's” of great leadership, which she says are key for today and critical for our future.

When explaining two of the C’s, character and competence, Anne explained “One of the things I have found in my experience is that organizations and people within those organizations often make the mistake of assuming that if you have character, you have competence, or if you are competent, you have character, but this is absolutely not true. You need both character and competence as a foundation for trust.” She referenced the Stephen Covey book, The Speed of Trust, which explores this interaction as well as a personal anecdote to illustrate her point; even though her brother, an OB-GYN, has the "utmost character," he was not the appropriate person to see for her shoulder injury. When discussing the C of color, Anne stated,

“Great leaders surround themselves with people who are not like them, but are actually very different than themselves...the data shows that diverse teams generate better results.”

“We want to create cultures where everybody feels that they belong as their authentic self...diversity is asking somebody to the party, inclusion is asking them to dance, and for me, belonging is about bringing your own dance to the party and teaching others your dance while you learn theirs.”

Anne Chow closed her keynote with a live Q&A session from the audience. Other sessions on day one of the Women|Future Conference included:

• How to Be Resilient Through a Crisis
• Women Driving the Future of Tech- How AI, VR, and Robotics will be the Norm
• Health and Wellness 2020 & Beyond
• Stevie Awards for Women in Business Case Studies
• Passion to Profit
• Journalistic Approach to Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
• Balancing Motherhood + Business for “Mompreneurs” and Working Moms
• Finding Your Voice for Young Women
• The Power of Female Leadership
• Sustainability: Waste is a Design Flaw
• Women and Money: Investing 101
• How to Make Your Small Business Stand Out in the Crowd

Day Two- Women|Future Conference

The second day of sessions began with another popular session that addressed individual mindset about money and the many things that impact our ability to be financially successful. The panelists on “Financial Wellness: Your Relationship with Money” explored what it means to have true financial freedom and provided tips on how to track, choose, and invest where your money goes. The panelists shared resources about investing and saving, and explained how money can be an emotionally charged topic for women more so than for men. Additional day two Women|Future Conference sessions included:

• Create Joy in Your Career on Your Own Terms
• Business Chemistry: Using Science to Improve the Art of Relationships
• Getting Creative with Client Engagements
• Tips and Tricks: How to Get Funding for Your Business
• Building Your Dream Network for Introverts
• Conquer Crisis. Train Like a Triathalete. Body + Mind + Business
• Growth Through Social Media
• Bold Identity Branding to Build Your Business Post-Covid
• Creating Memorable Content
• E-Commerce and Online Business in Today’s Changing Climate
  
  View the full 2020 Women|Future Conference Agenda

Pictured above, from right, are Judith Batty, Interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA and Kelly Parisi, Communications Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA. During their Women|Future Conference Session, "Building the Next Generation of Women Leaders Who Make a Positive Impact in the World," Judith shared some impressive statistics about the roughly 59 million Girl Scout alumnae and the impact they have had on the world.

“53% of female entrepreneurs and business owners in the US were Girl Scouts,” stated Batty. “Girl Scout alums are more likely than other women to have a business degree. The majority of women serving in Congress were also Girl Scouts. If you look at the sciences, the majority of female astronauts were Girl Scouts as well. We create leaders.”

One of our closing sessions of the day was the “Shark Tank”-Style Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition which featured ten finalists whose businesses were founded in November 2017 or later competing for a chance to win funding.  A panel of judges and attendees watched 3-minute pitches from each finalist, then voted for their favorite.  Our five judges included female founders and CEOs of successful, established women-owned businesses. The Pitch Competition finalists answered questions from the judges about their business model, target audience, and operations strategy.

The winner of the pitch competition was Clocr Inc., an innovative estate planning tool that helps create a power of attorney to legally pass on digital assets and online accounts. In second place was Sam and Lance ethical marketplace gift boxes, and in third place was Nutricraft Cookware.

Virtual Networking and Red Carpet

The Women|Future Conference is today launching the Speaker Resources Webpage, an evolving virtual hub of books, videos, podcasts, online workshops, and more which have been published by 2020 Women|Future Conference speakers.

With speakers from multiple industries and fields of thought, we wanted to create a place outside of the conference platform where the public could access resources written and created by our inspiring speakers. Just like our conference sessions, topics on the Speaker Resources Webpage range from career advice to self-help, finance, branding, diversity & inclusion, entrepreneurship, and human resources.

We hope you enjoy these free and invaluable resources. Please feel free to use and share them however you choose; the mission of the Women|Future Conference is about supporting and learning from other women in business, and this resource list does just that!

The Women|Future Conference is made up of 100+ transformative women speakers from around the world including notable CEOs, Founders, Entrepreneurs, and Executives from AT&T Business, Amazon, Girl Scouts of the USA, Deloitte, Cisco, Microsoft, Roku, HCL, PayPal, and more. The conference brings together women professionals from all industries for 2 days of inspiration and learning from November 12-13, 2020. 

Pre-conference sessions kick off this Monday, November 9, 2020. Current registrants have already started building their event schedules, filling out their profiles on the virtual platform, and connecting with attendees and speakers who share similar interests. It's not too late to join them and register! 

Save 10% when you register three or more people together. Students can attend the Women|Future Conference at half-price ($49 compared to the general admission ticket price of $99).

Thank you to our Sponsors, Advertisers and Partners

We are proud to partner with the following publications and organizations that give a voice to women entrepreneurs and leaders.

👍Get Social With the Women|Future Conference 

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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

There are less than three weeks left until the 2020 Women|Future Conference, happening virtually November 12-13. Below are a few recent announcements and updates to the agenda, which now consists of 108 speakers and 35 sessions!

1. Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition Finalists Announced

New for 2020, the Women|Future Conference launched a 'Shark Tank'-style Women-Owned Business Pitch Competition for organizations run by women and founded in November 2017 or later. 70+ incredible businesses applied, and 10 finalists were selected to compete for a chance to win funding for their business. A mix of industries make up the list of finalists including food and wellness products, e-learning, computer software solutions, online media, and clothing with a cause. The finalists and their websites can be viewed here.

2. Three Days of Pre-Conference Sessions Added to the Agenda

Our conference is packed with content, inspiration, motivation and global networking. Three additional days of pre-conference sessions were recently added to the agenda, each of which is focused on a theme corresponding to that day of the week; Motivational Monday, GratitTuesday, and Women-Owned Business Wednesday! The schedule is in Eastern Standard Time.

November 9, Motivational Monday

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm Overcoming Personal Adversity

November 10, GratiTuesday

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm Disrupt the Imposter Syndrome; Let the Real You Shine Through!

November 11, Women-Owned Business Wednesday

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm Your Next Act: The Move From Corporate to Entrepreneurship

3:15 pm - 4:00 pm Challenging Stigmas and Changing Lives: Everything You Need To Know About CBD

4:00 pm - 5:15 pm Successful & Sustainable: Triple Bottom Line Businesses

3. Our Keynote speaker is Anne Chow, CEO of AT&T Business

Anne Chow, Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Business, is the keynote speaker for the 2020 Women|Future Conference. She and her organization of over 30,000 employees are responsible for serving nearly 3 million business customers in upwards of 200 countries and territories around the world. Anne will kick off the conference on Thursday, November 12 at 8:00 am, EST. Her session is titled “Today’s Leadership, Tomorrow’s Future.” She will discuss how Covid-19 is changing life as we know it - how we work, how we live, and how we communicate, as well as leadership lessons from 2020 and her view of leading into the future.

4. Our Featured Speaker is Judith Batty, Interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Save 10% when you register three or more people together. Students can attend the Women|Future Conference at half-price ($49 compared to the general admission ticket price of $99).

Thank you to our Sponsors, Advertisers and Partners

We are proud to partner with the following publications and organizations that give a voice to women entrepreneurs and leaders. If you know an organization that aligns with the Women|Future Conference mission of supporting women, let them know about our event! To request info on sponsoring, fill out this form.

👍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

Do you or someone you know own a women-run business founded in November 2017 or later? Enter the 2020 Women|Future Conference Business Pitch Competition for a chance to win funding! 💸 The Women|Future Conference has added this competition as a new feature to the two-day virtual event happening November 12-13, 2020. It is an opportunity for women-owned businesses and female entrepreneurs who are navigating the startup phase of their business endeavors to receive funding -- think of it as a 'Shark Tank' for female business owners. 

If selected, finalists will be asked to record a three-minute pitch about their product/service, business model, and target market. Submissions will be reviewed by the Women|Future Conference team and final pitches will be judged by a panel of female venture capitalists and conference attendees during our virtual event on November 13, 2020. There will be three winners, each of which will receive a monetary prize.

There are still sponsorship opportunities available which go toward funding the pitch competition. If your organization is interested in sponsoring, email Ruslana@stevieawards.com or visit our sponsorship and advertising page to request information.

The Women|Future Conference agenda features virtual sessions, panels, and workshops that address today’s trending topics and current issues in areas such as technology, sustainability, career and financial planning, diversity in the workplace, leadership, crisis management, and more. The conference is made up of 100 transformative women speakers from around the world including notable CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, and executives from AT&T Business, Amazon, Girl Scouts of the USA, Deloitte, HCL, Cisco, Microsoft, Roku, PayPal and more. View the speaker lineup.

In the spirit of back to school season, we recently announced that students can attend the Women|Future Conference at half-price (that's just $49 compared to the regular ticket price of $99!) Many Women|Future Conference speakers will discuss topics relevant to young women who have just entered the workforce, or are thinking about their future careers.

If you know a student who is an aspiring business owner, or would love to hear from female entrepreneurs, founders, and executives in diverse industries, let her know about this incredible opportunity! Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Save 10% when you register three or more people together.

👍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

We are excited to announce the 2020 Women|Future Conference opening Keynote Speaker - Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Business, Anne Chow!

Anne will kick off our conference on Thursday, November 12 at 8:00 am, EST. Her session is titled “Today’s Leadership, Tomorrow’s Future.” She will discuss how COVID-19 is changing life as we know it - how we work, how we live, and how we communicate. As leaders we must be mindful of our current environment, which is now marked by a global pandemic, economic recession, and social injustices, but we must also simultaneously drive forward and build a better tomorrow. Anne will be discussing leadership lessons from 2020 and her view of leading into the future.

With decades in the industry, Anne has led many global organizations through major transformations, developing and executing innovative growth strategies while building role model relationships. She's passionate about education, diversity and inclusion, advancing women in technology and cultivating next generation leaders.

Anne was appointed Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Business in September 2019. She and her organization of over 30,000 employees are responsible for serving nearly 3 million business customers in upwards of 200 countries and territories around the world. She is the first woman to hold this position and first woman of color CEO in AT&T’s history!

Anne is speaking among 100 talented, transformative women leaders from around the world. The Women|Future Conference agenda features virtual sessions, panels, and workshops that address today’s trending topics and current issues in areas such as technology, sustainability, career and financial planning, diversity in the workplace, leadership, crisis management, and much more. Our speakers are a diverse mix of female CEOs, Founders, Entrepreneurs, and Senior Management and Directors from Amazon, Cisco, Deloitte, Microsoft, Girl Scouts of the USA, HCL, Roku, PayPal and more. View the full speaker lineup.

Women|Future Conference Sessions Include:

• Business Chemistry! Using Science to Improve the Art of Relationships Workshop by Deloitte
• Overcoming Personal Adversity
• Conquer Crisis. Train Like a Triathlete. Body + Mind + Business
• Balancing Motherhood + Business: for "Mompreneurs" and Working Moms
• Financial Wellness: Your Relationship with Money
• Diversity & Inclusion: The Importance in Your Workplace
• Building Your Dream Network for Introverts
• Competent but Not Confident: Scientifically Why So Many Women Limit Their Own Potential - and Everyone Else’s
• Redefining Success in the New Normal: Knowing What You Want, Why You Deserve it, and How to Get it
• Disrupt the Imposter Syndrome; Let the Real You Shine Through!
• Women Driving the Future of Tech: How AI, VR, and Robotics Will Be the Norm
• Create Joy in Your Career on Your Own Terms
    ...and many more

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Take advantage of the $49 student special, $99 general registration, and save 10% when you register three or more people together.

👍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

When discussing gender equality, the wage gap between men and women nearly always becomes a part of the conversation. While most people know this gap exists, not as many realize the far-reaching and detrimental impacts of that inequality.

Why Does This Gap Exist?

Before diving into the consequences of wage inequality, it’s important to look at some of the reasons the gap exists. It’s a complicated issue involving many interconnected factors, but some of the most prominent reasons include:

• Occupational segregation, wherein more men work in higher-paid industries
• Vertical segregation, with more men in senior (and, therefore, higher-paid) positions
• Nonexistent, poorly enforced, or ineffective legislation related to equal pay
• Barriers to entering the labor market, including outright discrimination, access to education, and work-hindering issues related to child-rearing

Real-World Consequences of the Gender Wage Gap

Closing the wage gap would, of course, be positive because it would be a step toward overall gender equality. However, there would be myriad other positive effects that should motivate people and businesses to make this issue a priority.

For example, gender wage inequality reduces overall economic output. While it’s certainly not the case for every woman, the wage disparity does make it more likely for females to be dependent on welfare or other social aid programs—a problem that becomes even more pronounced in old age. With less savings and fewer pensions, women are generally at a disadvantage in regard to retirement and more likely to face poverty after the age of 65. One study by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs in Australia found that eliminating the 17 percent wage gap there would translate to approximately $93 billion in increased gross domestic product (GDP), or 8.5 percent of overall GDP.

Aptitude Research Partners also found that organizations that specifically prioritize gender equity perform better. They are 54 percent more likely to exceed industry average turnover numbers and 46 percent more likely to have higher year-over-year ratings on Glassdoor. With better retention rates and more engaged and motivated employees, companies are more likely to attract top talent, which then generally leads to improved customer satisfaction and higher-than-average financial returns.

In short, closing the wage gap would improve individual employee satisfaction and quality of life, improve a company’s bottom line, and positively impact an entire nation’s GDP and economic standing.

The March Toward Equality

According to the World Economic Forum, if progress continues at its current pace, it will take 108 years to close the global pay gap in the 106 countries covered in that report. This pace is a result of the slowness of global action on the topic and the sheer vastness of the gap itself.

While these numbers can seem disheartening, many individuals and companies are using them as motivation. Lauren Hasson founded DevelopHer, which is based in Dallas, Texas, United States. DevelopHer is an award-winning platform that bridges the gender wage gap, inspires, and empowers women to advocate for themselves to break glass ceilings.

The scalability and affordability offered through DevelopHer programs has allowed and empowered thousands of women to earn 26%, 43%, and 67% salary increases in just a single negotiation. Through DevelopHer, Lauren has created real change at a grassroots level. Women have also gained the confidence to secure better positions and move beyond glass ceilings, bridging the challenging opportunity gap.

Hasson just won the Gold Stevie Award for Entrepreneur of the Year - Consumer Services in The 2020 American Business Awards® as well as a Silver Stevie® Award in the category of Female Solo Entrepreneur of the Year, and Startup of the Year - Consumer Services Industries in the 2019 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business.

Interested in entering the Stevie Award for Women in Business?

Hasson acknowledges not only the complexity of this global issue but the need to focus on local solutions.

“Pay disparity is an intractable issue that will not be solved overnight,” says Hasson, “but the DevelopHer mission is to foster engagement by businesses and individuals at a grassroots level to affect true change.”