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20 Years of the Texas Conference for Women

The 2019 Conference marked our 20th year serving the women of Texas, and we had to celebrate!

1. We wrote a book.

Women Amplified

Rather, 20 years of phenomenal keynote speakers graced our stage with their wisdom—and we carefully handpicked the best words to publish in this unique collection.

Women Amplified: 20 Years of Insights from the Stage of the Texas Conference for Women

Order today for yourself—or as a gift for a woman you want to inspire! 

Read about the book in Lone Star Literary.

Women Amplified dispenses 20 years of wisdom, humor and inspiration from CEOs, A-list actors, athletes and more in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Texas Conference for Women.

In the book, a litany of household names offers guidance on work-life balance, leadership, inclusion and the importance of women supporting each other. Those quoted include: Author Brené Brown, Human Rights Attorney Amal Clooney, Academy Award Winner Viola Davis, Global Philanthropist Melinda Gates, Professor and Attorney Anita Hill, Facebook Executive Sheryl Sandberg, and Entrepreneur Martha Stewart.

Through speakers’ own words and an introduction by writer Lisa Bennett, Women Amplified, published by the Austin-based Greenleaf Book Group, offers a unique portrait of progress for women over the past 20 years and how much work still must be done.

Women Amplified offers two decades of inspiration from many of the most respected women leaders of our time. It lets readers everywhere share in the insights from the stage of the Texas Conference for Women,” said Laurie Dalton White, who founded the Texas Conference for Women and three other sister Conferences around the country. “We are extremely gratified to be able to look back at all of the remarkable women who have graced our stage and look forward to continuing our work for gender equality.”

 

Excerpts from Women Amplified:

“When my sisters and I banded together and decided that we would take on one of the most brutal warlords in the history of Africa, they called us toothless bulldogs, a bunch of old married women looking for press or public attention . . . all kinds of names. Today we are in the history books because we knew that we had to do something.” – Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

“The pundits were wrong because they underestimated the will of women to stop the abuses that they had experienced. And that is what we have to keep in mind—that you may get messages to tell you that you are weak, or you are powerless, or you are not brave enough to come forward. But we know better. We know that we can tap into our own power and our own sense of what is right and wrong, to step up, to make a difference in our lives, in the lives of people who we care about, and all women.” – Anita Hill, professor and attorney

“In the last few years, journalists keep asking me about passing the torch to younger women. I’m not dead yet. I have absolutely no intention of passing my torch. The embalmer will have to break it from my clutch. But I’m willing to light as many young women’s torches as possible, and I will do it joyfully.” – National Book Award Winner Isabel Allende 

“Holding back women is holding back half of every country in the world and stifles progress for all of us. So, these are rights that we must all fight for.” – Amal Clooney, human rights lawyer specializing in international law. 

“There are people who focus on the limits, and there are people who focus on the possibilities. See the possibilities in whatever your circumstances are, and fill those possibilities. Run to the problem, not away from it, and opportunity will knock.” – Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and the first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company

“Diversity is about counting, inclusion is about cultivating. Diversity is about being invited to the party, but inclusion is about being asked to dance.” – Vernā Myers, Vice President of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix

 

2. We asked for your memories.

And you delivered! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to connect with fellow attendees between events.

3. We combed the archives for the best main stage moments of the last twenty years.


The Power of Us


Believe in What Could Be


Amplify Your Voice


Believe in Yourself


Embrace the Adversity


Dream Big


Breaking Barriers