Agenda 2014

Leadership

Designed for a seasoned or aspiring leader looking to climb the ladder and shatter the glass ceiling

Leadership in a Multigenerational Workplace: How to Leverage Your Employees for Maximum Impact (POE)

For the first time in history, four generations are sharing the workplace — and sometimes it feels like they are living in four different worlds. Being able to successfully lead the Traditional Traditionalists, the Still Booming Boomers, the Xtra-Independent Gen Xers and the Tech-or-Die Gen Ys is complicated but it is critical to the success of your team and your organization. This interactive discussion will bring together a diverse mix of leaders and professionals to share best practices and lessons learned around leading a multigenerational workplace. Research and real-life experiences will offer attendees practical advice to:

– Lead more effectively and increase productivity;
– Improve communication and cross-generational relationships for yourself and your team;
– Provide more effective mentoring to better develop the next generation of leaders;
– Leverage your teams’ strengths to develop a succession plan

Thought Leader: Ritu Sharma, co-founder and president, Women Thrive Worldwide and author, Teach a Woman to Fish

Panel of Experts:
1. Jane Hyun, leadership strategist and author, Flex: The New Playbook for Managing Across Differences
2. Mandy Ginsberg, CEO, Tutor.com and former CEO, Match.com
3. Gayle Morris, VP, Americas services, Cisco

Host: Johnita Jones, Pipeline Risk and Integrity Manager, Exxon Mobil

Career Advancement

Designed for the mid/senior level professional with significant experience looking for advice around professional skills and job advancement

It’s All About a Brand New Brand YOU! Tips to Market and Promote Yourself (POE)

Perception is reality more often than not – whether we like it or not. The most successful authors, entertainers, entrepreneurs and corporations have marketing and PR strategies to help them shine and to create the perception they want others to see. You can and should do the same. How do others perceive you? Are you happy with how others perceive you? Now is your chance to create a brand new brand for YOU! Having written marketing and publicity plans for more than 150 New York Times best-selling authors, award-winning branding expert Cindy Ratzlaff and a panel of real-life professionals will share invaluable strategies to help you create your very own publicity plan. Show your manager, your customers or your clients just how talented and invaluable you are. Attend this session and learn how to promote yourself and create a powerful message so that you stand out, get ahead and build the career you want!

Thought Leader: Cindy Ratzlaff, brand evangelist, social media strategist, author and Forbes “Top 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter”

Panel of Experts:
1. Sara Canaday, author, You — According to Them: Uncovering the blind spots that impact your reputation and your career
2. Amy Heirman, managing director, talent management, United Airlines
3. Carla Piñeyro Sublett, executive director of marketing, Latin America, Dell
4. Michele Ruiz, entrepreneur and marketing expert

Host: Vandana Singh, executive director, global customer experience and programs, Dell

Emerging Professionals

Designed for Millennials and newer professionals entering or re-entering the workforce

The Doodle Revolution: Unlock the Power to Think Differently (W)

The act of generating something new, useful and even disruptive is a fundamental capacity in all of us. Organizations today are experiencing creative tension—having to balance information overload with increasing pressure to do more, faster, with less. Innovation and thinking differently doesn’t need to be intimidating, foreign, misunderstood or overly complex. This session will explore how you can use visual and game thinking to unlock your power to think differently, innovate and ultimately be empowered to make quicker and smarter decisions in the workplace. This interactive workshop will teach you how to:

– Understand what innovation is and what ingredients are necessary for it to emerge;
– Integrate visual literacy and visual thinking into the process of innovation;
– Apply simple, user-friendly techniques and games to break habitual thinking patterns; and
– Better articulate ideas to the right people clearly, rapidly and memorably

Speaker: Sunni Brown, creator, The Doodle Revolution and named Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” and “10 Most Creative People on Twitter”

Host: Lori Knowlton, chief people officer, HomeAway

Transitions

Offering expertise for maneuvering career and life transitions

Transitions and Risk Taking: Lessons Learned While Becoming Brave (POE)

Are you looking to start a second career but nervous about what to do? Have you been in finance for a decade and scared to change industries but desperately need a change? Do you want to retire but fear the uncertainty of the extra hours in a day? Are you scared to leave the stability of corporate America to fulfill your inner entrepreneur? Have you taken years off to care for your family and worry about reentering and managing the demands of a fast-paced workplace? Are you scared of heights but desperately want to rock climb? Taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone can be stressful, challenging and downright scary! Fear isn’t an end point though; it’s a point of entry to a life of incomparable joy. This panel of women will share their experiences and lessons learned while becoming brave. Attendees will leave with practical advice for overcoming their fears, taking risks and successfully taking the plunge and making a transition personally or professionally.

goldsThought Leader: Patty Chang Anker, author, Some Nerve

Panel of Experts:
1. Debbie Jones, founder, French Laundry, NC
2. Cathy Kangas, founder, PRAI
3. Leticia Watts, Americas Region LSC Finance Manager – Lubricants, Shell
4. Stacy Zoern, founder, Kenguru and Community Cars

Host: Cindy Goldsberry, managing partner, ZFactor Group, and author, ZFactor Sales Acceleration

Health & Wellness

Offering strategies for managing and improving your physical, mental and emotional well being

Minimizing Stress, Anxiety and Depression for Maximum Happiness (POE)

Stress, depression and anxiety may not sound as scary as other life-threatening diseases, but they can be as detrimental and dangerous to your health. The effects take a toll on one’s mental and physical well-being – not to mention impact our ability to succeed personally and professionally. In a world that is fast-paced, constantly changing and always connected (overly-connected) it is unrealistic to eliminate them all together. This session will help you identify symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. Featuring health, wellness and workplace experts we will explore ways in which we can minimize stress and better manage our energy, thoughts and time in a more positive way. Together we will learn how psychology, mindfulness, sleep, nutrition and exercise all contribute to creating a happier and more success life.

Thought Leader: Cynthia Ackrill, M.D., president, WellSpark, Stress Management

Panel of Experts:
1. Katherine Anderson, national director, Naturopathic Medicine, Cancer Treatment Centers of America
2. Dr. Lawana Gladney, author, If You’re In the Driver’s Seat, Why Are You Lost?
3. Pam LeBlanc, Fit City columnist, Austin American-Statesman

Personal Development

Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace

Quieting Your Inner Critic So You Can Play Big (LP)

What sabotages most women from realizing their true potential? Fear mixed with self-doubt. Don’t let a lack of confidence or doubt stand in your way of making a change or diving into a new journey. With so many external factors out of your control, it is important to control the things you can. Emotions play an integral role in your ability to transition. This session will teach you how to manage your inner critic to access and convey greater confidence. Attendees will walk away with:

– Simple tools to use immediately to reduce the negative impact of self-doubt;
– Strategies to quiet your “inner critic”;
– Ways to become comfortable taking bold action in the workplace and in the world – and ready to make your next big move!

Speaker: Tara Sophia Mohr, founder and creator, Playing Big

Host: Michelle Breyer, president & co-founder, Texture Media

Personal Development

Offering advice for maximizing your relationships and reaching your personal goals outside of the workplace

Goals with Soul: The Most Effective Approach to Life Planning and Creating Success on Your Terms (LP)

Your bucket list. Quarterly objectives. Strategic plans. Big dreams. Goals. Lots of goals and plans to achieve those goals – no matter what. Does this sound like you? What we don’t realize is that often times we are not chasing the goal itself, we are actually chasing the feeling that we hope to get when we achieve that goal.We are living in an upside down world with the procedures of the achievement upside down – and as a result we are burning out! We go after what we want to have, get or accomplish, and we hope that we’ll be fulfilled when we get there. It’s backwards. And it’s burning us out. This session will help you get clear on how you actually want to feel in your life and then provide you with tools to create some “Goals with Soul”? Guru Danielle LaPorte will offer insight and advice to turn the concept of ambition inside out and will help you:

– Learn why easing up on your expectations actually liberates you to reach your goals;
– Identify your “core desired feelings” in the every life domain: livelihood & lifestyle, body & wellness, creativity & learning, relationships & society and essence & spirituality; and
– Create practical “Goals with Soul” to generate your core desired feelings.

Speaker: Danielle LaPorte, creator, The Desire Map and The Fire Starter Sessions

Host: Heather White, morning host, 98.1 KVET

Young Women’s Program

Designed for high school junior and senior girls

Turning Your Dream into Reality (POE)

How do you take your great idea and turn it into reality? The real-life experiences of these panelists will help attendees learn how to launch your idea, the technology needed, the unavoidable mistakes, how to get help when you need it and how to establish a line of credit to finance it.

Thought leader: Jessica Bacal, author, Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong

Panel of Experts:
1. Kimberly Bryant, founder, Black Girls Code
2. Megan Grassell, founder, YellowBerry
3. Alison Brushaber, chief product officer, Hail Merry

Leadership

Designed for a seasoned or aspiring leader looking to climb the ladder and shatter the glass ceiling

ENCORE – Bridging the Cross-Gender Communication Gap to Improve your Leadership and Advance Your Position (W)

Survey results of over 100,000 in-depth interviews of men and women executives in over 60 Fortune 500 companies reveal the staggering number of false assumptions and opinions men and women have of each other, and in many ways, believe in themselves. No wonder we face such a tremendous communication gap in the workplace. What cause these misunderstandings, miscommunications, mistrust, resentment, and frustrations at work? Relationship and communications guru John Gray will share insight to answer these questions and identify the 8 blind spots that compel men and women to think and act as they do. Learn practical advice so you can remove the blind spots enabling men and women to work and succeed together. We will explore ways to bridge the communication gap to improve your problem solving, decision-making, conflict resolution, stress management and overall leadership effectiveness. Unlock this and advance your leadership position!

Speaker: John Gray, best-selling author, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots Between Men and Women in Business

Host: Kerri Zane, single mom and lifestyle expert and author, It Takes All 5

Transitions

Offering expertise for maneuvering career and life transitions

Flex: Strategies for Thriving in a Multicultural and Multigenerational Workplace 


“Flexing” is the art of switching between leadership styles to more effectively work and engage people who are different from you. The workplace is growing increasingly multicultural, female and younger. As today’s leaders you must be able to navigate this diverse work environment. Yet, because cultural differences can be invisible or difficult to spot, we may not pick up on subtle nuances that we encounter daily. Internationally renowned executive coach and leadership strategist Jane Hyun will share practical advice for building trust and connecting with those who are different than us to create innovative solutions at work and achieve greater outcomes in life. Attend this interactive session to:

– Understand the Power Gap, the dimension you need to master;

– Flex your style by stretching how you work and communicate with others and learn how to leverage differences;

– Bridge the Gap with more effective communication and practical feedback tools; and

– Multiply the effect, by teaching these skills to others

Speaker: Jane Hyun, leadership strategist and author, Flex: The New Playbook for Managing Across Differences

Host: Leslie Rhode, award-winning television journalist

Style in the Workplace

Speaker: Kate White, former editor in chief, Cosmopolitan and New York Times bestselling author
It is proven that when you look good and put yourself together, you not only feel good but you are more productive and successful. Former Cosmopolitan editor Kate White will provide you with practical tips (that work with any budget) for creating your own personal style in the workplace. She will also explore the true of essence of style beyond what you wear and how that can make a tremendous impact on your career.

Claiming Happiness

Speakers: Cindy Ratzlaff, brand evangelist, social media strategist, author and Forbes “Top 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter” and Kathy Kinney, actress and producer. Co-authors, Queen of Your Own Life
If you’ve been struggling to find the happiness you deserve, then this is the session for you. Kathy Kinney (best known as Mimi on The Drew Carey Show) and Cindy Ratzlaff (marketing genius behind the launch of The South Beach Diet) have been best friends for more than thirty years, and have helped each other navigate the ups and downs of their lives with humor and grace. In this entertaining and inspiring session, they will offer easy step-by-step actions to blast away at the societal preconceived notions of happiness and share the tried-and-true techniques they call “the seven best gifts a woman can give herself.”

Click HERE to download the handout for Claiming Happiness.

From 0 to Tech in 30 Days

Speakers: Deborah Carter, senior manager, operations, Open Cloud Academy, Rackspace; Kay Jones, senior manager, infrastructure services, Rackspace; Lisa McLin, senior director, sales strategy, Rackspace; Kim Tryce, manager, operations, product integration engineering, Rackspace
Think you can’t make the switch into the technology industry? Think again. In this session, four women will share their experiences using e-learning programs, hands-on training and mentorship to break into the tech industry. This session is geared towards nontechnical people looking to make a job switch, re-enter the workforce or step into the working world for the first time. Session includes key takeaways that you can use immediately to jump-start your tech career progression.

How to Have a Better Day at Work: Sound Sleep, Reduced Stress, Stronger Immunity

Speaker: Katherine Anderson, national director, Naturopathic Medicine, Cancer Treatment Centers of America

We’ve all had those days at work where we feel very unproductive because we haven’t slept well, have an excessive amount of stress or are not feeling 100%. Katherine Anderson will tell us her tips on how to avoid having those days and head off to work feeling strong and better able to handle the challenges that come our way, which will lead is to increased productivity. No matter the number of balls you need to keep in the air at work and home, this session will help insure you’re always bringing your “A” game.

Inclusive Leadership as a Competitive Advantage

Moderator: Heather Lawley, senior strategist, global inclusion & diversity, Cisco

Speakers: Brenda Dennis, senior director, worldwide sales strategy and transformation, Cisco;  Hope Galley, emerging partner account manager, Cisco;  Gayle Morris, VP, Americas Services, Cisco;  Steve Yager, VP, Americas region technical services, Cisco

The world of work is changing rapidly where organizations are global, hyper-connected, less hierarchical, and ideas can come from anywhere. Great leadership is critical to effectively navigate this ever-evolving landscape, and inclusive leadership has the power to drive competitive advantage. Learn how to leverage your diverse perspective along with those in your organization, to role model inclusive behaviors and enable collaboration, driving greater employee engagement, innovation, and ultimately business impact.

Women and Wealth: Establishing a Game Plan that Aligns with What You Value Most

Speaker: Marilyn Booker, managing director, head of urban markets group, Morgan Stanley

You’re in charge of many things, including your financial future.  Your financial success is woven into a larger story; a unique web of circumstances, responsibilities and goals. In the “Women and Wealth” Expert Exchange, we’ll discuss managing for what you value most. This dialogue will provide you with some actionable insights on why financial planning is so critical for women.

8:00 am – 8:15 am: Top Supplements for Women

Speaker: Katherine Anderson, national director, Naturopathic Medicine, Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Katherine Anderson will provide an overview of top supplements for women, including fish oil, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, black cohosh and probiotics. Each of these supplements has strong indications for women’s health in both managing common symptoms and thinking ahead with preventative maintenance.

8:15 am: ASK THE EXPERTS…

Meet the speaker from Cancer Treatment Centers of America in the Health & Wellness Pavilion to continue the dialogue and ask questions in a more intimate 1:1 setting.

12:35 pm – 12:50 pm: Super Foods for Fueling Your Healthy Plate

Speaker: Rebecca Canby, Austin regional dietitian, HEB

What foods will keep you fueled throughout your busy day? Dietician Rebecca Canby will share which foods fuel an active, busy lifestyle and which of these are the nutrient dense superfoods that take you that much further. Attendees will learn the benefits of these superfoods and how to include more of them in your meal and snack planning.

12:50 pm: ASK THE EXPERTS…

Meet the speaker from HEB in the Health & Wellness Pavilion to continue the dialogue and ask questions in a more intimate 1:1 setting.

2:40 pm – 3:15 pm: Patient Education on Fibromyalgia with a Focus on a Prescription Treatment Plan

Speaker: Randall J. Wright, M.D., diplomat, American Board of Sleep Medicine; diplomat, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

More women than men suffer from fibromyalgia, which is a condition of chronic widespread muscle pain. Symptoms include aching muscles that are tender to the touch and pain in various parts of the body.  As this can make daily activities difficult, Dr. Randall Wright, will share his insight as to how best to manage fibromyalgia.

3:15 pm: ASK THE EXPERTS…

Meet Dr. Wright in the Health & Wellness Pavilion to continue the dialogue and ask questions in a more intimate 1:1 setting.

3:20 pm – 4:30 pm: Fitness Through Dance

Speaker and Instructor: Louis van Amstel, Emmy-nominated, Dancing with the Stars choreographer and three-time World Dance Champion

Join Emmy-nominated “Dancing with the Stars” choreographer and three-time World Dance Champion Louis van Amstel for a fun and energetic fitness class. Louis is the creator of the La Blast series, a partner-free dance-based workout where attendees will learn to dance, get fit and most importantly, have fun. Come ready to sweat!

4:30 pm: RAFFLE DRAWING

Understanding that conference attendees come to the “table” with a very diverse set of social media skills, needs and interests, we are thrilled to offer Social Media Roundtables.

Led by an expert facilitator, roundtables offer an informal and intimate setting to share best practices around a very focused and specific topic within the social media world. Roundtables are discussion-based and will not feature a formal presentation. This ensures each discussion is truly personalized and allows attendees to ask questions relevant to their needs.

Roundtables are limited to 10 people per topic and are first come, first served. We encourage you to come early to guarantee your spot. However, we will offer each roundtable a total of three times to allow attendees the opportunity to participate in multiple discussions on different topics and ensure that participants have another opportunity to join should a table fill up fast.

Roundtables will take place at the following times in the Exhibit Hall: 

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

3:35 pm – 4:05 pm

4:10 pm – 4:40 pm

Roundtable 1: Finding Your Social Media Champions

Speaker: Sheila Scarborough, co-founder, Tourism Currents

When used properly, social media can be an effective tool for spreading the word about you or your business. Sheila Scarborough will explain how having an army of social media champions can help your marketing efforts. Attendees will learn how to network to find the potential champions, how to evaluate their skills to learn what level they will participate and which ones will be most effective in spreading the word, and how to help them help you.

Roundtables 2 & 3: Who Gives a Tweet? Twitter 101/ Who Gives a Tweet? Twitter 201

Twitter 101 Speaker: Christina Linnell, small business social media consultant
Twitter 201 Speaker: Sandra Fernandez, SandraSays.com

This discussion will explore why and how Twitter is relevant for everyone and every business. Whether you are new to Twitter and choose the 101 session or have some experience, but want to take it further, and go the 201 route, attendees will learn how to make Twitter more rewarding. Best practices will be shared for increasing and influencing your followers to align with your objectives and goals. Be sure to bring your smart phone so you can practice and tweet live!

Roundtable 4: How to Use Facebook to Market Yourself & Your Business

Speaker:  Jen Smith, social media consultant

Facebook is a great way to connect with friends old and new, but it also can be utilized way beyond sharing posts about your kids and what you had for dinner. Facebook can be used as a powerful resource to market yourself and your business. Attend this interactive discussion to learn how to: join groups that fit with your likes and career; participate in conversations; create a group that fits the target audience you want to reach and valuable tips for searching for connections to market your skills and your business.

Roundtables 5 & 6: How to Maximize Your LinkedIn Presence (2)

Speaker: Corinne Weisgerber, Ph.D., associate professor of communication, St. Edward’s University
Speaker: Nazli Yuzak, senior global social media consultant, Dell

How do you whip your LinkedIn profile into shape, making it stand out from the rest? Attend this roundtable and learn how to create a compelling headline, use the right keywords, and navigate endorsements and recommendations, among many other strategies for success. 

Roundtable 7: Communicating Your Brand through Social Media

Speaker: Elizabeth Jurewicz, social media specialist, Rackspace

Online marketing content needs to be exactly as short / long as it needs to be to include everything you and your readers need to know, and not one word or minute more or less and published where you will gain maximum exposure and interaction with potential customers as often as your audience will tolerate and you can consistently sustain. This session covers the HOW to accomplish all of this. Together we will cover: Content length; Content format; and Content publishing platforms.

Roundtable 8: Social Media at Mid-Life: A Crash Course to Learn the Basics

Speaker: Cathy Benavides, social media consultant

Are you new to the social media space and not even sure how and where to get started? Attend this roundtable to learn the basics and embark on your journey to becoming more socially savvy. We will explore how you can be more comfortable joining the conversation in the digital age. You will learn about the basics, and leave with some simple – and fun –tools and tactics to help you better navigate and communicate in the online world. From Twitter, to Instagram, to Pinterest and Facebook you will be ready to tackle the social media world!

Roundtables 9 & 10: Marketing your Business Online (2)

Speaker: Emily Bell, CEO, After Interactive
Speaker: Veronica Morales, founder & CEO, The Social Being

Here’s the fact: women who get and leverage online marketing have the highest profits, the best customers and a business that makes money 24/7. At this roundtable, our experts will show you, step-by-step, how to package, position and sell your products and services using modern tools of online entrepreneurship. 

Roundtable 11: Marketing Your Blog

Speaker: Amanda Quraishi, blogger

Do you have a passion and want to write about it? This discussion will help you channel that passion and learn the basics of blogging.  Amanda Quraishi, award-winning blogger and social media expert, shares practical strategies for taking your blog to the next level so you can not only follow your passions, but can turn it into a career (and maybe even make a paycheck doing it)! 

Roundtables 12 & 13: Using Social Media to Advocate for your Cause

Speaker: Karen Walrond, speaker, author and photographer
Speaker: Patti Rogers, founder, Rallyhood

Social media offers tremendous reach with little investment. It can be used to make the world a better place by making others aware of social causes and efforts that are near and dear to your heart. Whether you’re a nonprofit or a for-profit organization, this roundtable will show you how you can successfully use social media for awareness of your cause, fundraising, community growth, engagement and more. We will explore: which tools are most effective; how to create a solid campaign and call to action; ways to create impactful messaging and attract followers and much more.

Roundtable 14: Keeping it Real: Remaining True to Yourself Online

Speaker: Virginia Woodruff, founder, Great Moments in Parenting

While building your social media presence–personally or as a brand–it’s easy to fall in with whatever is current and viral, but later find you’ve lost sight of your original mission. How do you build popularity in social media outlets without merely following trends? How do you diffuse the hot tempers in an online discussion without compromising your own values? And how do you provide consistently readable content that remains personal, not merely promotional? Attend this session to find out!

Roundtable 15: Instagram: Creating a Powerful Story

Speaker: Carly Uson, founder, Carly Co. Public Relations

As of the spring 2014 there are over 200 million monthly active users on Instagram. 75 million people use the app every day. Find out the basics of this image based social network and learn how you can use it to connect and engage personally and professionally. Whether you are corporate, small business or a non-profit, you will leave inspired with ideas on how to propel your work forward. Be sure to bring your smartphone and be ready to dive in!

Roundtable 16: Get Inspired on Pinterest

Speaker: Jennifer Stafford, social media manager, HomeAway.com

If you’re not using Pinterest in your marketing efforts, now is the time. Pinterest drives 7% of global traffic referrals – essentially 7% of the billions of clicks every day come from Pinterest pins. Attend this roundtable to learn about the power of Pinterest for marketing. You will learn the skills and strategies for understanding what kinds of pins go viral, how to curate unique content, the best way to cross-promote, and strategies for successful collaboration, widgets and monetization.

Led by an expert facilitator, roundtables offer an informal and intimate setting to share best practices around a very focused and specific topic within the small business and entrepreneurial spaces. Roundtables are discussion-based and will not feature a formal presentation. This ensures each discussion is truly personalized and allows attendees to ask questions relevant to their needs.

Roundtables are limited to 10 people per topic and are first-come-first-served. We encourage you to come early to guarantee your spot. However, we will offer each roundtable a total of three times to allow attendees the opportunity to participate in multiple discussions on different topics and ensure that participants have another opportunity to join should a table fill up fast.

Roundtables will take place at the following times: 

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

3:35 pm – 4:05 pm

4:10 pm – 4:40 pm

Roundtable 1: Developing a Strong Pipeline of Clients and Customers

Speaker: Michelle Breyer, president & co-founder, Texture Media

You need to differentiate yourself from the competition and often the only way to do so is to develop a strong relationship with the buyer.  Michelle Breyer, founder of Texture Media, will share her insights into how to develop those relationships, make sure their needs come first and then maintain that strong connection so that your clients and customers don’t hesitate to recommend you and use your services again.

Roundtable 2: Small Business Marketing Strategies

Speaker: Becky Arreaga, president and partner, Mercury Mambo

Small business owners are consumed by the business of their businesses, with little time, money or expertise to devote to marketing. Just because you build a better mousetrap doesn’t mean the world will beat a path to your door. So, how do you get started? Attend this roundtable and learn if the biggest bang for your buck is social media, guerilla marketing or something else altogether. You will learn not only which tool to use for your business but how to know what’s working.

Roundtable 3: Communicating Your Brand

Speaker: Sara Canaday, author, You — According to Them: Uncovering the Blind Spots That Impact Your Reputation and Your Career

How often do others ask what you do? Do you stumble when answering? Do you wish you knew exactly what to say? You never know who is going to ask and if that person could be your next investor or customer. Attend this roundtable to learn how to craft a compelling, concise and effective message about who you are and what you do–whether it’s writing an email or speaking to someone face-to-face. Walk away with practical tips and newfound confidence to communicate with potential clients, colleagues, partners or anyone whom you want to impress. Take your business to the next level!

Roundtable 4: Marketing to Women

Speaker: Jeanne Corrigan, founder, Mosaic Insight Group

We all know how important marketing is to your business’ success. But, how do you market specifically to women? From customer service to storytelling and contest promotions, a woman is very brand loyal and can be an enthusiastic brand ambassador to her friends, family and colleagues if given the right tools.  Jeanne Corrigan, founder of Mosiac Insight Group, which has a niche in women’s marketing, will share her insight and experience in to how to make this connection happen so that your customers are eventually doing your marketing for you. 

Roundtable 5: Raising Capital

Speaker: Jan Ryan, founder, Women@Austin

Launching a business offers many challenges, but, raising capital can often be the most daunting and intimidating challenge of all. It can make the difference between your idea taking off or never going anywhere. Jan Ryan, a veteran of the tech industry, will share how entrepreneurs can identify different sources of funding to find the one that is most compatible with their business’ needs, and then go out and make it happen.

Roundtable 6: Social Entrepreneurism: How to Build a Business that Gives Back

Speaker: Fayruz Benyousef, founder and principal, Fayruz Benyousef Counsulting

TOMS Shoes is a pioneer having been one of the first inspired to create a philanthropic for-profit business that also created and sustained social value – and wasn’t reliant solely on donations. Today, eight years later, social entrepreneurism is on the rise causing lots of Gen X and Gen Y entrepreneurs to think about business in a different way – beyond just basic business principles and focused on ways to give back to the greater community. This roundtable will offer practical how-to advice and inspiration for building a business model that makes money and also has a positive social impact and return to society. Attendees will learn: how to select a cause that is relevant and aligns with your passion, how best to serve them, and how to identify partnerships and collaborations that would be critical to developing your business model and achieving success.

Roundtable 7: Business Plan: A Roadmap to Success

Speaker: Alison Brushaber, chief product officer, Hail Merry

Businesses don’t plan to fail; they just fail to plan. For an expiring entrepreneur the business plan helps you determine if you have a viable business idea. For an existing business, it provides you, your staff and key stakeholders your roadmap for success. This roundtable will help you to define your business, identify your customers, understand your financing needs and decide where and how you will operate.  You will learn the basic outline of the contents of a business plan.

Roundtable 8: Converting Online Visitors Into Customers

Speaker: Holly Reisem Hanna, founder, The Work at Home Woman

Converting potential customers into buying customers is the ticket to online success. Even if you get steady visitors to your website, what steps are needed to make sure a purchase takes place? Holly Reisem Hanna has created an online business that was named in 2012 and 2013 by Forbes magazine as one of the “top websites for your career.” She will share her strategies for getting your target audience hooked onto your website AND making a purchase.

Roundtable 9: Taking Your Idea from Concept to Market

Speaker: Laura LeMond, founder, Mosaic Blankets

How do you turn your concept or idea into a business or brand that is ready to command market share? In this roundtable discussion, learn from a marketing and branding maven who has successfully brought her product to market. Learn what it takes to compete in a discount-obsessed market and create the brand loyalty you need to capture market-share fueled with actionable takeaways.

Roundtable 10: Savvy Selling

Speaker: Cindy Goldsberry, managing partner, ZFactor Group, and author, ZFactor Sales Acceleration

How do you accelerate the growth of your company’s revenue? Cindy Goldsberry spent 30 years developing and implementing strategies for business growth and will share her insights for how to increase your sales without expending additional resources. Attendees will learn how to create a sales game plan that utilizes your current team and resources, but will maximize profits.

Take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to get one-on-one advice from some of Austin’s leading women by asking a question about your career and community. Local Leaders will be available to meet in the exhibit hall within the community corner during designated networking breaks. You do not need to sign up in advance – first-come-first served and we have plenty of time to get your questions answered!

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm

Becky Arreaga, president and partner, Mercury Mambo

Michelle Breyer, president & co-founder, Texture Media

Alison Brushaber, chief product officer, Hail Merry

Patti Rogers, founder, Rallyhood

Jan Ryan, founder, Women@Austin

Karen Walrond, speaker, author and photographer

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Lesley Beasley, co-founder, Open Arms

Cynthia Rubio, president and CEO, Radiant

Stacy Zoern, founder, Kenguru and Community Cars

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Kelly Ballard, ED, Bazaarvoice Foundation

Carol McGarah, governmental affairs consultant

Gayle Reaume, founder and CEO, Moolahu