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Keynote Speakers and Breakout Leaders for the
2024 Indiana Conference for Women
2024 SPEAKERS
VALERIE BERTINELLI
"indulge"
KEYNOTE
Valerie Bertinelli was the Emmy Award–winning host of the Food Network shows Valerie’s Home Cooking and Kids Baking Championship. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Enough Already, Losing It, and Finding It, plus fan favorites Valerie’s Home Cooking and One Dish at a Time. She has starred in TV classics One Day at a Time and Hot in Cleveland.
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When Valerie turned 60, she said “Enough already!” and ended her battle with the scale for good. She stopped counting calories. She stopped thinking of certain foods as good or bad. She quit saying no and began saying yes, finally learning how to enjoy the pure pleasure of being alive – starting in the kitchen.
In short, she learned how to indulge.
Written in Valerie’s warmhearted and intimate style, this instant New York Times bestseller, indulge, includes heartfelt essays about how to savor moments big and small—her latest cookbook is a permission slip to enjoy food, and more importantly, enjoy life.
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More Exciting Speaker Announcements To Come Soon!
Grace Puma & Christiana Smith Shi
“Career Forward: Strategies from Women Who’ve Made It.”
KEYNOTE
Former PepsiCo COO Grace Puma and former Nike President of Consumer Direct Christiana Smith Shi will take the stage to share their keynote presentation: “Career Forward: Strategies from Women Who’ve Made It.” They will offer a groundbreaking, empowering guide for women that shows how to prioritize a career path, build professional value, and enjoy a full life both in and out of the workplace.
Some of the key takeaways from their keynote address include:
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How women can maximize their career journeys.
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Strategies to navigate shifts and changes in any company.
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How to build a strong leadership identity.
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Ways to achieve a fulfilling life in and out of work.
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Grace Puma's impressive career includes Global Chief Operations Officer at PepsiCo as well as senior positions with renowned companies such as United Airlines, Kraft Foods, Motorola, and Gillette. She has been recognized as one of the "Most Powerful Latina" by Fortune Magazine
Christiana Smith Shi, prior to her tenure as the President of Consumer Direct at Nike, served as a senior partner at McKinsey & Co., and has been honored as one of the Most Influential Corporate Directors by Women, Inc. Currently, she leads Lovejoy Advisors, where she focuses on digitally transforming consumer and retail businesses
SHIZA SHAHID
KEYNOTE
Shiza Shahid is an entrepreneur, investor, technologist, activist, and world-renowned impact leader. She co-founded Our Place to build a business rooted in representation and positive change in the food world and the world beyond. As an immigrant, Shiza literally found her place in America by cooking for and breaking bread with her new chosen family. Shiza grew up in Pakistan as a vocal advocate for women’s rights and social justice. She co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and built the organization as founding CEO.
Dinner at Our Place
From the covetable cookware brand Our Place, more than 100 dinner party– worthy recipes menus that celebrate culture and community. Our Place, the cookware brand that took the food world by storm, has always been about more than their brilliantly designed products—it’s about bringing people together, celebrating cultures, and cultivating connections. And what better way to do that, than through sharing a meal? Co-founder and CEO Shiza Shahid invited 11 pioneering tastemakers, chefs, and restauranteurs to take a month and throw a dinner party for you to join. In Dinner at Our Place, you’ll find more than 100 recipes and 12 specially curated dinner parties, plus playlists, mood lighting guides, plating philosophies, scripts for talking to your fishmonger, and so much more!.
April Simpkins
“By The Time You Read This.”
BREAKOUT LEADER
Meet April, a radiant soul dedicated to dismantling the shadows surrounding mental health. With unwavering compassion and boundless empathy, she champions the cause of breaking the stigma tethered to mental illness. April's journey is more than a mission, it is a heartfelt commitment fueled by her own battles, triumphs, and tragedy.
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April is a powerhouse in the realm of mental health advocacy, boasting certifications in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training, Mental Health First Aid, and Emotional CPR. With relentless determination, she has tirelessly championed the cause. Her commitment and relentless drive serve as a testament to her unwavering dedication to the cause.
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During this highly informative session, April will share her story and conclude with tips on the many ways we can take care of our mental health.
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Anne Chow
"Lead Bigger"
BREAKOUT LEADER
As former CEO of AT&T Business, she was the first woman of color to hold the position of CEO in the company’s over one hundred and forty year history. Chow draws from her expertise in transforming organizations to teach you how to create a dynamic environment that engages everyone you and your company interact with—as well as those you wish to be connected to—while adapting to the ever-changing world.
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A world that’s become more interconnected yet polarized, inclusion has been overly politicized and narrowly defined to issues of gender and race. As a result, we need a new approach to inclusive leadership that goes beyond DEI, harnessing its power for innovation and growth. Anne Chow reframes inclusion as the required leadership competency of expanding our perspectives for greater performance in our work, workforce, and workplace
Kendra Adachi
"The Lazy Genius"
BREAKOUT LEADER
Kendra Adachi is a two-time New York Times bestselling author, nationally ranked podcaster, wife, and mother (no awards for those last two). She is the creator of The Lazy Genius Podcast with over 27 million downloads.
Her lifelong attempts at perfection have thankfully been tempered by age and therapy, and now she empowers people to get their stuff done without turning into a tired robot. As a systems expert and professional permission giver, Kendra helps others stop doing it all for the sake of doing what matters.
Favorite things include birds, books, Oxford shoes,
and James McAvoy.