Conference Date:  June 20, 2024

Location:  Otterbein University

WELD is excited to announce that it is seeking speakers to present at its 14th Annual National Leadership Conference on topics surrounding our 2024 theme – Rise, Thrive, Lead:  Building Strong Networks and Allies.

This all-day conference will be an in-person event at Otterbein University on June 20, 2024. The Conference Planning Committee is seeking ENGAGING, INFORMATIVE, INSPIRING speakers. As a non-profit organization, speakers are expected to donate their time and talent. In exchange, speakers selected are able to attend the conference at no charge along with the other benefits listed in the survey form.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 5:00pm EST, January 16, 2024. We will select and notify speakers on or before February 2, 2024. Click below to submit your topic and information.

Questions? Email weldcolumbus@gmail.com Please add this email to your list of contacts to prevent our replies from getting caught in your spam.

Open positions:

Member Services and Event Management Coordinator

Many companies in our communities have affinity/business resource groups (ARGs/BRGs) serving the diverse needs of their associate base.  ARGs/BRGs for women are often the largest and most popular.  The operation and structure of these groups tend to be very diverse from company to company.  Companies now see the increased benefit that these groups bring to their organizations—from increased recruitment and retention to more effective mentoring, coaching and leadership development.  How are companies in our communities structuring and supporting their women’s ARGs/BRGs?  Join WELD at our sixth annual Affinity/Business Resource Group Best Practices Session to hear from three companies at the forefront of affinity group management.*  Attendees will learn the latest on the business case for these groups, their operation, and measurement of success, including information on global and executive level networks.

This ambitious conference builds on a year of the Times’s Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on gender and the workplace — and takes the discussion to a new, solution-oriented level. Convening leaders and influencers from across industries, our goal is to identify new rules of leadership and help leaders of all kinds of organizations create inclusive, equitable cultures that empower women to succeed.

Celebrated Times journalists such as Jodi Kantor, Jessica Bennett, David Gelles, Megan Twohey and others will moderate lively discussions with speakers such as Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Mary T. Barra, Chairman and C.E.O. of General Motors Company; Jamie Dimon, Chairman and C.E.O. of JPMorgan Chase; Debra L. Lee, Former Chairman and C.E.O. of BET Networks; Sophia Amoruso, Founder and C.E.O. of Girlboss; and more.

Central to the program are working sessions where attendees will collaborate to propose actions that decision-makers can take to drive change in both the public and private sectors. These recommendations will be published in a special section of The New York Times as a model for a new playbook for change. Visit newrulessummit.com to learn more.

The target audience for this special event are board directors, CEOs, C-Suite, senior executives and entrepreneurs of any gender.

WELD members and employees of WELD corporate members will receive an advanced opportunity for a 20% discount from the conference rate – check your email on 8/22 for details!

WELD encourages you to join us with the New York Times New Rules Summit Team and take advantage of this unique opportunity to work alongside internationally known thought leaders to develop strategies to advance women and move the needle.

We hope to see you at the conference!

Click here to read official press release.

Shalynne Jackson

Adrian Solomonides