The award-winning University of Nebraska–Lincoln Women Lead: The Power of We conference returns Friday, March 6, at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Keynotes include Jewel Rodgers, '19, Nebraska State Poet and TEDx speaker; Marilyn Moore, retired president of Bryan College of Health Sciences and past associate superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools; and Danielle Conway, dean of Penn State Dickinson Law, who will lead a plenary session. The conference is pending review for continuing education credit.
The conference brings together professionals from business, law, government, education and nonprofits for a full day of learning, networking and inspiration. Breakout sessions cover career advancement, talent development, client engagement, leadership communication, conflict resolution, maximizing artificial intelligence and pitching ideas to leadership, led by experts including Katie Bell, '96; Stephanie Dinger, '03; Lori Heffelfinger, '82; Rose Hunter Jones; Maria Isquierdo; Elsbeth Magilton, '11; Laura McLeod; Sejal Patel, '93; Tara Paulson, '10; and Kimberly Rath, '83. The conference also features Leadership Moments with a judge, a CEO, an entrepreneur and a legal nonprofit director, offering attendees insight into an array of leadership paths and experiences.
“Women Lead creates a space for us all to learn from each other and grow our networks. This year's theme, The Power of We, reminds us that when we come together to share knowledge, support each other and collaborate, the impact is greater than what any of us can achieve alone,” said Molly Brummond, ’00 & ’03, co-creator of Women Lead and assistant dean for student development and chief of staff for the College of Law.
Women Lead began as two separate college initiatives — leadership development programming for women in law and a C-suite speaker series hosted by the College of Business. The colleges combined their efforts to launch the first Women Lead conference in 2020. In 2025, the conference series received international recognition with a Silver Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education or CASE.
"When attendees share how Women Lead sparked new ideas or provided inspiration and meaningful connections, it's rewarding as that is the heart of our mission, and to have this event recognized among the world’s best educational advancement efforts is a tremendous honor," said Sheri Irwin-Gish, ’03, co-creator of Women Lead and executive director of communications, marketing and external relations at the College of Business. "Each sold-out conference shows the overwhelming demand for this programming, and that success is made possible by our generous sponsors, inspiring speakers and the dedication of our planning committee."
At press time, Women Lead sponsors included Hilgers PLLC, Husch Blackwell, Rembolt Ludtke, Woods Aitken, Cline Williams, and Baylor Evnen Wolfe and Tannehill, LLP. Those interested in sponsoring can contact Brummond at molly.brummond@unl.edu or Irwin-Gish at sirwin@unl.edu.
