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Agenda

    • 9:30am
      Doors open
    • 10:00 - 6:00
      Wellness Lounge

      Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

      MassMutual Financial Wellness

      Westwood IV Therapy will be onsite offering IV drips and vitamin injections to attendees

      • Charitable Partner: Girls on the Run Greater Boston
    • 10:00 - 6:00
      Women's Small Business Row

      Sponsored by Eastern Bank

      Featuring Trillium Brewing and Collettey’s Cookies

    • 10:00 - 6:00
      Bookseller

      Trident Booksellers

      Books from our speakers as well as other items will be available for purchase

    • 10:15am
      Walk & Talk

      Sponsored by John Hancock

      Max of 50 people will be able to participate.

      A past attendee-favorite, the John Hancock Walk & Talk is a mix of peers and senior-level business leaders ready to listen and discuss questions on career growth or real life obstacles or issues. Bonus: you get your daily step count in!

    • 10:30am
      Pre-Event Session
      • Unbound Marketing: "Risk Taking" Pays Off

        Panelists from CVS Health and Arnold

        Pre-registration required!
        What does Unbound marketing mean? When doing the expected, traditional or “best practice” isn’t the way to go.
        Unbound marketing is looking at things through a new lens and making real change. Whether betting on a new consumer or sponsoring a controversial event, this panel shares stories or cases of how “unbound” marketing paid off.

    • 11:30am
      LUNCH
    • 12:15pm
      Opening Remarks

      Welcome - Barb Reilly | President & CEO, The Ad Club
      Official Kick-Off - Michele Barlow | Managing Director, Enterprise Marketing, Bank of America - Presenting Sponsor

    • 12:20pm
      Essmaa Litim

      Spoken Word Artist & Author
      Accompanied by violinist Abigail Jean-Baptise

      Award-winning spoken word artist and author, Essmaa Litim, performs her original piece created for this event based on the theme, Unbound.

    • 12:25pm
      Monet Izabeth

      First American Woman to Ski Solo to the South Pole

      Fresh off her latest “first”, Massachusetts native, Monet Izabeth, speaks about deciding to tackle the South Pole and the mindset that took her there.

    • 12:45pm
      Cat O'Shaughnessy Coffrin

      Brand Strategist and Founder

      Cat O’Shaughnessy Coffrin speaks to us about navigating life changes, seeing women lose their voices and the importance of reclaiming your voice.

    • 1:05pm
      The Enlightened Path Panel

      Libby DeLana | Executive Creative Director, Author, Podcaster
      Amil Niazi | Columnist, Author of Life After Ambition: A ‘Good Enough’ Memoir”
      Khulan Davaajav | Product Marketing Manager, GenMedia, Google Cloud

      Panelists share how they have managed through life’s challenges, changes and opportunities to uncover what success and happiness mean for them personally.

    • 1:35pm
      Fireside Chat with Nadia Murad

      Nobel Laureate, Human Rights Activist, Founder of Nadia’s Initiative

      Moderated by Janelle Nanos, Assistant Business Editor for News Innovation | Boston Globe

      In this fireside chat, Nadia, who is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State, will speak about the importance of amplifying the voices of survivors and advocating for policies that uphold human dignity, peace, and security.

    • 2:00pm
      BREAK

      Book signings
      Wellness Lounge open
      Women’s Small Business Row open

    • 3:05pm
      Unbound Fandom

      Moderator: Michele Barlow | Managing Director, Enterprise Marketing, Bank of America
      Panelists:

      • Justine Pouravelis | Professor of the Practice in Women’s Sports Management at Simmons University’s School of Management
      • Angela Ruggiero | Founder & Chair of the Board, Sports Innovation Lab, part of Genius Sports | 4x Olympian & Gold Medalist

      This panel is all about the fans of it all – from the distinct types of sports fans to the relationship expectation between fan and team and/or players - fans of women's sports are different. Speakers from Sports Innovation Lab and Simmons College will share their proprietary research on the impact that fans can have on brands associated with women’s sports teams different from those of men's sports teams.

    • 3:55pm
      Women We Admire Awards Presentation

      Sponsored by jetBlue and Boston Globe Media

      The winners of the 2026 Women We Admire Awards will be announced live!

    • 4:15pm
      Closing Remarks

      Barb Reilly, President & CEO | The Ad Club

    • 4:30pm
      Cocktail and Conversations

      Stay on and enjoy connecting with your fellow attendees!

    • 6:00pm
      Event Concludes

2026 Sponsors

Speakers

  • Michele Barlow

    Moderator

    Managing Director | Enterprise Marketing Executive | Bank of America

  • Cat Coffrin

    Speaker

    Founder | Captivating Consulting

  • Khulan Davaajav

    Panelist

    Product Marketing Manager, GenMedia | Google Cloud

  • Libby DeLana

    Panelist

    Executive Creative Director | Writer | Podcaster

  • Monet Izabeth

    Speaker

    First American Woman to Ski Solo to the South Pole

  • Essmaa Litim

    Spoken word artist

    Spoken Word Artist | Author

  • Nadia Murad

    Speaker

    Human Rights Activist | Nobel Laureate | Founder of Nadia’s Initiative

  • Janelle Nanos

    Moderator

    Assistant Business Editor for News Innovation | Boston Globe

  • Amil Niazi

    Panelist

    Author | Columnist

  • Justine Pouravelis

    Panelist

    Professor of Women’s Sports Management | Simmons University

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WWA Awards

VOTING IS NOW OPEN

These are women from all generations, walks of life and career stages who have inspired and sparked us. They’ve led by example, doing good things for you, for others, for the community, for the world. You admire them for THEIR actions big and small, using their voice, their passion, their energy to ignite others, to create impact.

To see the list of nominees and vote
Click Here

Our Charitable Partner

Girls on the Run Greater Boston

Girls on the Run Greater Boston is dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.

As girls’ mental health and physical activity levels have declined over the past decade, girls need the skills to build their confidence, develop meaningful relationships, and discover the joy of movement now more than ever. Girls on the Run programming ranges from 3rd grade to 8th grade and offers an inclusive space to explore emotions and develop a strong sense of self through a completion of a 5k at the end of a season.

At the Women’s Leadership Forum, you can get involved with Girls on the Run by signing up your own daughter, becoming a coach, or volunteering at the upcoming 5k in May on the Boston Common.

Click here to explore Girls on the Run programming, connect locally, and donate to a fantastic cause.

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