Panel 1: 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
Building Belonging and Equity Through Workplace Relationships
Workplace relationships are more than just watercooler chatter—they’re a powerful engine for belonging, advancement, and equity. This panel will explore how mentorship, sponsorship, peer networks, and allyship shape workplace culture, especially as it relates to women and historically underrepresented groups. We’ll examine how relationships are vital to company culture, despite their paradoxical nature. When do workplace relationships offer support and when do they become another unpaid cognitive chore? And how can organizations promote relationship-based structures that drive equity, not just connection?
Speakers
David Smith (Moderator)
Krystal Duarte
Olivia Foster-Gimbel
Jessica Methot
Tina Opie
Panel 2: 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
Technology and Community: Help or Hinderance?
As technology reshapes the way we work, connect, and lead, what happens to community, and how does that affect gender equity in the workplace? This dynamic panel will explore whether digital tools and platforms are helping to foster inclusion, collaboration, and opportunity for women in business, or are these tools quietly reinforcing old barriers in new ways. From algorithmic bias to virtual mentorship and hybrid work, we'll unpack the double-edged nature of tech. Are we building stronger, more equitable communities—or just digitizing the status quo?
Speakers
Fay Cobb Payton (Moderator)
Mary Chako
Ekta Lall Mittal
Lunch Keynote: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
In this empowering fireside chat, bestselling author and workplace consultant Minda Harts will explore how trust isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the foundation for strong leadership, authentic communication, and an inclusive workplace culture. Drawing from her book Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace, Minda introduces a new framework designed to help leaders and employees alike build, repair, and sustain trust in today’s rapidly evolving work environment.
Through the lens of the Seven Trust Languages—transparency, security, demonstration, feedback, acknowledgment, sensitivity, and follow-through—Minda will share actionable insights to help navigate workplace dynamics, advocate for themselves, and foster a culture where everyone can thrive.
Gain practical tools for leading with trust, improving team collaboration, and creating workspaces where respect isn’t just expected—it’s experienced.
Keynote
Panel 3: 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
ERGs & BRGs and Professional Networks as Engines of Belonging
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), Business Resource Groups (BRGs), and professional networks are powerful tools for businesses to build more inclusive and equitable workplaces, but they are often underutilized. This panel will critically examine the evolving role of identity- and interest-based groups in shaping workplace culture, professional advancement, and fostering change. Panelists will tackle questions of impact, organizational buy-in, and how these networks can be more strategically leveraged to drive both equity and performance. What design principles and practices enable ERGs, BRGs, and networks to act not just as symbolic support, but as engines of transformation and resilience?
Speakers
Laura DuPoux (Moderator)
Hise Gibson
Nikki M Jones
Theresa Welbourne
Vanessa Youngs
Panel 4: 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
Manospheres and Tradwives: How Online Gender Narratives Shape Workplace Equity
From Reddit forums to TikTok influencers, gendered online subcultures are increasingly shaping public discourse and therefore workplace dynamics. This panel explores how digital gender narratives, including the rise of the “manosphere” and “tradwife” movements, influence attitudes toward women’s leadership, caregiving, and equity at work. This panel will discuss the interplay between algorithmically amplified “fringe” ideologies and real-world workplace practices. How do these narratives reinforce or resist current structures? How do these cultural forces shape employees’ perceptions of gender, power and belonging, and what role should companies play, if any, in addressing?
Speakers
Jennie Glazer (Moderator)
Taveeshi Gupta
Kate Mangino
Rebecca Stotzer
Shakira Willoughby-Little
