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Women in Leadership conference recap

Nearly 400 participants attended the 11th annual Women in Leadership conference April 13 with several corporate sponsors and exhibitors at the new OKC Convention Center. A diverse group of guests, including several students, gathered to reflect on the conference's them, "LIFT."

An audience response system throughout the event enhanced guest participation in polling and Q&A during the panel session. Guests were excited to be back in person but several also enjoyed the conference for the first time via Zoom.

The closing keynote from Alison Levine was titled "On the Edge: The Art of High-Impact Leadership." A favorite quote from the presentation was "backing up is not the same as backing down."

There were several giveaways throughout the day and all guests received complimentary headshots and had fun with the SNL photo booth.

Updates are available at okcwomeninleadership.com. Look for social media posts on various platforms under @okcwomen and #ocuwil #Lift.

More information about the event is in the press release below

Oklahoma City University’s 11th annual Women in Leadership conference on April 13 invites audiences to explore what it takes to advance women to the next level in their careers and personal lives.

Under the theme of “Lift,” more than 400 participants are anticipated to attend the annual conference at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. This year’s conference will feature a professional mountain climber and leadership consultant, a coach and facilitator building high-performance teams, a dual Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology and clinical psychology who works with corporate executives, and a diverse group of local business professionals.

“Lifting others – it’s what the best leaders do,” said Melissa Cory, conference co-founder and director of Executive and Professional Education programs at OCU’s Meinders School of Business. “This conference is designed to lift others. It lets others share their stories on stage, with one another – elevating their voices and sometimes their careers.”

Audiences both in-person and online will hear about the mental strength it takes to achieve their goals, how to create the best possible conditions to achieve lift, what institutions can do to support and elevate their teams, as well as inspiring stories from a diverse group of presenters.

This year’s event features presentations on leading through inspiration, investing tips, eliminating stereotypes from workplace culture and other career-enhancing topics. A panel discussion will focus on solutions to challenges in the post-pandemic landscape of the workplace.

Presenters include Bevin Mugford, strategic partner of inspiration strategy firm InspireCorps, who will unveil original research to unlock the science of inspiration found in “Dare to Inspire: Sustain the Fire of Inspiration in Work and Life”; Shanna Teel, who will present LEADERHEALTH, a mindset for leaders who want to live and lead in a more conscious and healthy way; Amy Downs, a survivor of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing who will discuss her subsequent transformation; and Alison Levine, a history-making polar explorer and mountaineer who has climbed the highest peak on each continent and journeyed to both the North and South Poles.

There will also be networking opportunities designed to lead to more discovery, learning and growth. While those who have attended the conference have embraced the educational and empowering value of the event, more and more companies have come to understand the benefits of this local conference, Cory said.

“When companies support the active professional development of their team it demonstrates that their people are important. The result is more engaged employees,” Cory added.

More importantly, the conference aims to build community and provide an opportunity to support each other for a stronger business environment.

“We make new connections and strengthen others. It is always my hope that our guests discover something new and make a commitment to continue to invest in themselves and help others,” Cory said.

In-person conference registration is $225 and online, virtual registration is $125 and can be made online at okcwomeninleadership.com, or by calling Cory at 405-208-5540. For more information, including speakers’ bios, visit okcwomeninleadership.com.

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