Executive Leadership for Women

The Mirrored Door – Women Breaking Through!

Rice Business Executive Education and the founding board of directors, announces the inaugural session of our new program - Executive Leadership for Women. The keynote speaker for the first event is Ellen Taaffe, former Fortune 50 senior leader turned professor. Join us to hear insights about how to break through the hidden barrier that locks successful women in place, and receive a signed copy of her book, "The Mirrored Door." This one-day program provides a convenient, power-packed event, served a la carte, without the need to commit to ongoing sessions or cohorts.

Women continue to face underrepresentation and perceived bias when attempting to ascend into the top ranks, and even while occupying roles within the executive sphere. Top business schools agree, women must learn to both navigate the external realities of the current environment and also unlock their own inner potential by refining their leadership skills in order to succeed at the top. This unique challenge compels us to provide a convenient, tailored platform, for women and their allies seeking to explore yet unrecognized opportunities and build excellence.

The Executive Leadership for Women program is designed for women leaders, allies, and mentees who aspire to actively accelerate their own and other women’s careers, helping women to advance and thrive within the top ranks.

Program Date & Tuition

December 10, 2024
8:30 am to 5:00 pm - Reception to follow
Tuition: $1,195

Registration

Meet Our Keynote Speaker

Ellen Taaffe
Kellogg Professor, Board Director, Award-Winning Author of "The Mirrored Door: Break Through the Hidden Barrier that Locks Successful Women In Place", TEDx speaker, Former Fortune 50 Executive.

In Ellen’s words, “I encourage you to take in The Mirrored Door with a journal at your side, friends to discuss it with, a lens of curiosity and self-reflection, and compassion for yourself and others. When you can unravel the past and understand how culture has conditioned our beliefs and influences our workplace systems, you have more freedom to choose what you bring with you to your company and your future. It will take some letting go and building up, along with experimentation and practice. You are no stranger to hard work. You can do this. And when you do, you will step into the lead role of your career and life in a new, rewarding way. You will empower yourself every time you greet opportunity and unlock, open, and pass over the threshold of the mirrored door, leaving the door ajar for those who follow.”

Who Should Attend

Women and allies with aspirations looking to chart their path
Women and allies with at least 7 years of professional work experience

Program Takeaways

Network and feel the comradery in an exclusive setting, designed for experiencing a community of aspiring executives and mentees encircled by [our board of] executive women, Rice Business faculty, and allies, who lean in as a sounding board of support.
Create an internal vision for how you can circumvent mirrored doors, glass ceilings, aloneness, and other common challenges women face when rising into leadership seats.
Share tools for self-evaluation, gain inspiration for momentum to set out actionable steps, propelling you toward success.

FOUNDING BOARD

The founding board of directors selected by Rice Business to prepare, launch, and lead this program, is an elite and distinguished group of accomplished executive women with longstanding connections to each other. The board consists of Rice Business alumni, staff and community members who have each transcended barriers, developed insights, and gained a following and reputation for their contributions to empowering other women to prepare for successful careers and advancement into executive roles. Our board is also honored to include the student President of the Rice Business Women in Leadership Conference.

Message From the Founding Board of Directors
September 2024

Our story begins when… over the past couple of years, our founding board members served as senior advisors to the Jones School of Business, as we cultivated ideas, acted with persistence, contributed energy, and built necessary preparations for the program we named Executive Leadership for Women.

In keeping with our purpose, we are creating opportunities for women executives, senior leaders, and mentees to experience community, to learn real-world strategies of other successful women, and to strengthen their resolve toward actionable steps that can propel their career forward.

With great enthusiasm, we are proud to have reached the launching point of the program and are dedicated to continue leading the evolution. As we continue working together, we envision, our ties together strengthening, as we inspire each other to leverage the beauty and pain from our own success and lessons learned.

For our inaugural event, we are incredibly proud to have author Ellen Taaffe as our keynote speaker. In preparation for the event, she has become a friend, an ally, and an inspiration to the cause. We are confident the participants will gain valuable insights and enjoy the program immensely.

We have considered it a pure honor to serve and support the team in preparation with Rice Business over this last couple of years. And now we look forward to your support of “Women Breaking Through,” our additional future events, and to engaging, informing, and inspiring women during the journey forward together!