Registration and Breakfast

Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Anastasiya Zavyalova, Ph.D. — Associate Dean for Degree Programs, Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Rice Business

Opening Keynote Speaker

• Marie Myers — Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, HPE

Break

Morning Panels I

Strategic Risk-Taking: Real Stories of Career-Defining Choices
Hear dynamic women leaders share real stories of bold risks that shaped their careers. This session focuses on empowering women to embrace strategic risks as a vital tool for unlocking opportunities.

• Ann LeSavage — Director, IT Advisory, Impact Advisors
• Claire Harvey — Partner, EIV Capital
• Zhanna Golodryga — Executive Vice President, Emerging Energy & Sustainability, Phillips 66
• Meagan Murphy Crawford — Founder and Managing Partner of SpaceFund and Host of the Mission Eve Podcast
• Moderator: Brian Jackson — Senior Manager of Origination, Earthrise Energy

Texas Legal Landscape: What Business Leaders Should Know
Exploring Texas’s evolving policies, this panel addresses challenges from DEI rollbacks and legislative shifts. The discussion will focus on actionable steps leaders can take now to bridge critical information gaps, enhance decision-making, and mitigate risks that could negatively impact their careers and organizations.

• Shai Littlejohn — Director and Corporate Counsel - Global Supply Chain, Innovation & Commercial, Starbucks
• Lauren Phillips — Vice President Human Resources, Mears Group, Inc.
• Lisa Modica — Vice President, Global Labor and Employment Law Halliburton
• N. Lucy Chukwurah — Senior Assistant City Attorney, City of Houston Legal Department
• Moderator: Imrana Manzanares — Nurse Attorney, Abraham Watkins

Break

Morning Panels II

Representation and Belonging in the Workplace
Gain expert strategies for fostering representation and belonging in today’s workplace. Panelists will reflect on progress in creating inclusive workplaces, address misconceptions about DE&I programming, and highlight the critical role these initiatives play in building stronger, more equitable organizations.

• Constance Porter, Ph.D. — Senior Associate Dean for Belonging and Engagement & Associate Clinical Professor of Marketing, Rice Business
• Clintarisha (Re) Kenebrew — Vice President, People & Culture, Bureau Veritas
• Tanu Grewal — VP, Marketing, Innovation, Ecommerce AlEn USA
• Sunny Ahmed — Global Alliance Leader, Consulting Partner Center of Excellence, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Moderator: Pranika Uppal Sinha — Managing Director, DEI and Organizational Development, Greystone

Navigating Challenges Facing Women in Leadership
Explore the unique challenges women face in leadership, including maintaining work-life balance, challenging traditional leadership norms, and tackling bias. Panelists will share strategies that have driven progress, inspiring and equipping future leaders to overcome obstacles and advance equity in leadership.

• Kimberly Carpenter Vice President, Business Marketing & Customer Experience, NRG Energy
• Stephanie Palmer — Corporate Communications Advisor, Aramco
• Jeri Callaway — Senior Vice President and Global Head of HP Strategic Alliances | Personal Systems , HP Inc.
• Skylair DeRanieri — Director, Maintenance Support, Cheniere
• Moderator: Keri Sprung — Vice President of Education and Communications, Director, Center for Women’s Heart & Vascular Health, The Texas Heart Institute

Women-Led Ventures: Charting New Paths
Dive into how women entrepreneurs are charting new paths. Panelists will share stories of innovation, resilience, and boldness, offering fresh insights into overcoming barriers and creating opportunities to shape the future of women owned businesses.

• Katie Fowler — President, Unchained Value
• T. Canady Barton — Founder + CEO, BLACKBOXX
• Grace Rodriguez — CEO/Executive Director, Impact Hub Houston
• Monisha Shah, M.D. — Medical Director & Founder, Atlas Longevity & Rejuve Medical Spa
• Moderator: Evy Pappas — Design Director, Pappas Restaurants, Inc.

Networking Lunch

Interactive Workshops I

Lead Your Way: Redefining Leadership for Today's World
Learn how to navigate transitions as opportunities for growth in this workshop. Discover strategies to approach change with intention, harness pivotal moments to renew purpose, enhance impact, and lead boldly in an ever-evolving landscape.

• Patty Williams-Downs — Founder and CEO, BreakingBounds

Your Success Squad: Harnessing The Strength of Mentorship
Step into a transformative session where mentorship meets empowerment. This workshop will reveal how to leverage mentorship to supercharge your personal and professional life. Hear from two Rice University alumni who will share the difference between a mentor and a sponsor, and why both are important to elevate your career and build advocacy.

• Rochelle Savel — VP of Supply Chain Management, Aspen Aerogel
• Jennifer Soliman — CHRO, Board Member, Private Investor

Elevating Executive Presence to Enhance Your Personal Brand
Understand the link between your personal brand and executive presence. Learn the art of cultivating, refining, and showcasing both for increased professional success.

• Janet H. Moore — Academic Director and Senior Lecturer, Management - Communication, Rice Business

Corporate Boards: What to Know and How to Get There
Gain key insights into the world of corporate boards from experienced leaders. This panel will explore pathways to board service, discuss essential skills and qualifications, and share strategies to help you prepare to be in the room where it happens.

• Lemar Brown — Advisory Board Member of InnoVent Renewables
• Michelle Lewis — President, 1911 Advisory, LLC, Independent Director, Chair of Nominating, Governance and Compensation Committee, ADENTRA Group 
• Janeen Judah — Independent Director, Patterson-UTI Energy and Aethon Energy
• Moderator: Kim Denney — Managing Director and Partner, Newport LLC

Break

Interactive Workshops II

Ethics and the Empowered Cyborg: Leading the Future with AI
Empower yourself to ethically deploy AI in your career. This session breaks down how AI works in simple terms and explores the ethical and legal considerations for using AI at work. Leave with practical tips and easy-to-use resources to start applying AI today.

• Summer Husband — Ph.D., SVP, Data Products & Applied Intelligence, Worley Digital
• Kathleen Perley — Instructor in Management & AI Advisor to Deans, Rice Business

Bold Leadership: Strategies for Assertiveness
Discover the power of confident communication and boundary-setting in leadership. This session provides practical workplace-tested tools to help participants express ideas clearly, navigate challenging situations, assert their presence effectively and make a strong leadership impact.

• Kafi Slaughter — Managing Director, Private Client Advisor, Bank of America Private Bank
• Abby Alford — Vice President, CBRE
• Maria Moncada Alaoui — Porsche Vice President, Sonic Automotive
• Marie Myers — Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• Moderator: Stephanie Tsuru — Cofounder and CEO, SheSpace

Negotiate to YES
Join this interactive workshop designed to help women master workplace negotiations and create win-win outcomes. Learn essential strategies to navigate tough conversations, overcome unique challenges around self-advocacy, overcome gender and societal biases, and confidently secure what you deserve. Use key concepts like BATNA and ZOPA to drive successful negotiations and lead your career with confidence and clarity.

• Richa Bansal — Executive Career Coach, Pinkcareers

Leading the Way Towards Healthy Resilience
In this workshop, Dr. Danielle King will present and facilitate discussion of strategies for leaders to identify and facilitate sustainable and functional forms of resilience. Science-based insights and practical tools will be offered. The “why” for this process will also be discussed, to support an in-depth understanding of employee resilience.

• Danielle D. King, Ph.D. — Associate Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rice University

Break

Closing Keynote Speaker

• Kathryne Reeves — Senior Vice President, Strategy, Product Management, BD & Marketing, Cepheid

Closing Remarks | OWL Award

Closing Reception