10th Annual Women of Color Conference
Started in 2004, the Spelman College Leadership and Women of Color Conference provides professional and personal development opportunities for emerging and established women leaders. The annual two-day event brings together several of the world’s most successful leaders to share skills and knowledge to help women succeed in leadership roles. Intergenerational participants range in experience from C-level executives to college students who attend information-packed workshops, participate in valuable networking opportunities, and interact with a wide range of diverse speakers to gain knowledge about what it takes to create and sustain quality leadership.
I had the honor of attending Spelman College’s 10th Annual Women of Color Conference that was held at the Georgia International Convention Center. Day One began with the Game Changers Decade of Success Luncheon, sponsored by JP Morgan Chase. The Mistress of Ceremony for the luncheon was none other than Ms. Mikki Taylor, Editor-at-Large, Essence; a greeting from Ms. Daliala Wilson-Scott, President of JP Morgan Chase and the keynote speaker was Major General Marcia Anderson, Deputy Chief, U.S. Army Reserve. The day continued with workshops Intimate Conversations with Game Changers and general sessions. The day continued with our Conference Host Shaun Robinson, Co-Anchor & Weekend Correspondent, Access Hollywood followed by an opening general session, pre-dinner reception and the 10th Anniversary Legacy of Leadership Awards Dinner where the honorees were Mrs. Hiroko Tatebe, Founder and Executive Director, Global Organization for Leadership and Diversity (GOLD), Ms. Linda Johnson Rice, Chairman, Johnson Publishing Company, LLC (Ebony Magazine) and Dr. Christine King Farris, Civil Rights Icon, Author and Professor.
Day Two began with a Leading Forward: Conversation with Founders Breakfast followed by the Opening General Session. Next on the agenda was the Media Panel that included Ms. Candace Begody, Editor of Navajo Times; Ms. Vanessa K. Bush, Editor-in-Chief of Essence and Ms. Michelle D. Bernard, CEO of Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy and MSNBC Analyst. The Hearing Your Voices Women and Advocacy Luncheon Sponsored by The Coca Cola Company was one a great interactive luncheon where we had the opportunity to contribute to surveys and have our concerns addressed during the luncheon. Shortly after the luncheon Influencers had the opportunity to have a tweet up mini session with Mikki Taylor where we were all inspired and learned lifelong lessons. The sessions that followed where Become a Game Changer, Looking Back, Leading Forward, Defining Your Own Leadership Path, Unpacking Our Multiple Cultural Identities in the Workplace and Leading Forward: Framework for Moving Forward. The conference was filled with alumnus and women from diverse careers and backgrounds. This conference is indeed a life changing event and one that every women should attend during her lifetime.
~Naturalbabydol