Young Women’s Circle
Sam Altman, entrepreneur, investor, programmer and blogger, once said: “young people willing to push super hard to make something happen are among the most powerful forces in the world.” We’ve gathered these young women who are rising stars to share their thoughts on becoming the leaders of tomorrow. We’ll hear from them to understand what they view as a priority, how they put their values into action, and what their dreams are for our collective future.
The R.I.S.E Women’s Leadership Conference is proud to foster the importance of mentorship and paying it forward through the Young Women’s Circle. This critical platform is created in partnership with our key sponsors to provide young women and girls of all backgrounds the opportunity to attend the conference and participate in workshops throughout the year and day of at the annual conference. R.I.S.E Women’s Leadership Conference is firmly grounded in the importance of early education and the empowerment of young women. We seek to connect young women with dynamic leaders of diverse backgrounds.
Closing & Reception
4:25 - 4:30 PM — Closing remarks, Main Stage
4:30 - 6:30 PM — VIP Reception, Rotunda (Ticketed Event)
Morning Panels
1. Leading with Authenticity: Embracing Your Leadership Style without Compromise
Tired of contorting yourself to fit into someone else's leadership mold? Exhausted from the constant pressure to be "more assertive but not aggressive," "confident but not intimidating," or "warm but not too emotional"? You're not alone. Women leaders across industries continue to navigate these impossible contradictions while striving to make their mark. In this candid, no-holds-barred panel, hear from trailblazing women as they share their journeys of discovering, owning, and leveraging their authentic leadership voices.
2. Leadership & Life Cycles: Navigating Career Through Physiological Transitions
From menstruation and pregnancy to perimenopause and menopause, the physical changes women experience can influence focus, energy, and leadership style. This panel invites a candid and empowering conversation on how understanding our bodies can become a professional advantage—not a limitation. Gain tangible strategies to advocate for inclusive workplace policies and normalize open dialogue about the full spectrum of women’s health across all stages of career and life.
3. Building Beyond the Paycheck: Creating Multiple Revenue Streams for Financial Freedom
Building financial security through a single income stream? In today's economy, that's like trying to fill a swimming pool with a garden hose. The truth is, relying solely on your 9-to-5 paycheck can leave you vulnerable to economic shifts, career plateaus, and limited growth potential. But there's good news: diversification isn't just for your investment portfolio anymore. According to recent research, women with diversified income sources report 52% greater financial confidence and achieve their long-term goals an average of 7 years earlier than those with single-source incomes. Hear from these powerhouse women who are building multiple revenue strategies and sharing tips along the way.
4. From Idea to Empire: Women Founders Share Their Journeys
Transforming a spark of inspiration into a groundbreaking business requires vision, resilience, and strategic savvy. In this candid panel, meet extraordinary women entrepreneurs who've defied odds and built thriving enterprises from the ground up while getting real— from sharing the midnight doubts, unexpected pivots, and breakthrough moments that shaped their success stories. Whether you're nurturing a side hustle, leading a growing venture, or simply curious about entrepreneurship, you'll walk away with actionable strategies and the inspiration to transform your own ideas into empire-worthy businesses.
5. The Sponsorship Difference: Moving Beyond Mentorship to Career Advocacy
While mentorship provides valuable guidance, true career acceleration requires active advocacy. In this game-changing panel, hear from powerful women leaders about how sponsorship—having a powerful voice in the room advocating for your advancement when decisions are made—can dramatically transform your professional trajectory. Hear about the power of cultivating relationships with those in seats of influence who will advocate for your advancement and other best practices to move your career ahead.
6. Boundaries as a Leadership Skill: Protecting Your Energy and Focus
Ever find yourself saying "yes" to that extra project when you're already drowning? Or responding to work emails at 11 PM while binge-watching Netflix? Or maybe you're that go-to person who's constantly solving everyone else's problems while your own priorities get pushed to tomorrow's never-ending list? Here's the uncomfortable truth: According to McKinsey's 2023 Women in the Workplace report, women leaders are 1.5 times more likely to experience burnout due to difficulty establishing and maintaining professional boundaries. That endless accessibility and people-pleasing might be getting you recognition in the short-term, but it's quietly sabotaging your leadership potential and wellbeing. In this no-nonsense panel, our boundary-setting badasses will show you why those invisible lines you draw (or don't draw) might be the most critical leadership skill you're not prioritizing.
7. AI as Your Career Ally: Leveraging Technology to Advance Women's Leadership
When it comes to advancing your career, AI is your friend; not a foe. According to McKinsey's 2024 Women in the Workplace report, 78% of women in leadership positions report concerns about AI disrupting their industries while those who actively embrace these technologies are 3x more likely to accelerate their career trajectories. Join our tech-savvy trailblazers who will demystify AI tools that can amplify your productivity, enhance decision-making, and create strategic advantages in male-dominated spaces. You'll leave with a practical AI toolkit customized for women leaders, concrete strategies for leveraging these technologies without getting left behind, and the confidence to position yourself at the forefront of this technological revolution rather than in its shadow.
8. The Executive Presence Advantage: Commanding Rooms without Changing Who You Are
Presence isn't about perfection—it's about power, poise, and purpose. According to a 2024 Korn Ferry leadership study, women who successfully cultivate authentic executive presence are 2.4 times more likely to advance to senior leadership positions, yet 71% report receiving conflicting guidance on how to develop this critical skill. In this powerful session, our panel of commanding leaders will deconstruct the true elements of presence that drive results while rejecting outdated, one-size-fits-all formulas that force women to contort themselves into inauthentic personas.
Afternoon Panels
9. Real Estate as a Wealth-Building Tool: Investment Strategies for Women
Despite women controlling over $10 trillion in U.S. household financial assets, they remain significantly underrepresented in real estate investing, with only 30% of women owning investment properties compared to 45% of men. This empowering session explores how real estate can serve as a powerful vehicle for women to build generational wealth and financial independence. Attendees will learn practical strategies for understanding the market, financing options specifically tailored for women entrepreneurs, and how to overcome gender-specific barriers in the real estate industry. Our expert panelists will share their personal journeys and provide actionable steps to help you start or expand your real estate portfolio, regardless of your current financial situation.
10. Community Care: Moving Beyond Self-Care to Sustainable Wellness Practices
According to recent studies, 68% of professional women report experiencing burnout when relying solely on individual self-care practices, highlighting the limitations of the "just take care of yourself" approach in our interconnected world. This transformative panel explores how community care models are a critical form of wellness—one that emphasizes mutual support, connection, and collective healing. Learn how to create sustainable support systems at home, work, and in your wider community.
Artificial Intelligence (AI 101) for Non-Technical Leaders: Understand How to Use the Technologies Reshaping Business
Despite AI reshaping virtually every industry, a whopping 82% of female executives report feeling like they're watching a foreign film without subtitles whenever technical teams start explaining artificial intelligence. This refreshingly jargon-free session transforms AI from mystifying tech wizardry into practical tools you can confidently deploy, even if your most advanced technical achievement to date is successfully connecting to airport WiFi on the first try. Look forward to this conversation designed for professionals who want to understand AI fundamentals, stay relevant in their industries, and guide their organizations through technological transformation with confidence.
12. Scaling with Purpose: Growing Your Business without Losing Your Vision
In a business landscape where 70% of female founders report compromising their original mission during periods of rapid growth, this dynamic session tackles the critical challenge of scaling while staying true to your purpose. Because scaling a business can mean hard trade-offs, but your vision shouldn’t be one of them. In this candid conversation, hear from a dynamic group of women about how they’ve grown teams, revenue, and impact without compromising their mission or core values.
13. Building Your Personal Board of Directors: Strategic Mentorship Networks
While 76% of professional women believe mentorship is crucial for career advancement, only 37% have successfully built the diverse advisory network needed to navigate complex leadership challenges. But we need to remember that mentorship isn’t just a nice thing to do; it’s a strategic investment. Hear from this panel about how to curate a personal advisory network of mentors, sponsors, and truth-tellers who can guide and challenge you at every stage. Learn the value of intentional relationship-building in career acceleration.
14. Resilience through Reinvention: Pivoting Your Career with Confidence
If career paths were roads, 64% of professional women now travel on something resembling a roller coaster designed by a sugar-high toddler rather than a straight highway—making strategic pivots the new power move in today's shape-shifting workplace. This refreshingly honest conversation will bring together women who've mastered the art of the professional plot twist, transforming potential career crises into their most triumphant chapters. Ditch the "stay-in-your-lane" mindset as our panel of successful career-shifters share a practical reinvention roadmap, courage-building exercises for those terrifying "what-am-I-doing" moments, and the liberating knowledge that your most valuable career asset isn't your expertise in any single field—it's your capacity for strategic adaptation.
15. Salary Negotiation Masterclass: Techniques That Close Pay Gaps
While women are 85% more likely than men to fact-check obscure movie trivia at dinner parties, we're shockingly 4 times less likely to negotiate our starting salaries—leaving an estimated $750,000 on the table over a lifetime. In this important session, negotiation experts and HR leaders share frameworks, phrases, and prep strategies that help women negotiate compensation with power and clarity. Walk away ready to ask for—and get—what you’re worth.
16. Strategic Vulnerability: When Showing Authenticity Becomes Your Strength
Leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers—it means showing up real. This myth-busting session explores how strategic vulnerability transforms from career suicide to superpower when deployed with intention, differentiating between oversharing your weekend adventures and creating genuine connection through purposeful authenticity. Learn from our panelists about redefining vulnerability as a strength, exploring how honesty, openness, and emotional intelligence can create deeper trust, influence, and connection in leadership.
