“The Era of Embracing Change: Dare To Be Extraordinary'

The seventh annual conference encouraged attendees to adopt artificial intelligence, advocate for inclusion and be confident in their capabilities.

Guidance that urged being ready to make career pivots, embrace AI and have confidence in one's capabilities were bold calls to action inspired by the theme "The Era of Embracing Change: Dare To Be Extraordinary" at the seventh annual Women's Leadership Conference at Adelphi University on March 9.

These were just a few of the inspiring lessons delivered to about 350 attendees by 24 industry leaders, including noted alumni and members of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees. In the audience were women at varying stages of their careers and students from Adelphi as well as from 15 area high schools.

According to President Christine M. Riordan, the goal of the popular conference was to "discuss how women can use education to break down barriers, inspire each other to strive for greatness and maximize our value in every career field. Higher education is uniquely positioned to develop solutions to today's workforce trends, from the rise of AI to remote work and a stronger emphasis on diversity initiatives."

The day opened with keynote speaker Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, founder and CEO of BrainTrust and author of The Beauty of Success: Start, Grow, and Accelerate Your Brand (Wiley, 2024). She spoke about the importance of cultivating relationships and urged the audience to develop what she calls a brain trust: a group of people who advise a leader.

Adapting to variations in the business world was the theme during the panels that followed, focusing on building diverse workplaces, philanthropy, success stories of women of color, flexibility in career choices, and building allies and mentors.

Artificial Intelligence, Inclusivity

One of the breakout sessions that drew a crowd was "Tech Trailblazers: Leading in the AI Age." It was moderated by Anita D'Amico, PhD '84, founder and CEO of Code Dx, and the panelists included Linda Chan, vice president of information technology at Amphenol Corporation; Kees Leune, PhD, Adelphi associate professor and chair of the mathematics and computer science department; and Kevin Goodman '00, MBA '03, an Adelphi trustee and global director of Go To Market at LinkedIn. They addressed how AI will change the workplace and the importance of learning not only the technology, but also its limitations.

Dr. Leune emphasized that AI is only as smart as the information it's fed, saying, "AI makes mistakes. AI does not make decisions. It's the job of the human operator to know what they're doing to catch those mistakes."

The "Leading Inclusively: Building Diverse and Equitable Workplaces" panel addressed best practices for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).

"A 2023 article by McKinsey & Company cites that the global market investment in workplace DEIB-related efforts was estimated to be $7.5 million in 2020,"

Cassandra Alvarez '09, chief of staff and chief diversity officer for the New York City Department of Veterans' Services, said in her opening. "And as Kendra [Bracken-Ferguson] said earlier, each of us has unique value that we bring to the table, so that is why DEIB is so incredibly important-because of the unique perspectives and values that we all bring to the organizational settings where we find ourselves."

There were opportunities throughout the day to network or get a professional headshot taken. New this year were the Career Support Hub, where career counselors reviewed attendees' résumés or LinkedIn profiles and provided general career guidance, and the Career Closet pop-up collection site, which offers donated professional business attire to students free of charge. More than 160 items were collected at the conference.

Relentless Resistance

Trends and women's value in the workplace were key messages during the onstage conversation between Anna Zinko, assistant vice president for student affairs at Adelphi, and keynote speaker Jennifer Hyman, co-founder and CEO of Rent the Runway, a service that allows customers to rent designer clothing and accessories for a fraction of the retail price.

"So much about the journey is about failing, learning, putting one step in front of the other and trying again," Hyman said. "I think the only reason why I'm up here today is that I have the resilience to just keep on moving, [and] that your positivity and your forward momentum [are what keep] you in the game."

[Pull quote] "Your positivity and your forward momentum [are what keep] you in the game." -Jennifer Hyman, Co-Founder and CEO of Rent the Runway

The Women's Giving Circle and Women's Leadership Conference Endowed Fund Support Future Leaders

The Women's Giving Circle is a powerhouse group of women philanthropists who recognize Adelphi students, alumnae and friends, and enhance the community through collective giving. Victoria Rodriguez received the third annual Women's Giving Circle Endowed Scholarship, and Alyssa Rashid '24 and Jonay Jackson '23 were the recipients of the respective 11th Annual Women's Giving Circle "Courage to Inspire, Strength to Empower" undergraduate and graduate essay contests.

The Women's Leadership Conference Endowed Fund was created in 2022 to support programming, leadership activities and other opportunities to empower Adelphi women. Thomas A. Kline, EdD, vice president of University advancement and external relations, said, "I am extremely excited to share that, due to the generous support of our donors, steering committee members, and with leadership gifts from LeeAnn Black and Loretta Cangialosi, we have raised more than $100,000 to support women's leadership this year, and the endowed fund will soon surpass $500,000! Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this cause."

Save the Datefor the 2025 Women's Leadership Conference on March 29.

This story was featured in the 2024 Issue of the Adelphi University Magazine.