The second annual Women’s Leadership Conference at Cal State San Bernardino, with the theme “Activate to Motivate,” will be held Friday, Feb. 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Santos Manuel Student Union Events Center. This year’s event, which already has a waiting list, will feature three keynote speakers, breakout sessions for both students and faculty/staff, a panel discussion and a participant mixer.The keynote speakers are: Melissa Abad, sociologist at Stanford, as well as Bob Bland and Tamika D. Mallory, co-presidents and activists of the National Women’s March. Abad, a sociologist at the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab, earned her doctorate in sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, master’s degree in social sciences from the University of Chicago, and bachelor’s degree in sociology from Northwestern University. At Stanford, Abad builds upon the institute’s engagement with intersectionality scholarship and leads the intersectional leadership research agenda. She also collaborates with the Seeds of Change program, a leadership initiative that trains and supports young women in STEM as they transition through high school and college to their careers. Bland is not only an activist, but also a fashion designer who graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She is CEO and founder of Manufacture New York, a social enterprise that rethinks the fashion ecosystem with a mission to reawaken and rebuild America’s fashion industry, foster the next wave of businesses and create a transparent, sustainable global supply chain. She has been featured in two books and multiple TV interviews, including CNBC and CBS Evening News. Mallory, founder of Mallory Consulting, a strategic planning firm in New York City, worked closely with the Obama Administration as an advocate for civil rights issues, equal rights for women, health care, gun violence and police misconduct. She served as a national organizer for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, which drew 300,000, as well as Justice or Else!, where she delivered a national address to more than 700,000. Mallory has also served as National Action Network’s youngest executive director. The Women’s Leadership Conference will also include a panel discussion with four influential women, including Jenny Sorenson, CSUSB associate vice president of Facilities Planning & Management; Alysson Satterlund, former CSUSB associate vice president of Student Affairs and former dean of students; Monica Stockhausen, professor of business at Chaffey College, public speaker, and CEO of NerdyGirlsRock LLC; and Nancy Wada-McKee, vice president for student life at Cal State LA. This year’s breakout sessions target both students and faculty/staff. The student-targeted sessions include:

  • Just Because I’m a Girl;
  • Intersectionality 101;
  • Untapped Potential: A Strengths-based Approach to Being an Authentic You;
  • Women of Color in Higher/Graduate Education; and
  • Burning Out Before You Make it to the Top.

 The faculty and staff sessions include:

  • Compassionate Resistance;
  • Pay Equity: A Woman’s Place;
  • Female Junior Faculty: Finding Your Voice;
  • Supporting Your Sisters, Not Just Your Cis-ters;
  • The Many Faces of Success; and
  • Are You Holding You Back?

 According to the Women’s Leadership Conference’s webpage, the goal of the event is to help those who identify as women at CSUSB to “become stronger leaders in their personal, organization and community spheres of influence, inspiring them to create a more accepting, equitable environment for themselves and other women; and empowering them to embrace their authentic selves.” Visit the Women’s Leadership Conference webpage to learn more about the program or to be placed on the wait list. If you have obtained a spot, you will be notified by Friday, Feb. 1. For accessibility accommodations or questions regarding the conference, email wlc@csusb.edu.