12th Women's Leadership and Empowerment Conference [WLEC2021]
IMAGINE ◊ IMPACT ◊ INSPIRE
​March 1st - 3rd, 2021 VIRTUAL

​PRESENTERS

Monday, March 1st '21

Transformational Leadership

Creating a framework for transformational leadership to promote and support the wellbeing of executives working in educational institutions in the United Arab Emirates using the principles of emotional intelligences as a yard stick.

Maya Alhawary, is an Emirati educator. She serves as Chairwoman of Board of Governors of Dubai Carmel School - Director of Planning from the United Arab Emirates. She was chosen as the “Ambassador of Knowledge” at the UAE Red Crescent, and in 2019 was selected among 50 influential accounts in social media. She works on developing the personal skills of employees of various government agencies in the United Arab Emirates.
First Ph.D. scholar in Emotional Intelligence & its effect on leadership in the Mena region; Certified trainer, Director of development and planning; TedX speaker; Tolerance knight; Ambassador of community service; Ambassador of knowledge; Lecturer.

My Story: The making of Scofray by an illiterate Transformational Leader (MOTHER)

I slept on the streets
I was truant in school
I sold anything legitimate from cocoanut, popcorn, pastries, maize, yam, etc
I was a “shoeshine boy” cobbler by mending slippers, sandals, shoes, etc
I did fishing from streams and catch crabs from their holes
Holding faith for the future was from the voice of a mother who said through all this, don’t lose hope, and a future (Inspirational motivation)
She will ground me to study, though she could not even read or understand what she is policing me to study (Intellectual stimulation)
She will lay hands on me and pray for during the examination, no matter many classes I had missed (individualized consideration)
She pulled me along on all the menial jobs she engaged, especially the selling of foodstuff
Through this, she taught me customer care, good human relation, usage of smile and humor (Idealized influence)
I learned Idealized influence, Inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration from this illiterate mother of mine. Which later, I discovered that it was transformational leadership traits. 
So my question is, why do we use leadership defined and measured with masculinity metrics to confine the leadership prowess of women?

Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah is Transformational Coach| Certified Professional Trainer | Editor of Golden City Business Magazine | Media Analyst & Author | Lead Facilitator for Zoweh Global Consult with a combined 15 years of experience. He holds Graduate Diploma in Management Studies (ICM-UK), Diploma in Leadership (ICK), Certified Professional Trainer (IAPPD-UK), and currently pursuing a coaching course for ICF’s Professional Certified Coach accreditation with Ideal Coaching Global - the USA.
His core competencies cover Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, Non-Verbal Communication, Healing of Memories, Strategic Management, Leadership, Branding, etc. He is listed in Most Influential Young Ghanaian in 2015 & 2016, top 100 speakers in Ghana in 2019. Nominee for African Youth Award 2016. Inducted into Crans Montana Forum’s New Leadership for tomorrow in Morocco. Authored books on amazon, namely Christian Corporate Model, Branding 360°, Transformational Pearls, etc. He has published over 55 articles on many portals such as huffintingpost.com, bnftonline.com, modernghana.com, dailyguidenetwork.com, etc. and appeared on many radio and tv interviews.

Finding The Wind In Your Hair!

Women are empowered in many ways. One way I have been empowered is through the open road. This is a journey of empowerment that has pushed me to believe in myself, that has caused me to take risks I would have never taken. Learning to ride and being a part of the riding community has opened a world that I would have never dreamed possible prior to 2006. This live (if possible), Video if not, presentation will share with you my story and my journey of empowerment that has led me to be the person I am today. From the rolling Prairies of Alberta, Canada to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, through Death Valley to the Brooklyn bridge in New York City and back. Motorcycling has given me the courage and power to speak where I would not have, act where I would not have and explore places like Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania on trips by myself. This is my story of empowerment, the wind in my hair, the open road below me and riding off into the sunset.

Heather began riding her motorcycle in 2006. She took a course at the local college and she never looked back. She was lucky enough to meet people from the Harley Owners Group in Medicine Hat. It only took about a year until Heather upgraded to her first Harley-Davidson. She has been with the H.O.G group ever since. She is a school teacher by trade and this allows her to have her holidays to travel North America during her summers. She always says that riding was the best decision she has ever made for herself and she encourages any and all to give it a try!

India’s missing working women:
Tracing the journey of women’s economic contribution over the last five decades, and during COVID19

India today is an economic powerhouse on the global stage; however, it faces a queer conundrum—despite considerable gains in female education, decreases in fertility rates, and increasing economic growth, only a quarter of its women are in the labour force, amongst the lowest in the world. Based on analysis of time series data over the last five decades (1970-2018), this paper finds that women’s labour force and workforce participation rates have declined to their lowest levels since Independence. Women’s average wages have consistently remained below that of men, with sticky wage gaps. The fall in labour force participation has been led by women in rural areas, while female unemployment rates have remained higher than men in urban areas. The paper finds that occupational segregation and concentration of women in low growth sectors, income effect of rising household-incomes, increased mechanisation and lack of tertiary education and skill training are leading factors giving rise to these trends. Recent high frequency data demonstrates that COVID19-induced lockdowns and economic disruptions have dampened female labour force participation. In the absence of targeted policy interventions to support retention and promote women’s workforce participation, women are likely to continue being excluded from India’s spectacular growth story.

Mitali Nikore, an India based economist, is a Development Economics Consultant for the Asian Development Bank, Innovative Finance consultant for UN Women and Transport & Logistics consultant to the World Bank. She is a Global Shaper with the New Delhi Hub of Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. Focusing on infrastructure development, industries, MSMEs, economic corridors, logistics and gender, her work spans a wide range of sectors, both in South Asia and Africa, at the national and sub-national level. Mitali has led research inquires on infrastructure financing gaps, gender-based discrimination, framing policy, and programmatic and project-level interventions. She is also a widely published researcher and writer with the Times of India, Hindustan Times, Forbes India, India Spend, Indian Express, and EPC World. She is a regular economics commentator on India Ahead News, and has also appeared on NDTV, Mojo Story, NewsX and other Indian news organisations.

Community Perceptions of Obstetric Fistula in Uganda

Across Africa and Asia, over 2 million girls and women aged 15 to 49 years are affected by Obstetric Fistula, which leaves them incontinent of urine or feces or both, and if not treated, it leads to death. The leading cause of Obstetric Fistula has been established to be prolonged and obstructed labor due to delay in seeking emergency obstetric care. Even though organizations perform repair surgeries, most women do not seek medical attention and end up leaking urine for many years before finally deciding to do it. This might be linked to the stigmatization that they face from the rest of the community or the price required to pay for the repair surgery. Uganda is one of the countries in the world that is profoundly affected by Obstetric Fistula. Seventy-five thousand women are affected by Fistula, and 1,000 new cases are reported annually. The main risk factors contributing to these numbers are early marriage, lack of access to emergency obstetric care when needed, the lack of awareness about the condition, and harmful traditions like Female Genital Mutilation. Most of the community's beliefs and knowledge about Obstetric Fistula are influenced by culture, traditions, and the inadequacy of knowledge about Fistula.

Daisy Mukasa is a third-year student at the African Leadership University pursuing a Major in Global Challenges. In July 2018, she was chosen among the 100 African students who got the Mandela Centennial Scholarship. She is very passionate about Maternal Health Care. She would like to reduce maternal mortality rates and conditions like Obstetric Fistula that affect many young African Women by incorporating technology into the Health Care system and advocating for quality health care, especially for women in rural Africa. She is currently working on an advocacy program aimed at ending the stigma and shame associated with Fistula. During her free time, she loves writing personal stories on her online blog and reading African literature. She is inspired by her mother, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Upile Chisala. Her dream is to live a fulfilling life, write books, and travel around the world.

Embodiment Practice TCTSY

TCTSY is an empirically validated, clinical intervention for complex trauma or chronic, treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). TCTSY employs physical forms and movements, the emphasis is not on the external expression or appearance (i.e. doing it"right"), or receiving the approval of an external authority. Rather, the focus is on the internal experience of the participant. This shift in orientation, from the external to the internal, is a key attribute of TCTSY as a complementary treatment for complex trauma. In this 15 min. practice we will explore the 5 core elements of TCTSY.

Krystal Pérez is a Puerto Rican sociologist passionate about eradicating gender violence and understanding how traumatic experiences affect people's physical, emotional and social processes. She dedicated her university studies to accompany and study ways to improve care spaces for immigrant women who were victims of domestic violence in Puerto Rico and in Spain, where she completed her Master's degree in Communication for Social Change and Development. In turn, she did her first Vinyasa yoga training in Marbella, Andalucía where she obtained her 200 hour certification. It was at that moment that Krystal decided to integrate her academic work and body based therapy in conjunction with the Trauma Sensitive Yoga model. In 2016 she carried out her first training in TC-TSY at the Kripalu Center in MA and in 2018 she formally began the 300-hour training that allowed her to work as a TC-TSY facilitator at the Center for Trauma and Embodiment in Boston, Massachusetts. Before dedicating herself fully to the accompaniment of trauma survivors she traveled through Europe, Peru, Argentina, Chile and Honduras offering Yoga classes and working as an artisan before finally settling in Mexico. She is part of the Prison Yoga Project Mexico and has offered classes in maximum security prisons in addition to shelters for victims of trafficking. In 2016, Krystal founded Asanarte:Yoga and group therapy for women who had been victims of domestic violence and obtained grants and government resources to offer care services to this population. In 2017, she traveled to India to study yoga and received direct teaching from Sarawathi in Mysore, India. Thereafter, she traveled to Bangkok, Thailand and shared her research on Yoga for women who experienced violence at the Congress for the Empowerment of Women, the Tomorrows People Organization. Parallel to her social work, Krystal has two jewelry and handcraft stores working in collaboration with artisans from Mexico and Puerto Rico practicing fair trade and sustainable sourcing. In these spaces she shares the art and culture of her travels and the connections she has made in them. She is currently working in a project of psychological and body based therapy where she is co-founder: ̈Arme: Narrativa Psico-Corporal. ̈ Arme offers psychological treatment and Trauma Sensitive Yoga to people who have gone through traumatic experiences. In addition, she is committed to making the practice of Trauma Sensitive Yoga more accessible in Latin America. As of now, she has worked with people from: Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. This year, Krystal aims to continue her studies by focusing in the area of public health. Krystal is looking to collaborate the design of trauma-informed intervention spaces and programs for vulnerable populations on the border of Mexico and the United States. In her private practice, she plans to start integrating health models at every size and the perspective of ̈body positive ̈ combined with Trauma Sensitive Yoga for people suffering from eating disorders.

PANEL DISCUSSION
The Multiculturalism of Women Leaders

Empowered by Amanda Gorman: “The Hill We Climb” in the College Classroom

No Presidential Inauguration has ever seen more women leaders, but among all the empowering moments of January 20, 2021, one stands out: Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb.” A poem for the ages, I taught it the day after and will teach it for the rest of my career. Students are empowered by it, but it is not an easy text. There are allusions to mythology, history, the bible, justice, biography, literature, and so much more. I would like to share some pedagogical strategies that help students understand the power of “The Hill We Climb” and its call to shared leadership: “That even as we tired, we tried / That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious / Not because we will never again know defeat / but because we will never again sow division.”

Nikolai Endres received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2000. As Professor of World Literature and Film at Western Kentucky University, he teaches Great Books, British literature, classics, mythology, critical theory, queer cinema, and gay and lesbian studies. He has published on Plato, Ovid, Petronius, Gustave Flaubert, Richard Wagner, Walter Pater, Oscar Wilde, E. M. Forster, André Gide, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mary Renault, Gore Vidal, and others. He just completed a first book about the late American novelist Patricia Nell Warren, author of the famous gay novel "The Front Runner." His next projects are the Romosexuality of E. M. Forster’s "Maurice" and ancient and modern sexualities in the movie "Call Me by Your Name. "

Femina Academica, Women Leadership in Academic Sociology, and Science

Femina Academica as a concept, a research project idea, and book investigation theme is defined in 2016(Spano), inside the Higher Educational Female Leadership position, precisely focus towards female leadership inside Higher University positions. Femina Sociologica, Femina Ecologica, Femina Xenologica with Femina Academica, constitute educative tetralogy, dedicated to investigational research practices of Feminine identity in the Contemporary. Spano explains the importance of Female leadership through the notion of legal documents “The UNESCO (1998) Declaration on Higher Education included a statement that HE ‘should promote solidarity and equity’, and it also included equality of access. Moreover, the restructuring of the HE field, supported by ‘democratizing’ discourses such as merit or opportunity, diffused a natural ‘faith’ that the new university would provide the ‘natural’ achievement of gender equality (for example, through quality assurance polices). Consequently, gender equity has become frequently absent, as a category of analysis both in many research studies on HE and in the complex attempts of appraisal of the changing processes in place.4 However, the assumption that women have secured a level of opportunity and advantage in the workplace collides with the pattern of male prevalence in”(2016:2). Key terms: Femina Academica, Academic Conviviality, HE field, Female Leadership, Femina Xenologica

Lejla Mušić, is Associate prof of Sociology, working at the Department of the Sociology of Political Science Faculty Sarajevo, at Sarajevo University in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prof is COIL partnership professor with SUNY College at Old Westbury, New York. She teaches disciplines Sociology of Gender I, and Sociology of Gender II. Her most recent book Femina Academica, published in February 2021, by Lambert Academic Publishing group(Barnes &Noble) questions the position of Women in Academic Sociology. Member of SWS, ISA, ASA,IPRA, and Junior member of the Sociology Board, at the Bosnian Science Academy.

Pure Heart Leadership: An Authentic Approach to Leadership

Pure Heart Leadership™ is leadership approach that encourages an authentic style while recognizing the individuality and strengths of leaders. This leadership model was developed based upon over 20 years of professional experience within higher education while blending several key psychology theories of Carl Rogers and Albert Bandura into a mindfulness approach to working with others. This model is one of encouragement, empowerment, and truly rewarding in both self and team development. It provides both the leader and the mentee with an honest evaluation of how you present as a leader as well as connecting and leading others. As leaders of organizations, we spend a lot of time and money on professional development. But often it is a generalized approach to the mechanics of good management. The information and training are not necessarily designed to cultivate authentic leaders. Couple that with day-to-day activities, organizational goals, and responsibilities, and professional development gets lost in the shuffle of priorities and unforeseen challenges. This session will provide recommendations, suggestions, and real-world application on building effective teams, strong leadership development, as well as succession planning for those working within the structure of higher education institutions.

Dr. Garrett brings over twenty years of successful experiences and accomplishments within the academic platforms of both online and campus based platforms. Her business experience compliments her education service by bringing extensive experience in program development, management, and transformation leadership to both internal and external teams. Her passion for education is not limited to the interactions with faculty and students but also her investment in the human capital that resides in the education experience. After several years of administrative experience, she is recognized as an organizational leader and mentor to both new talent, those needing a change, and in elevating the talents of others.

Turning Your Passion into Profit - Less Hustle More Magic

Turning Your Passion into Profit in an inspiring journey of spiritual awakening, courage, and entrepreneurship. After a sudden, heartbreaking awakening in 2015 Eesha Patel felt a compelling and intense inner calling to share her gifts of healing and mentoring with the world. At present, Eesha has helped thousands in their own journeys of spiritual awakening and entrepreneurship through her Origin Activation, an internationally recognised energetic healing modality. In Turning Your Passion into Profit Eesha reveals her journey to success through the highs, the lows, the twists, and the turns and how to reduce the hustle, to create more magic.

Eesha Patel is an energy healer and spiritual coach who helps her clients “level-up” their business by focusing on their spiritual life and eliminating the energetic barriers holding them back. Her calling has led her to partner with world-class coaches, speakers, and entrepreneurs who also serve a calling higher than themselves. Together, my clients and I work to raise the vibrations of the earth.

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Tuesday, March 2nd '21

The salespeople’s reactions to customer sexual harassment: A case study of Taiwan’s life insurance industry

Customer sexual harassment has been recognized as a serious issue in the personal selling industry. This study explores the impacts of customer power and perceived behavioral control on the life insurance salespeople’s whistleblowing intentions to report quid pro quo and hostile work environment types of customer sexual harassment. This study then investigates how personal factors (such as gender difference) may relate to the intentions. This study collects quantitative and qualitative data through questionnaire surveys, and the research sample of this research is the full-time life insurance salespeople in Taiwan. This is the first empirical study to test the relationships among customer reward power, customer coercive power, perceived behavioral control and the salespeople’s whistleblowing intentions toward customer sexual harassment. The findings may provide some implications for the researchers and official authorities.

Lin Yi-Ling is currently a business director in Tai-Da Insurance Broker Company in Taiwan. She has achieved of FChFP( Fellow Financial Practitioner) and AFP（Associate Financial Planner). She has been awarded MDRT(Million Dollar Round Table) membership and Qualifying Member COT (Court of the Table) for several times, and the membership is acknowledged internationally as the standard of excellence in the life insurance business.​Ｎow, Yi-Ling is a Ph.D. student at the school of business, Feng Chia University,Taiwan. Her research interests are in the areas of life insurance marketing and life insurance management.

Women at the heart of Digital era

My name is Danijela Golić. I help female entrepreneurs start their business, leverage it, scale it and take it global. In my presentation I will tell you how I used all the knowledge that I had to develop my Women"s leadership summit and I did it by only using Social media channels. The role of social media in business allows female entrepreneurs to connect not only with other women who are building businesses but with their idyllic customers as well. The Internet and the use of social media in business have made entrepreneurship newly accessible for millions of female entrepreneurs around the world. So there you have it, inclusivity, access, opportunity and the Internet connection are most definitely putting women in entrepreneurship on the map. Something that is having a positive impact on economies around the world.

Danijela is a Serial Entrepreneur, Speaker, and founder of Women’s Leadership Summit, the Vice-president of Female Entrepreneurship Section within the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. She is also the Ambassador for Women's Leadership and Empowerment Conference, for Serbia and founder and CEO of CPA Solution which is a digital marketing agency. Her field of expertise is Social Media.

Profound Change and Decision Making: The Practice of U Theory - Open Mind, Open Heart, Open Will

How can we make profound decisions that affect our personal and collective future without avoiding our past mistakes? We do this by opening to new cognitive processes which were outlined for us by U theory of Peter Senge and Otto Claus Schamer (2004) embracing the basic elements of Emotional Intelligence, such as Open Mind, Open Heart, Open Will. In this presentation, I will be looking at the practical applications of the U theory developed by Claus Otto Schamer and Peter Senge in 2004 to advance paradigm shifts in leadership in all areas of organisational life, including civic organisations, politics and business. Too often, however, the theory is applied straight into an organisational context (organisational collective) with very little application to the personal motivation and reflection of the leaders in organisations. Although some studies were made by Li-An Ho and Tsung Hsien Kuo to use empirical case studies (2009), they, too, rely mostly on quantitative studies. The intention of this presentation is to provide a reflective and more personal explanation of U theory which can also be developed into a matrix for a leadership workshop. In this way, the theory can be become an enjoyable, Emotional Intelligence and self-reflection focused practice for future or existing leaders. Selected Reference List: Ho, L-A & Kuo, T-H 2009, ‘Alternative organisational learning therapy: an empirical case study using behavior and U theory’, Australian educational researcher, vol. 36, pp. 105-124, Schamer, Claus Otto (2016) Theory U: learning from the merging future. (2nd edition: San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Senge, Peter, M, Schamer, Claus Otto, Jaworsky, Joseph, Flowers, Betty Sue (2004), Presence: exploring profound change in people, organisations and society. New York: Currency/Doubley

Joanna Kujawa (PhD) is a scholar, lecturer and researcher for the last 20 years. She has received her PhD from Monash University, Melbourne, in 2005 and BA and MA from the University of Toronto. She flourished in liminal spaces between scholarship, blogging and broadcasting. She is on the Editorial Board of S/he: The international Journal of Goddess Studies.

Women Empowerment in the 21st Century

Empowered women in the 21st century seek to make the world a better place. While many women have made tremendous progress in their chosen fields, many are still struggling with gender discrimination, not only in the workplace but in the society and even at home. Although traditional gender roles are still widely practiced, women are now considerably more independent financially than before. This is a cue for women to take on more leadership roles to take charge of gender narratives so that gender equality can be realized. In order for women to overcome the challenges placed upon them, women need to first collectively agree, to raise both boys and girls with equal treatment and equal importance. This will enable girls to grow up in a safe environment where she feels confident and comfortable with her gender and do not judge herself through standards such as beauty, attractiveness or femininity.

Hon. Datuk Hajah Zuraida Kamaruddin is the current Minister for Housing and Local Government, the first woman to hold the position in the country. She made her mark in politics by championing women issues and implementing a 30% quota in the party she was representing and subsequently in local councils and grassroots organisations in the whole country. She is currently the country ambassador to Malaysia for Women Political Leaders, a position she has held since 2018. Her work in empowering women in Malaysia continues with the incorporation of Council of Women Lawmakers (COMWEL), an initiative meant to advance the socio-economic position of women in the country. Hon. Datuk Hajah Zuraida also advocates environmental issues pertaining to waste management which falls under the ambit of her Ministry. Under her leadership, the Housing and Local Government Ministry has rapidly undergone positive changes with the implementation of people-centric policies.

Friends of Thai Daughters

Friends of Thai Daughters (FTD) is committed to preventing child trafficking by educating, nurturing and empowering at-risk ethnic hill tribe girls.
​Our program provides a loving, family-style home environment to girls aged 8 -18, and supports them with full scholarships through university so that they emerge as confident, independent young adults.

Face Yoga

"My name is Alexandra Lievano, I am a Face Yoga Method certified teacher. I combine my FYM training with years of experience in being a multidisciplinary athlete and dancer. I love to share wellness, beauty, and body tips, and I teach online Face Yoga Method classes. 
I believe that your body shows everything you feel and do. Your intuition, spirituality, and feelings connect to your body in more ways that you can imagine."

PANEL DISCUSSION
Equality & Equity through Women's Leadership

Where Can I Belong?

More important today than diversity and inclusion is feeling a sense of belonging. To belong is to be accepted for your authentic self with no expectations of compromise. In a world where many may be experiencing job loss or loss of identity, where can I belong? This talk will dive into aligning your vision, values and beliefs with your purpose and company culture in order to find a career that brings you joy and fulfillment. We were all created with a unique value proposition and "working" in a job that can take advantage of those strengths will bring you the greatest sense of belonging.

Sandy had a long career, spanning 27 years with a global, private Engineering/Construction firm. She believes in a world where all leaders model emotionally intelligent behavior to transform the way their teams collaborate and grow both personally and professionally. Through targeted executive coaching program, assessments and leadership development training, she inspires others to gain confidence in their God-given ability to influence through their authentic leadership style. Sandy is a graduate from Johns Hopkins University with an MBA in International Business. She is chair for the Colorado Springs Regional Action Committee for the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, chair and Advisory board member of 4Word, a community for Christian women in the workplace, an international speaker and speaker coach for TedX. Sandy resides in Colorado Springs with her husband of 24 years, Michael and their three teenage children.

The migration of Nepalese women for domestic work to the Gulf countries
​and the impact of Nepal government's policies banning out-migration for domestic work

In research on Asian migrant women in domestic work, the case of the Philippines is the most widely researched. It is rightfully so because the export of Filipina maids for remittance-led development in the Philippines is set apart by the sheer numbers of women who have migrated for domestic work overseas and continue to do so. However, there is a need to broaden our understanding of what has been dubbed “the maid trade” by studying other cases in the region. One such case is Nepal from which women have been migrating for domestic work, mainly to the Gulf States, since the 1990s. What makes Nepal especially useful to study is that in 2017, the Nepal Government imposed a total ban on the outmigration of maids, formally preventing any women from Nepal to migrate anywhere abroad for domestic work. Moreover, this is not the first time that a ban has been put in place. The government has periodically imposed several prohibitions on the migration of women for domestic work. I examine the bans to determine if such “protective” measures actually endanger women more and what alternatives there may be to such measures.

Sayam Moktan is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at University of Cincinnati, Ohio. Her subfields are Comparative Politics and International Relations with a doctoral concentration in Feminist Comparative and International Politics. Her research interests include women and migration, development issues, gender and politics, politics and religion in South Asia and global and social inequalities. She was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal and completed her B.A in Social Work from Kathmandu University in 2011. She got her Master’s in Politics with specialization in International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India in 2014. She has two years of experience of working in the development field/NGO sector in Nepal having been employed in Least Developed Countries Watch in Rural Reconstruction Nepal after completing her B.A and in Community Members Interested, (COMMITTED) Nepal after completing her M.A.

Finding Strength When Your Whole World is Shaken

Change and crisis are inevitable parts of life. While it may seem challenging to move forward in the current global climate, we can choose to adapt, overcome, and grow as a result of the current challenges we face. Imagine if you could begin to look forward and hold onto a glimmer of hope in a sea of despair? What if you could discover a whole new part of you as you let go of what once was to discover what could be? To say our world has been shaken is an understatement, but more than ever we are being invited to step into our calling to better serve one another. During this interactive and engaging presentation supplemented with PowerPoint slides, attendees will gain insights that they can apply immediately to their own lives to find a glimmer of home in their future, reclaim a new sense of self, and find a greater purpose in their pain. This 20-minute presentation can be adapted as needed to meet your audience’s specific needs and time requirements.

As an international speaker and transformational coach, Diana helps ambitious business owners achieve their dreams with less stress and more joy, by using time-tested strategies to work smarter not harder.

The Three Truths I learned from Being Diagnosed as Terminal

Arliss is known for her work in soulful business practice. Coming from a diverse background rooted in science, she has a bachelor’s degree in forensic science and a master’s degree in neuroscience. She is known as The Ideas Queen as she is an outside the box thinker. In her work with her company Soullutions By Arliss, she guides entrepreneurs to bring mindfulness to their business practices while providing practical business advice and coaching. She resides in Hawaii, a beautiful and healing place. Arliss enjoys anything that brings fun, laughter, authenticity, and love into her life. Her mission is to create a gentler world by first living as an example of being gentle to self and then assisting others in becoming gentle within. Arliss’s key to success is she always continues to make steps forward no matter how small they are, even if a pause is needed from time to time, and she celebrate each step of the way. Arliss was diagnosed as terminal at age 28 and now at age 36 she is here to share her powerful insights from that experience.

Arliss Dudley-Cash has focused her career and self-development on supporting the success of entrepreneurs through her company Soullutions by Arliss. She believes in taking a more wholehearted approach to business management and success, and thus this is at the core of Arliss’s mission. Arliss has been working as a business manager, consultant and coach for 4 years and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration. As part of the wholehearted approach, Arliss is also pursuing a Doctorate in Divinity. Her goal is to support individuals in caring for themselves as their first priority and choosing work that also supports selfcare.

Free Your Voice, Change a Life

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” Maya Angelou Imagine connecting with an audience in a way that is not only inspiring, but changes lives. What if your words could be more than simply spoken and heard - what if they were felt? This is the power of your voice and story. It remains as true today as it has since the beginning of humanity - we are made of stories. Public speaking and storytelling is the most impactful and memorable way to deliver a message or idea. Yet so often we allow fear and nervousness around public speaking to silence our voices and stories. Although much has changed in our world over the past year, one thing is certain - the skills needed to be able to effectively communicate, whether virtually or in person are more crucial than ever. This presentation will provide both practical and powerful public speaking tools, tips and techniques you need to free your voice, tell your story and change lives.

Laura believes that your voice and story are your superpowers. Having grown up with a stutter, paralyzing public speaking fear and social anxiety, she is now an unlikely Professional Speaker and Public Speaking Coach. But that’s what makes her uniquely aligned to help others overcome their fear, find their voice, and tell their most authentic stories. Laura has taken top honors in international speech contests and storytelling competitions. She is the founder of Storyforth, a business that has helped countless other entrepreneurs, non-profits and companies grow through the use of effective storytelling. Laura also founded The Speakeasy School, a virtual school where she currently offers free courses on public speaking and storytelling. Originally from New York, Laura now lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with her family where she relishes natural beauty, isolation and adventure.

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Wednesday, March 3rd '21

Coronavirus market-crash – how far did FIRE retiree’s capital drawdown?

Followers of the FIRE (Financial Independent Retire Early) movement embrace the concept of saving and investing the majority of their income in their 20s or 30s so they can retire early. They choose to live extremely frugal in order to accumulate enough funds and live of the combination of investment income and small withdrawals. The coronavirus stock market crash in February and March 2020 was the fastest fall in global stock markets in financial history, shaving of 33.9% of the S&P500. In the popular financial press headings appeared like “The Coronavirus pandemic might end the FIRE movement.” Some articles speculated that portfolios were damaged so badly that early retirees are forced back into the workforce. This paper investigates the destruction of capital in the US stock-market as represented by the S&P500 index during the coronavirus market-crash. The balance of a lumpsum of $1,000,000 invested by retirees at the end of each year during the bull market from 2009 to 2019 were calculated using 3.0% and 4% inflation adjusted withdrawal rates at the low point of 23 March 2020.

Elsabie de Beer is a finance professional with a special interest in personal finance. She is a lecturer at Webster University Thailand where she teaches finance and law related subjects. She started her career as a trainee with Ernst & Young before being admitted as a member of the South African Institute of Professional Accountants and as a member of the Institute of Public Accountants in Australia. The book accredited for the start of the FIRE movement "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez in the early 1990’s had a profound impact on her life.

​Social & Emotional Learning as we return to the workplace​

After working for various investment banks in NYC and Bangkok, Dr Susan Crosbie returned to academia and earned her doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, USA in 2006. Her inspiration came after teaching at an adult literacy program in the Republic of South Africa from 1996-2001. She has been teaching in the Arabian Gulf for over fifteen years, and currently during the academic year, she acts as an educational consultant for K-12 schools. Her research interests include 1) academic integrity and the use of technology, including artificial intelligence, not only in the identification of academic fraud but also in guiding students how to use technology to build vocabulary to avoid plagiarism, and 2) MSALs (Modern South Arabian Languages) of Oman which are included in the UNESCO list of endangered languages. She is currently researching to write a book chapter about the two recently deceased, greatly loved leaders His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman.

Case studies of Indian Women Entrepreneurs from North East Region … Lessons Learnt

Women entrepreneurs are crucial to the economic growth of any country. Opportunities and encouragement for Women entrepreneurs in urban areas are much different from rural areas owing to education, technological advances, access to market, financial assistance and other parameters. In India only 14% of the total entrepreneurs are women, and the percentage of them coming from rural India is even far less. It is for this reason GoI focussed its efforts towards women empowerment. After enforcement of Several Government schemes for women empowerment, the situation is currently changing in the rural areas especially in North-Eastern India. The purpose of this research study is to identify factors that support women entrepreneurs, challenges faced by them and lessons learnt towards building a successful enterprise.

"I am an MS(CM) & MBA and Certified Public Procurement professional with over 17 years of work experience in the field of Rural Livelihood development, women empowerment, clusters, urban and rural infrastructure development and rural markets. Since joining Lingaya’s Vidyapeeth (for my PhD), I have been involved with studies relating to periodic markets in Baksa District of Assam. The main area of my work has been the North East and Himalayan region of India."

COVID-19: Unmasking the Digital Gender Divide in a Pandemic

The digital revolution has paved the way to a digital world that stimulates economic growth, develops health outcomes, and raises millions out of poverty by means of new technologies and services. The COVID-19 outbreak hastened the implementation of digital solutions at an exceptional speed, producing unforeseen opportunities for alternative methods to social and economic life. On the other hand, the COVID-19 crisis threatens to repel hard-won achievements in gender equality, further revealing women’s vulnerabilities based on their already existing economic, social and political situations. Tackling the digital gender divide is essential to guaranteeing sustainability of women’s livelihood. Therefore, the aim of this study is to find out if the COVID-19 crisis is enforcing existing digital inequality keeping in mind that failure to address the gender digital divide will increase gender inequality.

Lina Shouman is the chairperson and an instructor at the Lebanese International University (LIU) School of Business, MIS Department. Among her duties is to oversee directly or indirectly, the daily progress toward achieving teaching, research, and service goals as set out in the department's plan. Lina has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and an MBA from California State University and a current PhD candidate at Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain. She has intensive experience in programming and IT administration. Her hobbies include swimming and reading.

Soft skills and creativity : Women incredible talents

Is a business world where soft skills and creativity are becoming more and more important, a better business world for woman? with more chances? Soft skills are the ability to work harmoniously with others. Having seen the list, you can easily understand why soft skills are so important at work? To answer the question about the chances for women, I will say that women are as good in technical skills and a little bit better in soft skills. They will reach the top when competition gives way to collaboration. This can only be done with the commitment of those in power. I am confident, with the young generation, a soft revolution is happening.

Entrepreneur and international speaker Giselle Rufer feels that she has a mission to inspire and motivate women to be all what they can be. She created DELANCE in 1996; the company is celebrating 25th anniversary this year. Her creation, the DELANCE watch serves as a model of creativity, courage and excellence for all entrepreneurs, women and men alike. As a featured speaker at many conferences, Giselle Rufer share her knowledge with all those who dream of creating their own business. The driving force in Giselle Rufer’s life is to be in harmony with herself, to do what she loves doing, for those whom she loves. She is a creative, receptive and open person who loves to use her energy and enthusiasm to impart her working philosophy to others.

​Her saga portrays an extraordinary individual who also embodies the traits women have exhibited over time – not only to survive, but to excel.’ – Irene Natividad, President, Global Summit of Women.

Women In The Workplace: Balancing Motherhood and Work during COVID19

Many women in the workplace balance their job duties and motherhood. However, when the pandemic hit, the majority struggled with how to balance both as the world changed daily if not hourly or by the minute. Women who are also mothers are viewed differently in the workplace compared to their counterparts without families, mainly children. They can sometimes be viewed negatively during these harsh times as they may have to take leave more often to tend to the needs of their families. According to a study conducted by Catalyst in September 2020, 71% of women have had to modify their work routines to adapt to caregiving responsibilities while 61% work outside of core hours to balance other family responsibilities. There are also women that fear they may have to reduce hours to working part-time or temporarily quit their career to properly care for their families, primarily the children during the pandemic. In this presentation, the difficulties a working mother will be clarified along with presenting steps to help maintain a work and motherhood balance.

Enjoli has spent 15 years in the US and abroad in the transporation industry in the public and private sector as a designer and consultant working across the various STEM fields of education, architecture, engineering and urban planning. She has also worked as a corporate customer service training supervisor which has given her the skills to network with important stakeholders in any field. Enjoli recived her associates degree from State Technical College of Missouri in Civil Engineering Technology, an bachelors degree in Architecture and a masters degree in Architecture and Urban Planning: Emphasis in Transportation/Transit, Urban/Social Issues from the University of Kansas. She is the founder of Mama' es Fabulosa, Mid Missouri Fashion Week, The Black Thumb/The Blue Thumb garden project, and serves on the board of the Ubuntu Community Garden Project as the Community Planning Consultant. Enjoli is also a cub scout den leader/pack committe secretary with the Boy Scouts of America and the Vice President of the Theta Nu Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. After a life changing surgery and as COVID-19 hit the world she decided to make sure other women and mothers have the networks, educational resources, employment options, health/wellness education and proper life skills to be empowered to achieve their goals or dreams through her group Mama' es Fabulosa. She resides in the United States and is the mother of two children.

A Case Study of Leadership at a Women’s College: Teamwork, Diversity, and Confidence Building

This study will report on women college students’ leadership, teamwork, diversity, and communication skills while planning and executing a leadership event. The researcher asked the 13 students to complete two questionnaires; Questionnaire A was administered three months after the students started planning but before executing the event, and Questionnaire B was administered after they held the event and asked about the difficulty/joy of teamwork as a leader and a follower as well as the lessons they learned through the process. An analysis of the questionnaire results indicated drastic changes in their views of leadership, teamwork, diversity, and communication skills. And students’ learnings occurred mostly during teamwork planning efforts, but after the execution, the learnings become established as a sense of appreciation and self-confidence, enhancing their potentials as a leader and follower.

Megumi Okugiri is currently a professor at the University of Sacred Heart Tokyo, teaching Leadership and Teamwork, Language acquisition, Language and Identity, academic presentation, and academic writing.
​She received her MA in English from the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and her second MA and PhD in Language and Information Sciences at the University of Tokyo.

Transforming Your Career Playbook in The Digital Age

It has been said that to advance professionally, one must continue her career development through lifelong learning. While some choose to build skills by learning new technologies or facilitation methods to improve their leadership and business acumen, creating a career path of an upward trajectory today requires a careful look at one's personal brand, influence, and networks. In this presentation, we will examine top tools and trends used to create agile strategies for careers today and tomorrow.

Mary Despe is a Recruiter, Speaker, + Writer based on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii,USA. For 20 years, Mary has connected great talent with equally impressive companies through work as a recruiter. She advises companies to build high-performing teams and to meet staffing objectives through her working at RPO, corporate, search organizations and her own proprietorship. Mary has been featured for career advice in Medium, Fairygodboss, CareerAddict, Honolulu Civilbeat, Refinery29, and LinkedIn's Get Hired newsletter.

PANEL DISCUSSION
Finding empowerment in adversity of our everyday lives

Evolved Leader

Our world is forever changing, growing, evolving. With each generation there becomes a gap, a change, a new way of thinking about and doing things. As we have more instant access to things at the tip of our fingers we also start to disconnect with others and ourselves.Regardless if you are a C-Level/C-Suite, an Entrepreneur or a Leader in your community, in order to lead others in a sustainable, inspiring and productive way, we must grow and learn (EVOLVE) into Leaders that are relevant, that can connect to this changing world we live in and communicate in ways that those around you can relate to and be inspired by. These are Evolved Leaders, that embrace change, lean into the discomfort and grow into a new version of themselves. It is important to understand why different leadership attributes can be effective, why the same leadership techniques will not work in every situation, and when to use what. Everyone has leadership potential within them, but understanding these concepts will help you maximize your leadership ability, relate to others differently, and to become an Evolved Leader.

Entrepreneurship and Leadership runs through Lynn's veins. She has started and sold many businesses across the globe since her early 20’s, to leading global organizations as a COO which was in 26 countries, there is a passion that burns deep inside Lynn to be a change agent, a thought leader and to move the world forward.
​An adventurous spirit, one who loves learning and experiencing different cultures, meeting new people and exploring oneself and what the world has to offer, Lynn became a full-time digital nomad in 2019 The easy answer to what Lynn does in her business, she is a unique blend of Coach, Consultant, Educator and Speaker. She teaches entrepreneurs, leaders, and educators how to get out of their own way, so they can build the life and business they crave.

Life Is A Mountain: Opportunities, Obstacles & Outcomes

Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet, after her second attempt, gave Mozella an extreme real-world experience of ‘failure and success’ and taught her how to help her clients step up to empowered action, overcome the obstacles before them, and reach desired opportunities.
Mozella believes the pursuit of any goal is like climbing a mountain. Life-changing pathways, pathways that lead to lasting changes, are a challenge to achieve, and often require us to take the road less traveled.
In an interactive segment, participants will apply and align 3 systematic approaches to navigating an opportunity, or obstacle along their way toward reaching a specific outcome.

Mozella is an international speaker, author, poet, attorney, strategic intervention coach and adventurer.
 
When she was nine, she and her family moved from Miami, Florida, to the African Continent to fulfill her father’s lifelong dream. Cultural exposure and friendships forged across East and West Africa, Europe and Asia, filled her with unforgettable experiences. She brings her deeply wired global perspective and cultural appreciation everywhere she goes and to everyone she meets.
For almost five decades, she has studied and practiced the time-honored wisdom of human development and transformation.
 
Mozella earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Howard University. She is a member of the Bars of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and is admitted to practice before the United States Court of International Trade.