Schedule 2024

Remember the joy of grade school book fairs? Well imagine that – only this time with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres!! Join us to kick off the 2024 Women’s Forum with an alumnae book and product showcase.  You will have the opportunity to purchase select books written by alumnae authors and have them signed, and you can support alumnae entrepreneurs by browsing their products! And, of course, network with fellow attendees while celebrating the Georgetown alumnae community!  Co-Sponsored by GEMA’s Hoyas in Letters Initiative and the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance.

Grab your nametag, check out the features of the registration area, and have a bite to eat before the day begins!

Welcome to the 2024 Georgetown University Women’s Forum! Start the day with warm and inspiring welcome remarks from Julia Farr (C’88, Parent), Executive Director of the Georgetown University Alumni Association.

Understanding how to leverage your strengths, and the strengths of those around you, is a crucial step to feeling and performing your best at work and in life. All Forum attendees will be emailed a CliftonStrengths assessment in January to complete prior to arrival at the Forum. Take the assessment to discover your top five strengths!

At the Forum, attendees will be encouraged to connect and network around their assessment results. This session, led by executive leadership coach and Founder + CEO of Manifesta, Amira El-Gawly (G’12), will provide guidance on how to lead with your strengths, as well as share insights on the collective strengths of Hoya women.

Hear from two of Survivor’s recent castmates Katurah Topps (L’15), a Civil Rights Attorney, and Liana Wallace (B’23), an academic, entrepreneur and activist, on how well they were able to outwit, outplay and outlast their fellow Survivors during Seasons 41 and 45.  In conversation with journalist and author Ericka Souter (C’97), Katurah and Liana will talk about all things Survivor, including the power of being brave and how they have gone from surviving to thriving.

According to the BCG, “investment in women’s health care companies in the US surged to an all-time high of $3.3 billion in 2022…Leveraging advancements in telemedicine and artificial intelligence, these players are developing innovative suites of services to provide women with comprehensive, personalized care from puberty through the postmenopausal stage.”

Join us for a dynamic and informative conversation that touches on all aspects of women’s health, wellness, and well-being from wellness trends to innovations in the industry. This session features perspectives from trailblazing companies, practitioners, and advocates who are tackling the unique issues women face related to wellness and well-being throughout every stage of life.

Market research firm Mintel coined the term “eco-gender gap” in 2018, referring to the fact that, according to research, it is primarily women who carry out most of the actions to sustain our planet – both personally and professionally. Women are typically found leading climate change and environmental movements. In the lifestyle sphere alone, “green branding” and eco-friendly campaigns are more highly targeted toward women. Notably, women are also more likely to be affected by climate change and less likely to have a voice when it comes to policy. The feminization of the green movement is thought to be one factor contributing to this “eco-gender gap”.

Join Hoya women working in the sustainability space to hear more about their thoughts on this gap, as well as what they are doing to help save the planet in their roles and companies.

Consider these facts:

First, according to a recent report by CNBC, women now control some $10 trillion in U.S. financial assets and by the end of the decade, that figure will rise to $30 trillion. Second, companies with more women on their boards outperform those without by a significant margin, and organizations with greater gender diversity among senior leaders are more profitable. And finally, women-led startups outperform their male counterparts.

Now consider this: despite all of those facts, women make approximately 20% less than men, only 2% of VC funding goes to women-led companies, and women hold only 32% of senior management roles in global organizations. How can we make sense of these dichotomies? Join us for a conversation with women investors, executives, advisors, and leaders, as they explore this challenge and opportunity.

Hear from Sara Jane Ho (C’07) as she discusses her journey from growing up in Hong Kong to being the founder of China’s first etiquette school, author of a best-selling book, and star of her own Netflix series, Mind Your Manners. Sara will share all this and more in conversation with Julia Farr (C’88, Parent’19, ’21, ’24), Executive Director of the Georgetown University Alumni Association.

This year, the 2024 Women’s Forum is bringing together Hoya women from across industries to celebrate Georgetown alumnae changemakers. Leveraging leaders from advocacy to media, journalism to filmmaking, and beyond, join this conversation with alumnae who are creating solutions and driving social impact in their community and the world.

Eager to explore who you are called to be? Unlock the potential of your curiosity at this interactive workshop! Whether you’re looking to ignite a hidden passion, pivot your career path, or leap into entrepreneurship, this workshop will create a safe space to brainstorm and begin to map out a path to move forward. In this workshop, you will Discover Your Passion, Blueprint Your Curiosity, Build a Support Network, Navigate Challenges, and Take the Leap. This is your moment to chase the curiosities that have been whispering to you. Don’t let uncertainty hold you back. It’s time to explore, engage, and expand your world.

Keep Company specializes in giving high-achievers the tools to integrate the demands of work and family, while also taking care of themselves.

In this interactive workshop, Keep Company Co-founders Claudia Naim-Burt (SFS’08) and Adrienne Prentice will share a 5-step framework to help you determine which balls are worth juggling and which balls you can drop. You’ll learn what the “mental load” actually means, identify the mental load you carry at home and at work, and design a personalized and actionable strategy to lighten your mental load.

In family and friend caregiving there’s a lot we lose. Agency. Money. Possibly even hope. What isn’t clear, however, is how we win in caregiving. And given there are over 50 million family caregivers in the United States, and you and I are likely to become caregivers, and to need caregivers, this is not OK. Because your family deserves better. And we deserve better. But, there is hope!

Throughout this panel, we will explore how families can win in caregiving. Using stories, data, practical tips, and legal analysis, this hybrid lecture-workshop will help provide a foundation for understanding critical caregiving issues, and offer actions that can be taken during and after the panel to set you and your family up for caregiving success.

Author and caterer to the stars Mary Giuliani (C’97) combines the two things she loves most – storytelling and food – in conversation with fellow Hoya alumnae who share the same love.  This session is sure to be hilarious, fun, interactive, and authentic, as each guest shares some of their favorite, treasured, or funny food stories. No notes, no scripts, just lots of laughter and great conversation. Then create your own “Eating Stories” moments at home with easy-to-make food and drink recipes shared by our panelists!

Join us at the conclusion of the day to network and mingle with your fellow attendees! Drinks and appetizers will be provided.

Join fellow Hoya entrepreneurs for a fun and constructive gathering on Saturday morning to discuss the creativity, problem-solving strategies, and determination required to be an entrepreneur.

Looking to make a few more connections before the 2024 Forum comes to an end? Gather with fellow Forum attendees to network over brunch.

Are you a published author or aspiring to put pen to paper? Join fellow Hoya authors for a Saturday morning gathering to make connections, find inspiration, and discuss the writing journey.

Join fellow Forum attendees for a tour of the hilltop, including some of the latest developments and updates to campus!