2024 Speakers
The 4th annual California Conference for Women was held February 29, 2024. Below is a recap of the speakers. For updates on the 2025 speakers, please subscribe to our newsletter
Keynote Program
Jacinda Ardern
Keynote Speaker
Prime Minister, New Zealand (2017-2023); Senior Fellow, Harvard University; Special Envoy, Christchurch Call to Action; Board Member, The Earthshot Prize
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE DAME JACINDA ARDERN became the Prime Minister of New Zealand at just 37 years of age. During her time in office she faced the challenges of a live streamed domestic terror attack against ...
Read Bio
Dr. Joy Buolamwini
Keynote Speaker
Artificial Intelligence Expert, Artist & Founder, Algorithmic Justice League
DR. JOY BUOLAMWINI is the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, a groundbreaking MIT researcher, a model, and an artist. She is the author of Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of ...
Read Bio
Viola Davis
VIOLA DAVIS is a critically revered, award-winning actress, producer, and New York Times best-selling author. She is the first black actress to win two Tony Awards (Fences & King Hedley II), an Oscar ...
Read Bio
Lulu Garcia-Navarro
Keynote Speaker
Award-winning journalist, Host of "The Interview" at NYT Magazine
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO is a two-time Peabody Award-winning journalist with years of experience interviewing world leaders, authors, artists and people living on the front lines of a changing world. A longtime ...
Read Bio
Kristen Kish
Keynote Speaker
Chef/Partner of Arlo Grey, Host of Bravo’s Top Chef, Producer & Author
KRISTEN KISH is the chef/partner of Arlo Grey in Austin, TX and the host of Bravo’s Emmy award-winning Top Chef. She is also the host and producer of Restaurants at the End of the World on National ...
Read Bio
Ivy McGregor
Moderator
Global Impact Leader, BeyGOOD, Executive Director
IVY McGREGOR is a reservoir of knowledge with over 25 years of experience in business strategies, social enterprise, and global partnerships. McGregor has graced world stages at Global Citizen Festivals, Essence ...
Read Bio
Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Keynote Speaker
First Partner of California, Co-Founder of California Partners Project, Founder of the Representation Project, Award-Winning Filmmaker & Mother of Four
JENNIFER SIEBEL NEWSOM is the First Partner of California, an award-winning filmmaker, and an influential advocate and thought leader on gender equality. As First Partner, Jennifer is a voice and partner to ...
Read Bio
Kim Severson
Moderator
Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times Reporter; Four-time James Beard award recipient Food Writer; Author
KIM SEVERSON is a Southern-based correspondent for The New York Times who reports on the nation’s food and culture. She also contributes to NYT Cooking, a website and app based on the extensive New York Times ...
Read Bio
Special Guests
Mary Bui-Pham
Introduction
Vice President, Strategy & Operations, Indeed; Board Secretary, California Conference for Women
MARY BUI-PHAM is vice president, business technology at Indeed. She leads the ...
Read Bio
Sharon Mandell
Introduction| SVP, Chief Information Officer, Juniper Networks ...
Read Bio
Teena Piccione
Introduction
Senior Director, Google
TEENA PICCIONE is senior director in the corporate engineering space of ...
Read Bio
Rebecca Stone
Introduction
SVP, Customer Solutions Marketing, Cisco and California Conference for Women Board Member
Rebecca Stone is the Senior Vice President of Customer Solutions Marketing at ...
Read Bio
Janelle Wang
Emcee and Keynote Speaker
News Anchor, NBC Bay Area
Award winning journalist JANELLE WANG anchors weeknights at NBC Bay Area News. ...
Read Bio
Hillary Weingast
Welcome
VP, Deputy General Counsel & Head, Corporate Social Responsibility, Juniper Networks; Board President, California Conference for Women
...
Read Bio
Session 1 Program Offerings | 8:45-9:45am
Holly Martinez
Executive Mentor
That's a Good Question: Navigating Board Dynamics
HOLLY MARTINEZ is executive director at the California Commission on the status ...
Read Bio
Iman Abbasi
Executive Mentor
That's a Good Question: Getting to the Next Level
IMAN ABBASI is a Chief People Officer of Plume Design Inc., based in Palo Alto, ...
Read Bio
Kim Christfort
Learning Stage
Demystifying Breakthrough: 10 Principles to Drive Meaningful Change
KIM CHRISTFORT is the chief innovation leader and national managing director of ...
Read Bio
Jamie Domenici
Executive Mentor
That's a Good Question: Navigating the Tech Workplace
JAMIE DOMENICI serves as Klaviyo’s chief marketing officer. She is responsible ...
Read Bio
Teri Foy
Executive Mentor
That's a Good Question: Navigating Board Dynamics
TERI FOY is an immunologist with more than 25 years of biotechnology and ...
Read Bio
Kari Hall
Moderator
That’s a Good Question: Navigating the Tech Workplace
KARI HALL joined NBC Bay Area in May 2015 as meteorologist for NBC Bay Area’s ...
Read Bio
Stacey Kauffman
Executive Mentor| That's a Good Question: Getting to the Next Level ...
Read Bio
Sujata Kosalge
Executive Mentor
That’s a Good Question: Navigating the Tech Workplace
SUJATA KOSALGE is vice president of engineering for the Core Data organization ...
Read Bio
Courtney Lansing
Executive Mentor
That's a Good Question: Getting to the Next Level
COURTNEY LANSING has almost two and a half decades of commercial aerospace ...
Read Bio
Lauren McGoodwin
Moderator
That’s a Good Question: Getting to the Next Level
LAUREN McGOODWIN is a career and leadership expert, author, podcast host, and ...
Read Bio
Shannon Nash
Executive Mentor
Navigating Board Dynamics
SHANNON NASH is the chief financial officer of Wing, a drone delivery company and ...
Read Bio
Andrea Robertson
Remarks
Managing Director, United
ANDREA ROBERTSON is currently United Airlines’ managing director – worldwide ...
Read Bio
Suzanne St. John-Crane
Moderator
That's a Good Question: Reinventing Your Career Portfolio
SUZANNE ST. JOHN-CRANE is a “leaders of leaders.” She serves as CEO of ...
Read Bio
Hayley Tabor
Executive Mentor
That’s a Good Question: Navigating the Tech Workplace
HAYLEY TABOR is vice president of global industries at Dell Technologies. Her ...
Read Bio
Dr. Bijal Toprani
Learning Stage
Pelvic Health Unveiled: Bridging the Gap in Care and Awareness
DR. BIJAL TOPRANI i is a doctor of physical therapy and commercial consultant at ...
Read Bio
Hillary Weingast
Welcome
VP, Deputy General Counsel & Head, Corporate Social Responsibility, Juniper Networks; Board President, California Conference for Women
...
Read Bio
Session 2 Program Offerings | 1:45-2:45pm
Dr. Nasim Afsar
Executive Spotlight
Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives
DR. NASIM AFSAR leads Oracle Health’s product strategy, global market growth, ...
Read Bio
Curran Brugger
Panelist
Creating Workplaces that Work for Everyone
CURRAN BRUGGER leads the talent, development & inclusion organization at ...
Read Bio
Carolina Caro
Thought Leader
Creating Workplaces that Work for Everyone
Thought Leader | How to Advocate for Yourself and Others ...
Read Bio
Erika Evearitt
Executive Mentor
That's A Good Question: Reinventing Your Career Portfolio
ERIKA EVEARITT is a seasoned non-profit executive with over 15 years of expertise ...
Read Bio
Tina Jones
Panelist
Creating Workplaces that Work for Everyone
TINA JONES is the global head of human resources at Cadence Design Systems, a ...
Read Bio
Helen Kupp
Speaker
Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives
HELEN LEE KUPP is the co-founder of Future Forum, a Future of Work research ...
Read Bio
Sarah Elizabeth Lewis
Speaker
Reframing Failure into Success: Embrace the Near Win
SARAH ELIZABETH LEWIS is an art and cultural historian. She is an associate ...
Read Bio
Jyoti Mehra
Host
Creating Workplaces that Work for Everyone
JYOTI MEHRA is executive vice president of human resources at Gilead Sciences. ...
Read Bio
Helen Miller-Montana
Host
Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives
HELEN MILLER-MONTANA partners with leaders to build effective and innovative ...
Read Bio
Joiya Mitchell
Learning Stage
The 5 Key Building Blocks to a Resilient Financial Future
JOIYA MITCHELL brings two decades of financial expertise to her role, having ...
Read Bio
Mary C. Murphy, PhD
Speaker
Creating Cultures of Growth
MARY C. MURPHY, PhD is professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana ...
Read Bio
Cynthia Pham Stark
Host
Eliminating Toxic Productivity
CYNTHIA PHAM STARK is a technology leader with over 20 years of experience ...
Read Bio
Melissa Phan
Host
Transform & Glow: Mastering the Art of Self-Healing
MELISSA PHAN is the SVP, National Client Outreach and Integration Manager at Bank ...
Read Bio
Tara Schuster
TARA SCHUSTER is a best-selling author and accomplished television executive. She is ...
Read Bio
Ujjval Shah
Learning Stage
Creating Opportunities: The Art of Building Your Own Doors
UJJVAL SHAH started her career at Google in 2006 when the company was a startup. ...
Read Bio
Tina Weinberger
The Stage ...
Read Bio
Laurie Dalton White
Host
Reframing Failure into Success: Embrace the Near Win
Host | How to Advocate for Yourself and Others ...
Read Bio
Hannah Wu
Host
Creating Cultures of Growth
HANNAH WU is a senior director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at ...
Read Bio
Session 3 Program Offerings | 3:15-4:15pm
Carolina Caro
Thought Leader
Creating Workplaces that Work for Everyone
Thought Leader | How to Advocate for Yourself and Others ...
Read Bio
Sandra Cervantes
Host
Transform & Glow: Mastering the Art of Self-Healing
SANDRA CERVANTES, the 5 and 6 p.m. evening anchor at KSTS Telemundo 48, is a ...
Read Bio
Karen Grunberg
Learning Stage
Inside Out Living: Work-Life Integration
KAREN GRUNBERG has been at Google for over 17 years, has covered multiple ...
Read Bio
Jade Hernandez
Moderator
That’s a Good Question: Bright Futures in Tech Workplaces
JADE HERNANDEZ will tell you "It's California's diversity in both landscape and ...
Read Bio
Helen Kupp
Speaker
Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives
HELEN LEE KUPP is the co-founder of Future Forum, a Future of Work research ...
Read Bio
Sarah Elizabeth Lewis
Speaker
Reframing Failure into Success: Embrace the Near Win
SARAH ELIZABETH LEWIS is an art and cultural historian. She is an associate ...
Read Bio
Mary C. Murphy, PhD
Speaker
Creating Cultures of Growth
MARY C. MURPHY, PhD is professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana ...
Read Bio
Sandrine Piret-Gerard
Host
Reframing Failure into Success: Embrace the Near Win
SANDRINE PIRET-GERARD serves as SVP U.S. Commercial at Gilead Sciences. Under her ...
Read Bio
Tara Schuster
TARA SCHUSTER is a best-selling author and accomplished television executive. She is ...
Read Bio
Sirma Tzoutzova
Panelist
How to Advocate for Yourself and Others
SIRMA TZOUTZOVA is the regional vice president for Fidelity Private Wealth ...
Read Bio
Amanda Wade
Host
How to Advocate for Yourself and Others
AMANDA WADE brings almost 20 years’ experience across different businesses ...
Read Bio
Tina Weinberger
The Stage ...
Read Bio
Laurie Dalton White
Host
Reframing Failure into Success: Embrace the Near Win
Host | How to Advocate for Yourself and Others ...
Read Bio