Long Island women are being asked to step away from their desks and get a new perspective on their lives by attending the Achieving Extraordinary Women’s Leadership Conference, presented by nonprofit Mom-mentum on Friday, November 6th at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.
The day-long conference boasts a full schedule of speakers and interactive workshops designed to give women the opportunity to reassess who and where they are in their careers and share personal and professional experiences with one another. Based in Massapequa Park, Mom-mentum provides leadership, education and advocacy to support mothers in meeting today’s professional and personal challenges. To make the most out of Achieving Extraordinary, attendees will be encouraged to put their phones away and listen.
“We are bringing together a powerful group of female leaders to inspire action and continue to work toward moving the needle on women’s leadership,” says Mom-mentum Executive Director Alison LaFerlita. “We want to empower women to execute change.”
According to LaFerlita, “Women are poised to become a majority in the workforce for the first time in US history. This year, we saw a 25-percent jump from the previous year in the number of women Fortune 500 CEOs. In the last decade, women-owned businesses nearly doubled in number, and now account for 40 percent of all US businesses.”
In response to this projection, the organization has established a professional development service called the Mom-mentum Return-to-Work Program to give advice and assistance to both women in the workforce and those looking to return to work.
“We are often asked how we can help women succeed in today’s world with so many demands, on both their personal and professional lives,” explains LaFerlita. “These requests inspired us to create a strong professional development service for women in all phases of their careers. This service is unique to all others, as it is a benefit of membership and a built-in support system to help you achieve extraordinary.”
Conference emcee, Danielle Campbell, co-anchor for News12 Long Island, is a professional media executive and mother of four. Campbell’s charming persona will keep a lively conversation flowing, ensuring that the conference program moves along.
While webinars can fill in the knowledge gap up to a point, there is no replacement for face-to-face presentations and networking to focus on the task at hand and spark creativity. The conference organizers are asking Long Island women leaders to go outside of their network, cultivate new contacts and meet new people in their industry.
The conference begins at 8:30 am with breakfast, an exhibitor expo and networking. Immediately after, the first course, Building and Leading High Performance Teams and Leaders, is being presented by Ellen Cooperperson, CEO of Corporate Performance Consultants, an expert in the field of team building and a Certified Facilitator and Strategic Business Leadership coach.
Cooperperson’s interactive workshop will show women how they can compare their leadership style in three critical areas and learn the best practices of highly successful women leaders. “You will learn how your greatest strength can become your greatest liability and how to identify your team member’s unique abilities and limitations to reach and exceed goals,” Cooperperson says.
“An organization is a network of conversations,” she continues. “The ability to adapt your communication style to influence a group of diverse individuals and turn them into a cohesive winning team is key to your effectiveness as a leader.”
Next on the day’s agenda is Liz Bentley, founder of Liz Bentley Associates, who will begin a conversation about the Leaky Talent Pipeline: Things That Hinder Women from Advancing or Advancing More Quickly.
Bentley will talk about how women can build their confidence and overcome barriers, both internal and external, to their growth. She will offer strategies to address these unique challenges to help women be more impactful in their organization.
The luncheon keynote speaker, Debra Sandler, touted as a Visionary Global C-Level Executive, will share her insights and experiences from her more than 30 years in corporate America and the boardroom. Sandler will also be sharing her views on how women who choose to work can create a world of limitless possibilities.
The afternoon session is a panel of highly successful Long Island business experts led by moderator Domenique Camacho Moran, a partner at Farrell Fritz, PC, who will be discussing the topic: Courageous Conversations: Voices of Work & Life.
The interactive conversation between the panel and the conference attendees will explore ways to handle work-life balance and examine workplace policies and legislation that impacts the family, and will openly discuss how they achieved business success while managing their personal lives.
Panelists include: Terri Alessi-Miceli, president of the HIA-LI; Scott Behson, professor of management at Farleigh Dickinson University; Yvonne Grant, president & CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County; Hillary Needle, president of Hillary Needle Events; and Nassau County Supreme Court Justice, the Hon. Hope Zimmerman.
Whether you are a CEO, a senior or a middle manager, an entrepreneur or a young emerging leader, Achieving Extraordinary: Women’s Leadership Conference will offer dynamic presenters, refreshingly relevant topics, and the chance to advance yourself while connecting with other inspiring business professionals.
LaFerlita say that participants of this conference will come away with the latest information and tools needed to strengthen their leadership skills and have a greater influence and impact on their team.
On Monday when it’s time to return to work, you will be encouraged to share what you’ve learned at the conference with your coworkers, and keep the Mom-mentum going.
For more information or to purchase tickets, go to Mom-Mentum.org
