Generation W presented its signature event at the University of North Florida on Friday, March 31st, 2017.
This year, imagination, innovation, and inspiration were at the heart of everything we did. The creativity and thoughtfulness required of each of us as we embrace the future–the now–was front and center as we continue our mission to educate, inspire, and connect the world.
Generation W featured a wide range of topics once considered science fiction–growing our own bones, leadership lessons from the highest-ranking woman of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and how space debris can spark creativity. Speakers and panelists covered topics that were only recently entering the wider consciousness: The impact of women in law enforcement, how we will connect to content as technology grows and changes, and how to engage in truly civil discourse.
We hope you came away educated, inspired, and connected to the endless possibilities of women, the future, and each other.
Joyce Russell, President, Adecco Staffing US
Dr. Elana Schrader, Chief Medical Officer, Florida Blue
Pat Geraghty, Chief Executive Officer, GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation
Nina Tandon, CEO and Co-Founder, EpiBone
Gabriela Perez, Partner, NextGen Venture Partners
Dr. Charles Bruce, Cardiologist, MAYO Clinic
John Matthews, Principal, KPMG Strategy
Kara Ross, Founder and CEO, Unleashed
Dr. Heidi Hanna, CEO, Synergy
Dr. Olenda Johnson, Professor of Strategic Leadership and Leader Development, U.S. Naval War College
Elizabeth Thompson, VP of Talent and Development, Southeastern Grocers, LLC
You live and work in a world that is constantly changing. Change creates opportunities to make choices, to transform as leaders. How you adapt and lead through change is what creates lasting impressions. Learn how authentic transformational leaders inspire and motivate others through genuine, personal and thoughtful interactions.
Justin Leedy, Senior Director of Customer Strategy at Web.com
Social media is ubiquitous. We hear about its importance in building a successful business and communications strategy. We hear about its influence and power to build a customer base and establish relationships and we also hear about the threats and caution flags as the issues of privacy and false information continue to gain greater traction. Web.com a leading national expert in the building of websites and social media marketing looks forward to helping you better understand your opportunities and ways you can grow your business and understanding of social media and the digital tools that are available to us today. So if you have a business that you are looking to launch, grow or expand, this is the session where you will learn what it takes to make it all happen.
Amanda Mickelson, Student, Pacific Ridge School
Let’s talk. Though we’ve been told all our lives that speaking up is hard, we’ve learned through experience that listening can be even harder. But in a time when dialogue is absolutely imperative, we must learn to do both. So, how do we navigate civil discourse? What does dialogue look like when we feel personally attacked? How do we respond to ignorance? In this session, we will talk about talking, discuss discussion, and explore the very nature of dialogue.
Celeste Blackman, Co-Founder, The Green Zone Culture Group
What if you could innovate your way into the life you want to live? What if you could use the same strategies that designers, artists and inventors use to innovate new and extraordinary products and apply them to yourself ? Well you can. You can become the conscious innovator of your own life, an inside job for which you are uniquely qualified.In this one-hour session international consultant, trainer and coach Celeste Blackman will share practical tools for innovating the life you want to live. She will share some of the inner-side practices that she teaches clients around the world in organizations like Business Consultants of Japan, NASA, National Institutes of Health, Liberty Global, and Amsterdam Capital Trading Corporation. You will leave this session with a plan and a support system that will energize and inspire you to take immediate action and innovate your life from the inside out.
Laura Bunso, Owner, Smart Body Physical Therapy
Have you ever felt uncomfortable about addressing painful sex, peeing a little when you laugh or sneeze, or talking about anything else going on “down there?” Laura Bunso Bittencourt, PT, MTC is committed to making knowledge of the pelvic floor and the specialized physical therapy that can treat these embarrassing and annoying symptoms commonplace. She will focus on debunking pelvic health myths and educating women on how to take control of their bodies without surgery or medicine for long-term results so they can savor life to the fullest!
Deepa Gandhi, Co-Founder and COO, Dagne Dover
Bridgette Morphew, Founder and Creative Director, Morphew Concept
Learn how to select the right five to seven fashion items that will help you build a wardrobe that seamlessly takes you from the boardroom to a weekend getaway, from day to night, and from coffee to cocktails. By using the wardrobe of real professional women, Bridgette and Deepa will guide the group through what pieces are staples but diverse enough to be worn at any time of the day or week, how to pick items based on your body type, and when to look for a deal vs splurge.
Dr. Heidi Hanna, CEO, Synergy
In this session, Dr. Heidi Hanna will guide participants in an exploration into the most valuable resource we have – human capital and the power of the brain. Based on the latest neuroscience of stress, mindfulness and motivation, Dr. Hanna uncovers universal guiding principles and provides insights on non-conscious bias, looking at both the challenges and opportunities that they provide. Through interactive discussions around best-practices, participants will create a Recharge Toolkit with specific tools and strategies for their daily routine and team rituals to best support relationships at home and work.
Melinda Wolfe, Chief Human Resources Officer, Pearson
Akila Raman-Vaseghi, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
In 2017, knowing how to network is non-negotiable. From the first impression to the follow-up, networking is all about building relationships based on trust, respect, and honesty. Melinda Wolfe, Chief Human Resources Officer at Pearson, will give you the foundation you need to get off the wall to start connecting and creating new relationships.
Joanne Cohen, VP Philanthropic Services, The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
You have many gifts to offer—and they extend far beyond your wallet. Come explore how to think creatively AND strategically about what you can offer an organization, a cause or a passion. You’ll leave with well-developed ideas about all the ways you can contribute to those things that matter most to you.
Kym Dunton, RN, Baptist Health
We often find ourselves worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. This can undermine our sense of well-being and make it more difficult to cope with stress. In contrast, learning to focus attention on the present moment, without judgment, can enhance our coping and foster a sense of peace and compassion, even in times of great turmoil and stress. This presentation will allow you to experience this perspective, referred to as Mindfulness Meditation, and learn ways of cultivating mindful attention in everyday life.
Betsy Nilan, President, Get In Touch Foundation
Jonathan Miller, former CEO, News Corp and America Online Shelley Brindle, Principal, Brindle and Associates, LLC, former Executive Vice President, HBO Christina Norman, CEO of Media Storm
Lisa Shalett, former Head of Brand Marketing & Digital Strategy, Goldman Sachs
Dr. Christyl Johnson, Deputy Director for Technology and Research Investments, NASA Amber Yang, Physics Phenom, Trinity Preparatory School Taylor Richardson, Astronaut StarBright, The Bolles School
Melanie Lawson, Reporter/Anchor, WJXT
Ita Ekpoudom, CEO, Tigress Ventures
Nina Tandon, CEO and Co-Founder, EpiBone
Michelle Cook, Director of Patrol and Enforcement, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Sadie Darnell, Sheriff, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Annmarie Cardona, Major, North Miami Police Department Vera Bumpers, Chief, Houston METRO Police Department
Kelly Wallace, Digital Correspondent, CNN
Hors d’ouevres prepared and served by The Perfect Pear
