Join us on APRIL 5th, 2024, for GENERATION W’s BELIEVE. You will feel the energy and the positive spirit that’s unleashed when people come from around the world to connect during this unique event that will leave you inspired for years to come.
We’ve carefully curated a dynamic speaker line-up to make sure you walk away ready to BELIEVE you can achieve greatness in this rapidly evolving, chaotic world. Our speakers and panelists will explore the foundations that help us build our daily lives, inform our experiences, and compel us to move forward both personally and professionally! Purchase your ticket today and meet us on the beautiful campus of the University of North Florida to experience a day of impactful speakers, workshops and connections that will inspire you to BELIEVE.
What an incredible time we had at Generation W BELIEVE 2024, and it is all thanks to YOU! Your willingness to share what you BELIEVE, to be vulnerable about what’s challenging how you BELIEVE, and your enthusiasm to truly change what you BELIEVE made it an unforgettable experience for us all.
We love hearing how so many of you left feeling inspired and empowered by the experience. As Generation W founder, Donna Orender said, “magic happens when people, especially women come together.”
Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to make waves together! Our Generation W newsletter is all about the education, inspiration and connection that makes up this great community of women. Stay in the loop with this vibrant and growing community when you sign up for our newsletter.
Take a loop at the exciting energy of Generation W 2024.
Dr. Moez Limayem joined the University of North Florida as its seventh president in August 2022.
An energetic and passionate leader, Limayem is committed to a supportive campus environment where all students, faculty and staff can thrive. Throughout his career, he has focused on opening doors, enhancing resources and creating valuable opportunities for students. At UNF, Limayem has increased academic engagement and campus activities to elevate the student experience and boost retention. He recognizes UNF’s significant role as the top provider of talent for the region and works closely with business and community leaders to address the needs of Northeast Florida and the state.
Prior to his work at UNF, Limayem served for a decade as the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida. During his tenure as dean, the college boasted strong job placement rates and the freshman retention rate rose to 95%. Working with his team, Limayem enhanced the college’s profile raising more than $126 million in private donations. He also led university efforts related to career preparation and placement, internships and talent development of students. Earlier in his career, Limayem served as the associate dean for research and graduate programs at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business.
He was named among the Power 100: Tampa Bay’s Most Influential Business Leaders of 2022 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, and in January, was highlighted in the Jacksonville Daily Record as a Top Newsmaker of 2022.
Limayem and his wife Alya, a UNF biology associate professor, are both natives of Tunisia. They have also lived in Hong Kong, Switzerland, Canada and the U.S. and became American citizens in 2015. The couple has two children.
President of the University of North Florida
A native of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Dr. Olenda E. Johnson is Professor of Strategic Leadership and Leader Development at the U. S. Naval War College – a graduate-level institution for highly select military officers and government civilians. As a senior faculty member, Dr. Johnson advises Navy senior leaders, develops strategy, teaches highly regarded courses, and facilitates organizational efforts. Dr. Johnson is the architect of the Navy’s first 2-star leadership course, providing executive level leader development for 2-Star Navy admirals, Marine generals, and senior government executives. The course is required for all 2-star Navy admirals. She is a recognized expert in the Science of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), particularly within professional military education. Olenda has also worked with other military units (e.g., U.S. Army Special Forces Command) to support their leader development endeavors.
A passionate teacher and educator, Olenda thrives on helping others learn. She is an oft-invited speaker for state, national, and international events and conferences to include the Professional Golf Association (PGA), National League for Nursing, the Independent Blue Cross Foundation, Generation W, FIS Global Solutions, Wyoming Department of Education, New Zealand Police Women’s Association, U. S. Air Force Academy, and DiversityInc CEO Forum
among others. As an invited speaker and facilitator, Olenda shares her experiences and knowledge to instill in others the courage and confidence to lead in their unique circumstances. She is driven to help others value themselves, their talents, and the impact they can have on their communities, their work, and their families.
Dr. Johnson is a recipient of multiple honors and awards to include the Army Commander’s Medal for Public Service and the University of North Carolina (UNC) Board of Governors’ Excellence in Teaching Award, the highest teaching honor bestowed upon faculty in the UNC system. Most recently she was honored by the Muhammad Ali Center as one of its Daughters of Greatness for her commitment to advancing opportunities for others. Olenda serves on the
boards of Generation W, an organization to encourage and inspire girls and women of all ages, and the Linden Place Museum, which recognizes the rich and truthful history of Bristol, RI.
Olenda earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, and both a B. S. and MBA from Florida A&M University. Prior to joining the Naval War College, she was a tenured professor at North Carolina A&T State University. She previously held a visiting faculty appointment at the U.S. Army War College and served as the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Management at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Dr. Johnson’s adjunct faculty appointments include the Wellington School of
Business and Government in New Zealand and Bentley University in Waltham, MA. Mostly, Olenda finds the greatest joy in serving others – whether professionally, within her faith community, or among family and friends.
Professor of Strategic Leadership & Leader Development, US Naval War College
When leaders want to break team silos, drive exponential growth and innovate through teamwork, they call Erica Dhawan.
Erica Dhawan is an internationally recognized leading authority, speaker and advisor on 21st century teamwork, collaboration and innovation. Named as one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world byThinkers50, she is the author of two bestselling books, Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence and Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance. As we continue to experience an increasingly digital world where work practices are changing at a blistering pace, Erica shares innovative strategies to unlock the collective power of teams, build a culture of trust across any distance and create authentic engagement to ensure competitiveness. Rated #1 on the Top Women Keynote Speakers list, Erica frequently appears in the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal. Erica speaks on global stages ranging from the World Economic Forum at Davos, to the US Army, to companies such as Coca-Cola, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, and Cisco. She holds degrees from Harvard University, MIT Sloan, and The Wharton School.
Learn more at ericadhawan.com
Author, Entrepreneur, and Internationally Recognized Expert on Collaboration
Oscar Munoz is the former CEO and chairman of United Airlines and serves on the board of directors of Salesforce, CBRE, TelevisaUnivision, and Archer Aviation, a leading Urban Air Mobility company and developer of all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft. He serves on the Pentagon’s Defense Business Board, is a trustee of the University of Southern California and the Brookings Institution, as well as an independent trustee for Fidelity.
He is the author of the Wall Street Journal best-selling memoir, Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and its Employees in the Friendly Skies, published by Harper Business in May 2023.
He is co-Chair of the 2023 Blue Ribbon Commission for the National Association of Corporate Directors, the authority on best boardroom practices. Since 2022, the Oscar and Cathy Munoz Pave it Forward Foundation has proudly partnered with the American Heart Association to create the AHA’s Social Impact Fund, providing financial grants and low-interest loans for evidence-based, community-driven work to address heart health inequality.
Under his leadership, United Airlines demonstrated rapid improvement, delivering industry-leading operational reliability, and sustained financial success, with stock value increasing 54 percent during that period. Mr. Munoz formally retired as UAL’s Executive Chairman in May 2021.
Previously, Oscar served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the North American rail-based transportation supplier CSX Corp. A decade of excellent financial performance, including a boost in operating income of nearly 600 percent, earned CSX recognition on the list of Most Honored Companies by Institutional Investor magazine.
He has served in various financial leadership positions across diverse industries, including U.S. West, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and an MBA from Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School.
Hispanic Business magazine twice named Oscar one of its ‘100 Most Influential Hispanics, honoring his journey as an immigrant who, to this date, remains the only person of Hispanic heritage to run a U.S. airline.
Retired Chairman, President & CEO, United Airlines
Lori Lee oversees AT&T Mexico, a business unit operating under AT&T Inc., a global leader in communications and technology. She also serves as Global Marketing Officer for AT&T Inc. as well as interim SEVP HR for the
past six months.
As SEVP International, Lori leads strategy, operations and marketing for AT&T Mexico, which provides mobile
services to more than 20 million consumers and businesses. Previously she also led Vrio Corp., the holding company for DIRECTV and SKY Brazil.
As AT&T’s Global Marketing Officer, Lori oversees worldwide corporate marketing for AT&T Inc., including advertising, corporate communications, events and sponsorships. She also leads It Can Wait – the company’s longstanding campaign to end distracted driving.
Previously, Lori served as senior executive vice president – AT&T Home Solutions, with responsibility for the company’s consumer wireline group.
Lori has been recognized on many executive leadership lists, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in
Business and the National Diversity Council’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Tech. Since joining the
company in 1997, she has also served as chief marketing officer for the Home Solutions and Small Business
groups, and held other executive roles in finance, investor relations, customer service and corporate strategy.
Lori began her career at PwC and later worked at Earthgrains Co. and Mallinckrodt Medical Inc. She serves on the Emerson board of directors and is an active board member of the American Film Institute, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and the PGA of America. She is also on the National Advisory Council for Washington University in St. Louis, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an M.B.A.
Global Marketing Officer & SEVP HR and International, AT&T
Anchored in the belief that music holds the power to transform lives, Courtney Lewis has established himself as one of his generation’s most dynamic conductors. Currently in his eighth season as Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony, Lewis has designed an ambitious mission to enrich the surrounding community with innovative symphonic programming, creating the highest quality of art possible, accessible to all.
The Florida-Times Union has noted [that] “it’s beyond debate that Lewis has been a transformative figure...leading the [Jacksonville] Symphony.” Under Lewis’s leadership, the artistic caliber has improved considerably, and the symphony has grown in size and national reputation, recently making its first broadcast on NPR’s Performance Today.
Deeply committed to new music, Lewis has worked with many of today's leading composers. In Jacksonville, recent and upcoming commissions include works by Carlos Simon, Sean Shepherd, Tarik O'Regan, Courtney Bryan, and Conrad Tao. In May 2023, Lewis made his debut at the Opéra national de Paris Ballet, conducting Thomas Adès’s Dante. Immediately reinvited, he returns to Paris in March 2024 for a new production of Adès's opera The Exterminating Angel at the Opéra Bastille.
In 2018, the Kennedy Center and Washington Performing Arts announced Lewis and the Jacksonville Symphony as one of just four orchestras invited to participate in 2020 SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras—an esteemed showcase of the extraordinary artistry of orchestras nationwide. In recent seasons, Lewis has made debuts with the Nürnberger Symphoniker, Hallé, San Diego Symphony, Aspen Music Festival, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, led the Australian Youth Orchestra on tour, and the Minnesota Opera in their revival production, and Naxos’ recording of Silent Night, composed by Kevin Puts. In the summer of 2022, Lewis returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, making his debut at the Hollywood Bowl.
Lewis’s previous seasons with the Jacksonville Symphony have featured a greatly expanded repertoire including works of Mahler and Bruckner, a Sibelius symphony cycle, Thomas Adès’s Asyla, Ligeti’s Piano Concerto, and Timo Andres’s The Blind Banister. Lewis has also collaborated with distinguished guest artists on the Jacoby Symphony Hall stage, including violinists Anthony Marwood and James Ehnes, pianists Lang Lang, Inon Barnatan and Jonathan Biss, and soprano Renée Fleming.
A passionate opera conductor, Lewis introduced symphonically staged productions of Hänsel und Gretel in 2017, excerpts from Götterdämmerung with Christine Brewer and Jay Hunter Morris in 2018, Don Giovanni in 2019, and La Bohème in 2022. In 2024, he will perform Carmen.
Since his debut in November 2008 with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Lewis has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, among many other high-profile orchestras. He served as Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, and Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 2008 to 2014, Lewis was also the Music Director of Boston’s acclaimed Discovery Ensemble, a chamber orchestra dedicated to giving concerts of contemporary and established repertoire at the highest level of musical excellence, while also bringing live music into the underprivileged parts of Boston through workshops in local schools.
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Lewis began his musical journey as a chorister before studying composition with Robin Holloway at the University of Cambridge, and clarinet with Dame Thea King. After completing a master’s degree at Cambridge with a focus on the late music of György Ligeti, he attended the Royal Northern College of Music, where his teachers included Sir Mark Elder and Clark Rundell.
Musical Director, The
Jacksonville Symphony
Dr. Victoria Medvec is a leading global expert in negotiation strategy, corporate governance, and decision-making. She is sought after by CEOs, senior leaders and boards of directors to advise on critical strategic decisions and transactions.
For the last two decades, as the CEO of the consulting firm Medvec & Associates, Dr. Medvec has advised on mergers and acquisitions, significant customer contracts, regulatory filings, and partnership agreements. Her clients include hundreds of leading global corporations including one-third of the Fortune 100, such as Google, IBM, McKesson, Cisco and McDonald’s, as well as smaller, fast-growing organizations. She has worked across a variety of industries, ranging from technology, professional services, energy, financial services, and real estate to food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and biotech.
Dr. Medvec partners with CEOs and other senior leaders for extended periods of time to drive results with a focus on long-term strategy, particularly around sustained revenue growth and customer engagement. Her work has enabled companies to differentiate their offerings and products, deftly navigate their competitive landscapes, create dramatic revenue growth, and most importantly, change their market positions.
Since 1995, Dr. Medvec has also served on the faculty at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she is the Adeline Barry Davee Professor of Management and Organizations. Her research has been published in top academic journals, as well as highlighted in numerous popular media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Today Show.
Dr. Medvec is also the co-founder and Executive Director of Kellogg’s Center for Executive Women. In this role, she pursues her passion for advancing women into senior roles in companies and onto boards of directors. She created the Women Director Development Program and over the past 15 years she has helped to prepare more than 800 senior executive women for roles on boards. Dr. Medvec speaks across the country on topics relating to women in leadership, corporate governance, and board decision making.
Dr. Medvec has served on public and private company boards for more than a decade. She is also a Ringleader in Ringleader Ventures, a unique venture fund that drives innovation and solutions by matching start-up technologies with corporate needs.
Dr. Medvec lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Lake Forest, Illinois, with her husband and two sons.
Leading Global Expert on Negotiation Strategy
Patricia McElroy serves as President of the VyStar Foundation and Senior Vice President VyStar Credit Union, leading the philanthropic and community engagement efforts in each of the regions that VyStar serves. Throughout her career, Patti has worked to support non profit organizations and communities across the country and was previously a commercial litigator with a special focus in securities and banking. She is passionate about diverse and inclusive learning environments, the arts and community revitalization. She is a graduate of Temple University School of Law and Yale University Divinity School. She currently sits on the Boards of Directors of OneJax, LiftJax and the Jacksonville MOCA and is on the advisory board of the Jacksonville Symphony. She was honored as a 2021 Women with Heart through the Volunteers with Medicine.
President,
VyStar Foundation
Diya has more than 25 years of experience as a technologist and has been at AWS for more than six years. She leads global engagement with customers on Responsible AI. Diya has honed her skills in scaling products for acquisition, spearheading initiatives for inclusion, diversity & equity, leading operational transformation in enterprises across various industries, and leveraging the historical and social contexts that influence her approach to responsible and inclusive AI/ML products.
She grew up in New York City, and by third grade, knew she wanted to pursue a career in computer engineering when she received her first computer—a time when not every household had a computer. Already embodying a relentless drive, she maintained her interest in computers. Diya went on to pursue her degree in computer science at Spelman College, studied the Management of Technology at New York University, and AI & Ethics at MIT Sloan School of Management and Harvard University Professional School.
Diya is an international best-selling author and international speaker having presented at industry and DEI events across 15 countries including Ukraine, Belgium, Australia and for the United Nations General Assembly. Her model of leadership and advocacy has been recognized with the Sungard AS Pathfinder Award (2016), AWS Inclusion Ambassador Award (2020), Makers Influencers & Innovators in STEM (2021), ID&E Technologist of the Year (2022), 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics (2023), VentureBeat Women in AI - Responsible AI (2023) and Business Insiders Top 15 People in Enterprise AI and Top 100 People in AI (2023).
When she isn’t working hard on the future of AI, she’s working hard to influence the future. For Diya, this starts at home with her two sons but extends to the dozens she mentors, whom she encourages to color outside the lines, defy the odds, and redefine boundaries.
Responsible AI Lead, Amazon Web Services (AWS),
Pat Geraghty is President and Chief Executive Officer of GuideWell, a $30 billion not-for-profit mutual insurance holding company headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. A mission-driven health solutions enterprise, GuideWell is a family of companies focused on transforming health care.
GuideWell comprises Florida’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, Florida Blue, which is the leading health insurer in Florida; Triple-S Management, Puerto Rico’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan and a leading health care services company on the island; GuideWell Health, a portfolio of clinical delivery organizations; PopHealthCare and its value-based national medical group Emcara Health; GuideWell Source, which provides administrative services to federal health care programs; and WebTPA, a market leading administrator of self-funded employer health plans. The company holds majority or significant interests in a range of health solutions companies including Lucet, a behavioral health care company that provides technology-enabled support to payers, providers, and health plan members. Through a joint venture with Keralty, a multinational health business group with more than 40 years of global experience, GuideWell is expanding care delivery across Florida through more than 40 Sanitas direct care delivery locations.
GuideWell serves 38.5 million people across 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including more than 6 million individuals in Florida.
Geraghty was the architect of the strategic restructuring that created GuideWell from the foundation of an 80-year-old health insurance company, transforming it into a health solutions organization at the forefront of reimagining the future of health in America. The GuideWell restructuring is considered a model of strategic reinvention and is featured as a capstone business case in the curriculum of Harvard Business School.
Under Geraghty’s leadership, the enterprise has received multiple recognitions for being an exceptional employer, including Florida Blue being formally certified as a Great Place to Work in 2023. Florida Blue has also been recognized as a Fortune Best Workplace for Women; a Forbes magazine 2023 Best Employer for Diversity; and was named to four different Newsweek Rankings in 2023 as “America's Greatest Workplaces 2023;” “America's Greatest Workplaces 2023 for Women;” “America's Greatest Workplaces 2023 for Parents & Family;” and “America's Greatest Workplaces 2023 for Diversity.” Florida Blue was also recognized by J.D. Power as #1 in member satisfaction among commercial health plans in Florida.
A dynamic speaker, Geraghty is considered an expert voice on a range of health care topics including health care reform, next-generation payment strategies, innovation in health care, and the benefits of wellness and prevention programming.
Geraghty is active in leading professional and community organizations. He is a member and past chair of the Florida Council of 100, a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization of Florida business leaders who advise the state’s governor on how to improve the economic growth of the state and the economic well-being of its residents.
He also serves as chair of the board for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and a member of the boards of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, including chair of its Health Policy & Advocacy Committee (HPAC); National Institute of Health Care Management (NIHCM), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of America’s health care system; and Tampa Electric Co. (TECO). His work with United Way, MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation and the American Cancer Society are among his most important commitments outside his board engagements.
Geraghty holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University and a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, degree from Florida Southern College. He also has completed executive education programs at Harvard University School of Public Health and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
President and CEO, GuideWell and Florida Blue
Leslie Zane is an award-winning marketer, TEDx speaker and the foremost authority in harnessing the instinctive mind to accelerate brand and business growth. Like many pioneers, Zane's ideas were dismissed early on. In 1995, she founded Triggers®, a CMO advisory and the first brand consulting firm rooted in behavioral science, where she continued to champion the primacy of the instinctive mind in brand decisions. With her groundbreaking discoveries in boosting salience, the Brand Connectome® and Growth Triggers®, Zane and her team have delivered over 2X incremental revenue growth for their Fortune 100 clients. Today, Triggers’ strategies are evident in diverse fields from consumer-packaged goods, health care and insurance to fighting racism and anti-Semitism, showcasing its versatility.
An alumna of Yale, Harvard Business School and Bain & Company, Zane is a recipient of the Congressional Women of Distinction and the Ogilvy Award. In 2021, she coined the term “Covid-stasis” forecasting the pandemic’s lasting psychological and behavioral effects. Zane has been published in prestigious publications including Knowledge@Wharton, Harvard Business Review, World Economic Forum, Newsweek and Ad Age. Zane is a board member of El Centro Hispano, the leading non-profit empowering Hispanic immigrants with skills to thrive in the United States.
Award-winning marketer, TEDx speaker, and leading expert in leveraging instinctive minds for brand growth
Akila is the Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer of Transaction Banking (TxB) – a first-of-its-kind cloud native, digital banking platform for corporate and institutional clients of Goldman Sachs. She also serves as a member of Goldman’s Firmwide Client Franchise Committee, its Global Inclusion and Diversity Committee, and the Platform Solutions Executive Council.
Previously, she was the Chief Operating Officer of the Investment Banking Division, a preeminent global Investment Banking franchise, and a member of its Executive Committee. Prior to that, she was the Chief Operating Officer for the Global Financing Group and the head of Natural Resources Debt Capital Markets and Risk Management where she established her reputation as a trusted advisor. She structured multiple complex acquisition financings, Debt IPOs, and mitigated interest rate and foreign currency risk in service of optimizing the capital structures of some of the firm’s most important clients.
Throughout her twenty-year career, Akila has established herself as a seasoned leader and skilled operator that has grown multiple businesses, setting strategy and driving growth. She was elected to Goldman Sachs’ Partnership in 2018 and has been recognized as one of Crain’s 40 under 40 (2021) and Notable Asian Leaders (2022), and Fortune’s 40 under 40 (2021).
Akila is a passionate philanthropist who serves on the Board of Directors for New York City Center, Manhattan's oldest performing arts center, and the Board of Directors for Generation W, an organization that inspires, connects and educates women and girls in the service of building strong communities.
Akila earned an AB in Politics and a Certificate in Finance from Princeton University. Originally from Liberty, Missouri, Akila currently resides in New York City with her husband and two children.
Mayor Donna Deegan is the 45th mayor of the City of Jacksonville, Florida, and the 9th mayor since the City’s consolidation in 1968. A Jacksonville native, award-winning local television news anchor, three-time cancer survivor, and non-profit founder, Mayor Deegan was sworn into office on July 1, 2023.
After graduating from Florida State University, Mayor Deegan started a career in broadcast journalism, which culminated in a role as a lead anchor at First Coast News. Over her tenure, she listened to and shared the stories of people living in every corner of this city, from all walks of life. She investigated many of Jacksonville’s systemic problems and held people in power accountable. Over her 25 years reporting, she established herself as a trusted voice for her community.
Mayor Deegan’s three bouts with breast cancer inspired her to bring her passion toward a new pursuit. After seeing fellow cancer patients and survivors saddled with debt and struggling to make ends meet, she was called to action and created the DONNA Foundation. In 2003, she founded the nonprofit to support the same community of patients, survivors, and health care providers who stepped up for her when she needed it most.
Elected to office on May 16, 2023, Mayor Deegan is bringing her unique life experiences and deep Jacksonville roots to build a city that works for all of us. The Deegan Administration is working to create a good quality of life by focusing on infrastructure, public health, and economic development.
Mayor Deegan has two children and lives at the beaches with her husband, Tim.
City of Jacksonville, Florida
Heidi is a New York Times best-selling author who has written seven books and has spent the past 20 years researching the impact of stress on the brain, presenting mental fitness strategies across the globe. Currently, she offers four courses on LinkedIn Learning, with over 1 million international students enrolled. Heidi has also served as an instructor at Harvard Extension, a fellow with the American Institute of Stress, and she is a certified humor professional, though she won't admit she's funny.
NY Times Best Selling Author, Speaker, Researcher, & Instructor, Synergy Brain Fitness
Dr. Edith Eva Eger, a native of Hungary, was just 16 years old in 1944 when she experienced one of the worst evils the human race has ever known. She is a survivor of Auschwitz and a world-renowned Psychologist. Dr. Eger published her NY Times best-selling memoir, The Choice, at the age of 90 in 2017. In 2020, during COVID lockdowns and at the age of 93, she published her internationally best-selling guidebook, The Gift. Both books are translated into more than 30 languages. She’s a great-grand-mother to seven and the embodiment of lighthearted love and positive energy.
World Renowned Psychologist, Author, and Auschwitz Survivor
Alexis Jackson is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Auburn University and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Currently, Alexis serves as an Operations Administrator for the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is responsible for leading clinical, research, and operational teams to drive Mayo Clinic Florida’s strategic initiatives forward. Alexis is passionate about addressing health and social inequities in under served communities and serves on the regional boards for the North Florida American Cancer Society, and as a recent alumna of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Hightower Emerging Leaders Fellowship, and as a board member of the UAB MSHA Advisory Council. In her spare time, Alexis enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling, and reading.
Operations Administrator, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer
Dr. Mussallem is a consultant in the Department of General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic and Assistant Professor of Medicine. She is a board-certified lifestyle medicine breast specialist at The Robert and Monica Jacoby Center for Breast Health. Dr. Mussallem serves as medical director for Mayo Clinic Florida Employee Well-being Committee, Medical Director for Humanities in Medicine, and is councilor at large for Officers & Councilors of Mayo Clinic staff. She has over 25 years of patient-centered clinical wellness experience and is internationally recognized in the field of breast medicine, lifestyle medicine, integrative oncology, and cancer survivorship. Dr. Mussallem has a unique personal connection to her work as a stage IV cancer patient diagnosed 3 months into medical school and in 2021, she became a heart transplant recipient. She shares that her journey as a patient cultivated her boundless energy and deep purpose to help patients flourish during and after adversity. In 2015, she founded the Integrative Medicine and Breast Health Program at Mayo Clinic Florida, a patient-centered program that works with breast cancer patients during and after a breast cancer diagnosis, introducing them early on to the importance of lifestyle optimization alongside conventional cancer treatments with a goal to reframe cancer as a “teacher of life,” leading patients to discover renewed vitality through healthier living. She is frequently invited to give keynote presentations and podcasts, appear on radio and television shows, and has authored journal articles, abstracts, and other written publications. Her research focus includes the impact of whole food, plant-based nutrition and weight management on breast cancer outcomes, awareness of alcohol related breast cancer risk, and breast cancer survivorship quality of life.
In addition to her clinical and research activities, Dr. Mussallem is active in medical education, which includes co-director for the International Medical Breast Training Program and director of the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum. She is Chief Executive Editor for the National Consortium of Breast Centers and serves on the medical advisory board for Center for Nutrition Studies. Additionally, she is a physician representative for the Blue Zones Jacksonville Steering Committee.
In recognition of her work, Dr. Mussallem has received many awards and honors, including being named 2022 American College of Physicians Florida John G. Langdon Volunteerism in Medicine Award; 2021 Marquis Who’s Who in America Top Doctor for her leadership, dedication, and achievements in integrative oncology; 2020 Marquis Who’s Who in America; Mayo Clinic Patient Experience award; Mayo Clinic Florida Hospital Instructor of the Year.
Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Mayo Clinic
Dr. Kim Marie Barbel Johnson is a Family Physician and Clinical Research Scientist. She is the Director of Community Clinical Trials Administration at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCCCC) in Jacksonville, Florida. In this role, she supports the development and delivery of community-based, pragmatic, and decentralized cancer/cancer-related clinical trials as they are facilitated by the MCCCC Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) Leadership. Dr. Barbel Johnson has spent her career as a practicing family physician in academic and community practice settings in Jacksonville. She has served as the principal investigator or sub-investigator for many industry-sponsored clinical trials across multiple organ systems within her scope of practice.
Family Physician and Principal Research Investigator, Mayo Clinic
Parking for the event is available in Lots 1 and 2, (both located by the Fine Arts Center Garage), as well as the Fine Arts Center Garage itself.
Guests will NOT need to enter an event code to park within these lots. If guests choose to park in different lots, they will need to pay for parking.
Hosted With
Address: 1 UNF Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32224
News 4 Jax –Trailblazer Donna Orender shares more about Generation W’s BELIEVE
WJCT – First Coast Connect
First Coast News – Women’s HERstory Month: Learning more about Generation W’s impact in Jacksonville
First Coast Living – Generation W 2024 Conference: BELIEVE
Join us on APRIL 5th, 2024, for a day of life-changing potential for GENERATION W’s BELIEVE. The annual, nationally recognized thought leadership event, hosted on the beautiful campus of the University of North Florida.
This rapidly evolving, chaotic world is imploring each of us to ask: What do we BELIEVE? What are the stories that we hold about ourselves, about each other, and our world? What are the belief systems that we hold onto that both propel us forward and hold us back? Believing embodies the pursuit of confidence, truth, trust, and purpose, and that’s just the starting point.
An exciting line-up of speakers and conversations will explore the foundations upon which we build our daily lives, inform our experiences, and the ways we can move forward both personally and professionally.
Expect an insightful day that will challenge your thinking, inspire your spirit, and connect in meaningful ways to our world! It will be a vibrant gathering of thought leaders who will bring new perspectives and insights that will influence you for years to come.
To support more women who are just beginning their entrepreneurial journeys, we have created the LauncHER Entrepreneur program. Through LauncHER, our goal is to provide women entrepreneurs with valuable exposure and opportunities to showcase their unique goods and services at no cost to the attendees at Generation W BELIEVE. Please note: All applicants must have been in business at least one full year.
Please note: The application period has ended. Thank you for your interest!
Entrepreneurs have always played a crucial role in our signature event. Generation W takes pride in offering LauncHER, a program that helps propel women entrepreneurs forward.
Congratulations to our 2024 Generation W LauncHer Businesses!
Monday – Friday
9am – 6pm
2320 3rd Street South, Suite 5
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
