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Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, a time for celebration of the amazing progress in women’s rights over the years and the work being done today — and with celebration comes reflection. The theme for Women’s History Month 2023 is Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories. Our women’s history month speakers share their stories of women who lead, innovate, and fight for social justice and equity, the women who work everyday to make gender equality even more of a global reality.

 

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Heather McGhee

Author of New York Times Bestseller The Sum of Us

A renowned expert on the American economy, Heather McGhee is one of the most brilliant and influential thinkers exploring inequality today. Both her viral TED talk and her instant New York Times bestseller The Sum of Us reveal the devastating true cost of racism—not just for people of color, but for everyone. Deeply stirring, intelligent, and compassionate, McGhee’s talks offer us an actionable roadmap during one of the most critical—and most troubled—periods in history.
Dr. Kristin Neff

Author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself | Co-founder of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

A pioneer in the field of inner strength training and self-compassion, Dr. Kristin Neff is the first person to empirically study the concepts and create a simple, actionable guide proven to increase motivation, boost resilience, and improve mental health. As we emerge from the pandemic, when burnout is threatening the happiness, success, and productivity of us all, she shows us why we need self-compassion more than ever.
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

Editor of The Black Agenda | Co-Founder of The Sadie Collective | Speaker on Diversity and the Future of Work

The co-founder of the only non-profit organization addressing the pipeline and pathway problem for Black women in fields of economics, finance, and policy. In her book The Black Agenda, Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman features Black voices across economics, education, health, climate, and technology, all speaking to the question “What’s next?” as it pertains to centering Black people in policy matters in our country. 
Laura Huang

Harvard Business School Professor | Author of Edge

Star business professor Laura Huang says that we don’t need to change ourselves to get the upper hand: we can simply make the most of who we already are. She teaches us how to use everything, even our perceived flaws and the systemic biases that hold us back, to our advantage. Laura’s insights into edge will help us overcome adversity by flipping unfair stereotypes on their head and turning obstacles into assets.
Margot Lee Shetterly

Author of Hidden Figures, the #1 New York Times bestseller and hit film

 Writer, researcher, and entrepreneur Margot Lee Shetterly is the author of Hidden Figures, an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, and the top book of the year at both TIME and Publisher’s Weekly. Margot is also the founder of the Human Computer Project, a digital archive telling the stories all of NASA’s “Human Computers,” women from all backgrounds whose work tipped the balance in favor of the United States in WWII, the Cold War, and the Space Race.
Sarah Kaplan

Director, Institute for Gender and the Economy at Rotman School of Management | Author of The 360° Corporation

Former McKinsey alum and now distinguished University of Toronto professor, Sarah says we treat innovation as an investment: something that we do, regardless of how difficult, risky, or potentially unsuccessful it may be, because it’s worth it. Why not treat corporate social responsibility the same way? Sarah shows us how to reposition our biggest struggles—gender equality, diversity, the environment—into innovation challenges that will transform our organizations, making us more creative and more resilient along the way.
Ellen Bennett

Founder and CEO of Hedley & Bennett | Author of Dream First, Details Later

At 25 years old, Ellen Bennet was a cook at a 2-Michelin-Star restaurant in LA; yet she was still tying on the same $5 apron found in every diner and pub along Hollywood Boulevard. So she took her modest $300 savings and turned it into the largest gourmet apron manufacturer in the world. In her inspiring, actionable talks, as well as her new book, Ellen reveals what you need to get out of your head and launch into action, even during a crisis.
Jessica Nordell

Author of The End of Bias | Award-Winning Science and Culture Journalist

If we’re going to end bias, it’ll take a new tactic: Jessica Nordell has it. She tackles unconscious yet pervasive biases we may not realize we have. Her book The End of Bias is the most vital, acclaimed book about what really changes people and cultures—the New York Times bestselling author Adam Grant said her work on bias was “the single most fascinating and useful exploration of it that I’ve read. Ever.”
Nina Tandon

CEO and Co-Founder of EpiBone | TED Senior Fellow

Nina Tandon is changing medical science as we know it. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Epibone, she is successfully leading her business through exciting new entrepreneurial territory by growing artificial tissues, like hearts and bones, that can be safely put into the body. Named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, Tandon speaks to the innovative, symbiotic future of health care, business and technology—while creating it herself. 
Stephanie Mehta

CEO of Mansueto Ventures | Former Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company

The world is changing quickly, and if we want to succeed, we need to move even faster. Stephanie will help us step on the gas. She was the Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company, the most influential business magazine of its generation, naming the most innovative and forward-thinking companies on the planet. Stephanie has the most unique and savvy view on business in America, and she’ll show you how to prepare your company for the pace of the future. It’s not just about learning how to deal with disruption—it’s how to build disruption into everything you do. 
Lori Gottlieb

Psychotherapist | Bestselling Author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Lori Gottlieb is a masterful guide for helping us rewrite the narratives that keep us stuck. Her TED talk was one the Top 10 Most Watched of the Year, her book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone has sold over a million copies (and is currently being adapted for television), and she’s the author of The Atlantic’s weekly “Dear Therapist” column. Gottlieb shows us that vulnerability isn’t a weakness, but a superpower for cultivating our healthiest, happiest, and most productive lives.
Laurel Braitman

Bestselling author of Animal Madness and What Looks Like Bravery | Director of Writing and Storytelling at the Stanford School of Medicine

New York Times bestselling author and Stanford professor Laurel Braitman is a driving force in bridging the gap between storytelling and the medical world. She works with doctors and medical students—who, like many other frontline workers, are facing record levels of burnout—and proves that the simple act of telling our own stories can help build community, improve mental health, and equip us with the communication skills we need to make a real difference for those around us.
Major MJ Hegar

Author of Shoot Like a Girl | Leadership Speaker | Foreign Policy 100 Leading Global Thinker

Major MJ Hegar is a force to be reckoned with. While piloting her third tour of Afghanistan, she was shot down. Injured, and under heavy fire, Hegar and her crew still flew their hobbled aircraft to safety, conducting a near-impossible landing. She received a Purple Heart and a Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, an honor awarded to only a handful of women. She fought a policy that excluded women from serving in ground combat—a historic victory for female military members. Hegar’s bravery inspires audiences to persevere through change, hardship, and any obstacles in their way.
Isabel Allende

Legendary Writer and Cultural Icon | Author of The House of the Spirits

A literary legend, social activist, and a feminist icon, Isabel Allende has sold over 70 million books translated in more than 40 languages. The first Spanish-language writer to receive an honorary National Book Award medal, Allende’s extraordinary life is now the subject of a three-part HBO miniseries, revealing the person behind the legendary literary career spanning four decades. The massive audiences who laugh, and occasionally cry, at her talks are a testament to her bold and imaginative writing, which has brought together generations of readers. 
Margaret Atwood

Two-time Booker Prize-Winning Author of over 50 Books, Including The Handmaid's Tale, and its Recordbreaking Sequel, The Testaments

Margaret Atwood has long been a literary titan, but “current events have polished the oracular sheen of her reputation” (The New Yorker). With her 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale adapted into a fifteen-time Emmy Award-winning television series, and its sequel, The Testaments, winning the 2019 Booker Prize, Atwood’s sharp eye is more crucial—and prescient—than ever.