At the 30th Anniversary ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference, we took on bold conversations that impact the future of
women leaders. Hosted in a hybrid format for over 3,200 women + men leaders, featuring keynote speakers Tunde Oyeneyin, Stefani Grant, Jeffery Tobias Halter, Frances Haugen, Lara Abrash, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, Selena Rezvani and AmyK Hutchens.  Bold conversations connected us from power to progress, inspiration to impact, truth to trust and allyship to action. Expert speakers inspired new thinking and introduced new perspectives to encourage attendees to fully participate in future conversations confidently and courageously — and have the fortitude to lead these bold conversations back in their workplaces and communities with
greater collective impact.

Step Up. Stand Out. Stand Together.

Over 2,100 attendees, both virtually and in-person,  joined ICAN on August 11th together for ICAN’s first ever HYBRID ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference. Attendees explored the theme of INSIGHT: how increased visibility, advocacy and sponsorship of women leaders – from within their organizations and out in their communities – leads to career advancement and greater influence. Attendees were inspired to focus on individual potential and find new ways to step up, advance in their career + leadership path, and contribute to their organizations + community. Featuring Keynote speakers Pat Mitchell, Herminia Ibarra, Kam Phillips-Sadler, David Johnson & Brad Smith, Shadé Zahrai, Kimberly Bryant, Nicole Bianchi, and Tiffany Dufu.

The ensemble: inspiration for elevating team performance through symphonic leadership.

At the heart of symphonic leadership is the ensemble: the team. Teamwork, collaboration, networking and connectivity is what the 2020 ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference centered around. Featuring keynote speakers Erica Volini, Marissa Orr, Ritu Bhasin, Liza Donnelly, Claire Haidar, Mark Sato, Karen Cvitkovich and Jade Simmons, attendees joined virtually for the first time, due to the pandemic. The conference did not miss a beat, however. Proving the power of a harmonious ensemble, everyone involved with the 2020 conference confirmed that, when individuals play their best, the sum is greater than its parts.

Staying human, staying relevant and leading in the digital age.

Today’s digital age produces a constant state of motion and change. The disruption caused by innovation, consistent access to technology and evolving social parameters affect the expectations of today’s leaders. Only through adaptation can leaders navigate urgent and eminent shifts in their industries, talent and society — all within the exponential pace of technological development. Human characteristics cannot be automated, as evidenced by keynote speaker and legendary journalist Judy Woodruff. Also featuring Mike Walsh, Andrea Gonzales, Jenny Fleiss and Curt Steinhorst, the conference emphasized how emerging technology, generational shifts, wo­rkspace freedom and connectivity have made human capital more important than ever when cultivating effective and empathetic leaders.

Regarding authentic leadership… you can be real to yourself, real to others and realize your leadership potential, all at the same time.

The 2018 Women’s Leadership Conference featured conversations regarding authentic leadership. As keynote speaker and international storyteller Tina Brown exemplifies, to be an authentic leader, you cannot be fake; you must be genuine through your experience and your commitment to developing yourself. The idea of authentic leadership has been a mainstay at ICAN since its founding, making it the perfect theme for the 25th ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference. Speakers also included Kindra Hall, David Logan, Angela Hucles, Brittany Packett and Tasha Eurich.

The elusive work/life balance is not only achievable, it’s necessary for individual and company success.

ICAN’S theme for the 2017 Conference acknowledged that the workplace was changing. From the old paradigm that work/life balance is a women’s issue, to where paternity leave for fathers, flexible work hours for family/personal needs and working remotely are acceptable business practices for everyone. The modern workplace will be where collaboration, inclusion and flexibility is valued, and particularly in the case of millennials, where work/life balance often is equal to career progression when evaluating career development and choices. The conference featured Deborah Roberts, Dan Thurmon, Jessica Shortall and Shabnam Mogharabi as keynote speakers.