Webinars

Webinars Information and Logistics


Member Exclusive

Women’s Leadership Edge members receive firm/company-wide access to a series of webinars and accompanying written materials covering pertinent topics. These webinars will be given live once per quarter and hosted on the web (downloadable and password-protected) for one year. Details for upcoming webinars and previously aired webinars are listed below.

Upcoming Webinars


The Journey Back Into the Workplace


In this webinar, celebrated author and podcast host Eve Rodsky will discuss the research and findings that led to her best-selling book “Fair Play,” where she offers solutions to the dilemma of unequal emotional labor and “invisible work” at home within a marriage or partnership.

With the “next” normal imminent, Eve deftly applies these lessons to the return to work. We’ll address the challenges and opportunities that companies and leaders will face as they create systems to promote greater equity among disparate groups in the emerging work landscape, as well as how individuals can successfully navigate these evolving challenges at work and at home.

Previously Aired Webinars


Navigating the Unwritten Rules of the White Collar Professional World


Every organization has a company culture and understanding that culture can be the difference between having a thriving career and simply surviving. Led by sisters Demetra Liggins and Bemetra Simmons of the Corporate Homie podcast, this webinar will act as a guidebook for those who find themselves with questions in the white collar world and will discuss tips and attributes to navigating the unwritten rules of Corporate America.

Suggested Audience:
This webinar is designed for professionals who have experienced success in their careers and are looking for ways to advance to the next level.

Redefining Allyship to Effect Substantive Change


For organizations seeking to meaningfully increase racial and gender equity, strong allyship is essential. This webinar will present an in-depth look at what effective allyship looks like. We'll discuss best practices for integrating allyship into day-to-day work, how to hold stakeholders accountable, and other practical strategies for meaningful allyship.

We’ll address why orgs should care about intersectionality and the importance of its impact on the workplace experiences of BIPOC individuals; we’ll also examine how privilege can be deployed to help marginalized colleagues, both in the workplace and in personal settings. Finally, we'll conclude with an accountability framework for organizations and actionable steps that can be taken to promote allyship.

Suggested Audience:
This webinar is designed for all audiences. Employees, managers and leadership will benefit, especially those interested in making substantive changes to the culture and equity structures impacting org practices, policies and values. It will also support individual efforts to become effective allies in professional and personal settings.

To address structural racism, we need to address structures—right?


Companies in the US spend 8 billion dollars each year on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, but subtle (and not so subtle) workplace biases often cost these initiatives -- and the people they're meant to help -- big time by undermining their goals. In this webinar, DEI expert Joan C. Williams dives deeper into the stumbling blocks and solutions discussed in her viral TEDTalk. We’ll discuss the five common patterns of bias that cause these programs to fail, and offer a data-driven approach to pinpoint where things go wrong and how to make progress instead.

Suggested audience:
This webinar is intended for all groups, including managers and organizational decisionmakers trying to make substantive change, as well as individuals looking to be more aware and effective participants in the conversation.

A Generational Wipeout of Mothers’ Careers? The Path Forward Post-Covid


For a moment in early 2020, women made up over 50% of the workforce. By January 2021, women’s labor force participation had fallen to levels last seen in 1988, more than three decades ago. Recent evidence suggests that women may be returning to work, much of it part-time or gig work, but so much remains unknown.

In this webinar, we’ll talk about the ways COVID has affected women at work. We’ll examine the particularly harsh effects on women of color, single mothers, and low-income women, as well as the impact on mothers of taking a career break. We’ll focus on the path forward for women and their companies, and discuss the nature of remote work for organizations. We’ll also offer guidance and considerations for those choosing to pursue remote work moving forward.

Suggested audience:
This webinar is designed for women and those who employ, mentor, or support them. It will have value to both individuals and HR professionals/organizational change-makers as we enter a new frontier of work and adapt to the evolving needs of the workforce. Those looking for guidance on updating remote work arrangements or are considering remote work personally are also encouraged to attend.

Networking in a Remote World


Networking remotely can be challenging. The ways in which we meet people have changed and it can feel awkward to engage or start a conversation virtually. However, it can be incredibly advantageous to the strength and size of our networks because it’s now much easier (and more natural) to interact meaningfully with people from all of over the world. Those you most want to connect with are less constrained by things like travel time or location, and meeting for coffee can take 30 minutes rather than an afternoon. Also, virtual work and engagement aren’t going away anytime soon.

While many of the same networking principles apply, there are nuances to master when it comes to networking in a remote world. In this workshop we will cover the networking mindset, both of the critical “speeches,” conversation best practices, and tips for networking effectively in the age of virtual connection.

Suggested audience:
This webinar benefits those who want to keep connected to existing contacts, as well as grow their networks while living in a remote environment. It is a good session for those who want to have more effective interactions with contacts whether you are socializing or participating in formal professional events online. The webinar will provide best practices for networking well beyond our remote days.

Making This a Movement, Not a Moment: Effective Responses to the Racial Justice Awakening and Reckoning


November 18, 2020

This webinar will provide practical guidance and tools to help individuals and organizations respond effectively and impactfully to the current racial justice climate. Kori Carew will join us to discuss how to navigate this moment, both individually and at the organization and leadership levels.

We'll talk about what it means to be brave leaders in advancing inclusion and belonging and what we can do to create long-term, systemic change. We'll discuss concrete strategies to increase BIPOC representation at your organization, particularly at the leadership level, as well as strategies for improving both your organizational climate and the retention and advancement of BIPOC individuals. We'll also provide further resources for continued self-education and talk about what you can do at the individual level, including tips for being an effective ally and what you can do to support BIPOC colleagues in your organization.

Suggested audience:
This webinar is intended for all groups, including managers and organizational decisionmakers hoping to make substantive change, as well as individuals looking to be more effective allies.

Building Trust and Rapport in a Virtual Medium


 September 29, 2020

In this webinar, Cara Hale Alter takes the core concepts from her book The Credibility Code and adapts them for virtual meetings. She’ll provide nutrient-rich information on cultivating “Visible Credibility” — the ability to project confidence and competence so that your value is on full display. Additionally, she’ll offer tips for looking your best on video, building rapport through nonverbal cues and establishing expertise by seamlessly navigating the virtual medium. Topics include:

  • Webcam rules for posture, voice, and eye contact
  • Simple framing and lighting techniques to boost your image
  • Tips for choosing the right medium (video, telephone, email) for the situation
  • Why we get “Zoom fatigue” and how to counteract it
  • The distinction between cognitive and affective trust, and why both are vital!

Suggested audience:
Because we're collectively learning to navigate the virtual nature of our communication and connections, this webinar is intended for all groups.

The Silver Linings Playbook: Moving Forward with Purpose


This webinar will be a frank conversation about the rapidly-changing landscape of work, specifically how we can take everything learned during this period and institutionalize the good as things settle into a new normal. We’ll discuss flex policies and how to implement and manage flexible work arrangements successfully. We'll share what successful leaders are doing to communicate more openly to allow employees to bring their full, authentic selves to the workplace. We'll also explore how to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts continue to advance, and don't backslide, during this crisis. We hope to inspire participants to use the current crisis as an inflection point to move the conversation around work forward. Participants will leave this discussion with practical tools in the pursuit of a healthy new normal, and a clear roadmap of where we can go from here.

Suggested audience:
This webinar is intended for all groups and will discuss coping and success strategies that can be applied at a personal level as well as used successfully to manage both up and down.

Essentials of Becoming a Compelling and Powerful Public Speaker


February 5, 2020

Communicating with clarity and confidence is essential for getting ahead in your career. In this webinar, public speaking expert Tracy LaLonde returns to discuss strategies for becoming a more effective and compelling public speaker. For 13 years Tracy has helped top attorneys take their public speaking skills to the next level. She’ll share tools for overcoming nerves, projecting confidence and skill, and cultivating a message that resonates with listeners. She’ll provide step-by-step guidance on how to prepare and deliver a compelling message in any setting, whether it’s a large presentation or an intimate conversation. Participants will learn techniques for developing the best visual and vocal practices to facilitate an impactful conversation with your audience.

Suggested audience:
This webinar is part of a professional development series on how to message yourself and your work effectively and is intended for all groups.

Leadership Advice from a Badass


A conversation between Professor Joan C. Williams & Carla Christofferson - EVP & Chief Legal Officer, AECOM

Join us in conversation with fascinating, influential woman and certified badass Carla Christofferson to learn about her path to leadership and advice for maintaining authenticity. Carla Christofferson is EVP & CLO for AECOM, where she’s a member of the executive leadership team and leads it’s 200+ legal team after being one of the youngest partners at O’Melveny & Myers, where she was for 22 years. Carla is active in the Los Angeles community, sitting on the boards of the LA Library Foundation and the Metropolitan YMCA. She was co-owner of the LA Sparks Women’s National Basketball Association team from 2006 – 2014, & is a former Miss North Dakota.

In this webinar, we’ll join Carla & Joan C. Williams in conversation to talk about her path – what’s worked for her, how she’s navigated common obstacles to women pursuing leadership roles and what she’s learned along the way.

Effective Communication, part 1: Death by PowerPoint


 September 19, 2019

How many of us have suffered from “death by PowerPoint” when we had have to sit through a presentation with an endless number of slides, chock full of words and lengthy sentences? This program will show you 5 easy ways that enable you to create a visual experience that your audience finds helpful, engaging and memorable – and you don’t need a graphic arts degree to be effective.

Suggested audience:
This is part 1 of a 2-part professional development series on how to message yourself and your work effectively and is intended for all groups.

Navigating Everyday Bias in the Workplace


In this webinar, Dr. Tiffany Jana focuses on identifying personal bias through preferences and privilege. By becoming more self-aware, you can conquer fears of the unknown and prevail over closed-mindedness. Participants will learn how to identify and address the systemic and institutional biases to which we are all vulnerable. Dr. Jana will cover how systemic bias is perpetuated in real time and how you, as an individual, can disrupt its mechanisms.

Suggested audience:
Because unconscious bias affects individuals at all levels with all backgrounds, this webinar will be accessible and approachable to all individuals.

How Women Rise: Breaking the Habits that Could Hold You Back


In this webinar, Sally will draw on her best-seller How Women Rise, co-authored with legendary executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, to identify and address the habits most likely to get in women’s way as they seek to move to a higher level. These often include building rather than leveraging relationships, failing to enlist allies from day one, putting your job before your career, speaking while emotional, minimizing, ruminating, and letting your radar distract you. Diving deeper into some of these habits and using vivid real-life examples that resonate and inspire, Sally will help participants:

  • Identify how specific habits may hinder them as they move to a higher level
  • Initiate simple behavioral tweaks that can smooth their path going forward
  • Hold themselves accountable for changes that can benefit their careers and their organizations
  • Become a more powerful resource for other women seeking to rise

Suggested audience:
This webinar is designed for women who seek to better position themselves as leaders or who find themselves stuck, unable to fulfill their potential or who feel as if their contributions are undervalued. It will also have value for women and men who want be more effective mentors, champions and supporters for women coming up. This material works well at every level- senior exec to emerging leaders and recent entries to the workplace.

Roundtable: Everything You Need to Know About Taking & Returning From Parental Leave


In this webinar, we'll discuss best practices and common pitfalls in taking and returning from parental leave. In conjunction with Pregnant@Work and The Pregnant Scholar, three of our in-house experts will speak from their own experience as working mothers as much as from their research. We'll discuss the actual process of managing your leave and returning to work after having a baby, covering topics often overlooked by HR handbooks, including:

  • How should I talk about my leave with my boss and coworkers?
  • What should men who want to take full parental leave know?
  • How can I ensure my projects are covered while I’m out?
  • Should I communicate with the office during my leave?
  • What are strategies for a smooth return to work?
  • How can I meet my breastfeeding goals once I’m back in the office?
  • How will things be different as a working parent with a young child at home?

Suggested audience:
This webinar is designed for men and women anticipating future parental leave, as well as the managers that oversee them. HR professionals whom advise expectant mothers and fathers or aide in the parental leave process will also benefit greatly.

Career Challenges for Senior Women - Surviving, Thriving and Leaving a Legacy


 October 30, 2018

In this webinar, we’ll examine four workplace issues frequently faced by senior women. First, certain common patterns of gender bias actually increase as women get more senior—we will discuss these patterns and offer strategies for navigating them successfully. Second, many senior women begin to think about how to leave a legacy, and we will look at how to do so effectively. Third, we’ll examine generational conflicts that often arise between more senior women and more junior ones. Finally, research shows that women are more likely than senior men to retire early—we will discuss why this happens, what employers can do to retain valued employees, and how women who feel the need to do so can open up a new chapter in their lives.

Suggested audience:
This webinar is designed for senior women, and organizations that seek to retain them. It will also benefit anyone are in positions to affect organizational policies and practices around talent management, and those who have a voice in diversity-related policy

From Good Daughter to Respected Peer: Changing Influence Across the Career Lifecycle


 September 27, 2018

Strategies that produce effective influence for early-career women (and men) can be less effective at more senior levels. Further, organizations try to identify rising talent by observing how candidates use power and influence—but both the org and the candidate may make errors that lead to missed opportunities and flawed advancement. This webinar will explore how influence styles need to change over the career lifecycle—and how the organization can improve its talent management by better diagnosing the influencing skills of those on the ladder.

Suggested audience:
This webinar benefits those who are in positions to affect organizational policies and practices around talent management, and those who have some voice in diversity-related policy. It also speaks to women in middle career positions who are considering how to position themselves effectively for a move to senior levels. Both women and men will benefit, though much of the content is geared toward the particular challenges women face in exercising power and influence.

Designing a Data-Driven Diversity & Inclusion Strategy


 Led by Joelle Emerson
 June 5, 2018

Why is it that so many organizations invest in diversity, but see little change? One reason is that D&I efforts are often detached from data and inconsistent with research. But for a growing number of companies, that's changing. From Airbnb and Google to Capital One and The New York Times, businesses across industries are taking a more data-driven approach to diversity. It's time to apply that same approach in the legal field. In this session we'll share how organizations can use data to pinpoint the factors limiting diversity and inclusion, enabling them to embed effective changes, and sometimes even small tweaks, to move the needle successfully. This workshop will equip D&I practitioners of all levels with new strategies for implementing a data-driven D&I initiative.

Wariness after Weinstein: Effective Workplace Interactions When the Spotlight Is on Sex Harassment


 December 7, 2017

This webinar will review the legal framework governing sexual harassment at work and provide practical tools for addressing sexism/sexual harassment directed at you or at others. We’ll provide guidance to help you recognize and address harassment, and spot risk factors for harassment in your industry. We’ll talk about what allies can do to prevent and address sexual harassment at the individual and organizational level. We’ll also talk about how to address backlash and respond to calls for sex-segregated workplace relationships, with suggestions for how men and women can continue to work together and network appropriately in light of sexual harassment concerns.

Suggested Audience: 
Anyone interested in learning more about how to prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace, including women and men ranging from entry-level to senior leaders

Why We Miss Talent: How Unconscious Bias Can Shortcut Merit


 Led by Vernā Myers
 September 20, 2017

It is said that seeing is believing; but what about what we don’t realize we are seeing? Despite all our good intentions and our desire to be fair and merit based in our assessments of others, our unconscious biases create blind spots. Decades of research by social scientists make it clear that our brains take short cuts to conclusions without telling us. They rely heavily on schemas ideas and things that go together to make evaluations. It can be an efficient system, but it can also be a faulty one, and cause us to misjudge and exclude people based on old societal stereotypes, preferences and our personal belief system. This is not because we are bad people, it’s because we are people.

This webinar explains how important it is for leaders, managers, teammates and colleagues to identify the biases in themselves and in the workplace and learn specific ways they can begin to counter their own behaviors.

Effective Work/Life Management for Yourself and Those You Supervise


 June 15, 2017

Work-life balance has always been a challenge for mothers. Research shows it is an increasing challenge for fathers, too—and that even adults without children often struggle to balance their work with their other life goals. This webinar will explore the sources of work-family conflict, what individuals can do to sort out their priorities and attain a balance that fits their values—and also how to effectively supervise a workforce that often has a broad range of different definitions of what work-life balance means to them.

Suggested Audience: 
Parents, adults caring for elders or disabled family members, singles who feel they too often pick up the slack for colleagues with family responsibilities—as well as anyone who supervises any one, or all, of these groups.

Leveling the Playing Field for Class Migrants: Tips for Individuals and Their Employers


 March 9, 2017

Too often in diversity contexts, programming is designed to help women, LGBTQ individuals, or people of color – but rarely tackle issues of class. Yet first-generation college students face particular, well documented challenges in professional workplaces. This webinar is designed to provide a toolkit to address those challenges.

Class migrants—professionals from non-professional families—often find self-promotion more challenging. They may struggle to reconcile their families’ expectations with the demands of professional life; their upbringing may make networking feel inauthentic; and the social lives they lead may differ radically from those of their parents. This webinar is designed to help class migrants navigate these and other aspects of professional life that may feel less naturally comfortable for them than for their colleagues.

Suggested Audience: 
Professionals from non-professional families and others who identify as class migrants; managers, leaders and HR professionals who want to understand how to be responsive to the challenges faces by those individuals and hope to better foster a more inclusive and diverse environment.

Authentic Leadership as a Critical Pillar of Inclusive Work Environments


A growing body of research suggests that authenticity is a key ingredient for building inclusive environments. However, most corporate environments struggle with the idea of authenticity – professionals are taught to avoid differences rooted in culture, rather than leverage these differences for success, which in turn causes them to minimize their own differences in order to “fit in.”

In this webinar, join Leadership Strategist, Coach, and Authenticity Expert Ritu Bhasin LL.B. MBA of bhasin consulting inc., as she discusses the key principles of authenticity, including:

  • why authenticity is critical for building inclusive environments;
  • how to address biases and blindspots in order to foster inclusion;
  • how to live more authentically, both personally and professionally;
  • and, how to lead teams more authentically and inclusively

This webinar will leverage the insights from Ritu’s upcoming book, The Authenticity Principle.

Suggested Audience: 
Men and women at all levels who want to learn more about leveraging the Authenticity Principle for personal and professional growth, and managers and leaders seeking to leverage authenticity to foster more inclusive work environments.

Leading Effective Teams


Learn how to build effective and diverse teams by interrupting biases that creep in to everyday workplace situations. Joan will draw upon her years of research to discuss leveraging collective intelligence to increase team productivity and innovation, concrete strategies for identifying and interrupting diversity-related bias, and the value of well-managed, inclusive teams.

Suggested Audience: 
Leaders who want to fuel innovation in diverse teams more effectively, men who want to support their female colleagues, and managers of either gender who want to provide a level playing field for everyone.

Gender and Negotiation


Women face unique obstacles at the negotiating table. Both male and female counterparts hold expectations that make it difficult for women to negotiate value and build relationships. This data-driven webinar shares recent research on how women can be effective despite the distinctive challenges we face at the negotiating table.

Learn how to:

  • Recognize and anticipate the biases that work against women in negotiations
  • Negotiate effectively despite those biases
  • Change workplace systems that have a disproportionate impact on female negotiators

Suggested Audience: 
Women who want to negotiate more effectively, men who want to support their female colleagues, and managers of either gender who want to provide a level playing field for everyone.

Presenter Bios


Cara Hale Alter
As founder and president of SpeechSkills, Cara has provided training to some of the world’s best-known companies, including Allianz, Caterpillar, eBay, Gap Inc., Google, IDEO, and Williams-Sonoma. A guest lecturer at UC Berkeley, Harvard University, Stanford University, and UC Hastings College of Law, Cara has also worked with numerous top-100 law firms, including DLA Piper, Morgan Lewis, O’Melveny & Myers, and White & Case. She is a frequent media resource, with appearances in Forbes.com, The Globe and Mail, USA Today, and countless other media outlets. Her critically acclaimed book, The Credibility Code: How to Project Confidence and Competence When It Matters Most, brings the key concepts of her signature workshops to the printed page. Cara is a proud member of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Ritu Bhasin
Ritu Bhasin, LL.B., MBA, is the President of bci, and the author of Amazon bestseller The Authenticity Principle. Recognized globally for her diversity and leadership expertise, Ritu has received a number of awards and distinctions for her work. She has extensive experience delivering programming, consulting, and coaching across a range of people management areas with a focus on leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and the advancement of women. Ritu works primarily with senior leadership teams, boards of directors, middle management, and emerging leader groups, including women and diverse professionals.

Joelle Emerson
Joelle is the Founder & CEO of Paradigm. She partners with leaders of some of the world's most innovative companies to consult and advise on diversity and inclusion strategies. She has written extensively about diversity, inclusion, and unconscious bias, and her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Fortune, Fast Company, Business Insider, and several other outlets. In 2015, Joelle was named to Vanity Fair’s “next establishment” list for being one of the “most ambitious, innovative, disruptive entrepreneurs” of the year. Before founding Paradigm Joelle was a women's rights employment lawyer.

Emily Epstein
As the founder of Oakbay Consulting, Emily F. Epstein specializes in teaching negotiation, communication, facilitation, and mediation skills. Her company helps clients influence others, break through impasse, collaborate across functions, and build stronger relationships. Ms. Epstein has been invited by organizations on four continents to help them overcome protracted challenges, from boosting the profitability of a Fortune 500 company to reducing the global use of child soldiers. Ms. Epstein is currently a lecturer of law at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. In the past, she has served as associate faculty at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation and adjunct faculty at the Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Epstein earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Sally Helgesen
Sally Helgesen, cited in Forbes as the world’s premier expert on women’s leadership, is a best-selling author, speaker and leadership coach. She has been recognized by Global Gurus as one of the top 30 experts on leadership. Sally's most recent book, How Women Rise, co-authored with legendary executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, examines the behaviors most likely to get in the way of successful women. Previous books include The Female Advantage: Women’s Ways of Leadership, hailed as the classic in its field and continuously in print since 1990, and The Female Vision: Women’s Real Power at Work, which explores how women’s strategic insights can strengthen their careers. The Web of Inclusion: A New Architecture for Building Great Organizations, was cited in The Wall Street Journal as one of the best books on leadership of all time and is credited with bringing the language of inclusion into business.
In addition to delivering workshops and keynotes in corporations, partnership firms, universities and associations around the world, Sally has consulted with the UN on building more inclusive country offices in Africa and Asia, led programs at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Smith College and been visiting scholar at Northwestern University, U-Nordic Stockholm, and the Lauriston Institute Melbourne AU. She is a contributing editor for Strategy + Business magazine and a member of the MG 100 Coaching Network and the New York and International Women’s Forums. She lives in Chatham, NY.

Dr. Tiffany Jana
Dr. Tiffany Jana is the CEO of the TMI Portfolio of companies, a network of socially responsible, interconnected companies that cultivate organizational inclusion worldwide. TMI was the world’s first diversity and equity focused Certified Benefit (B) Corporation. Dr. Jana’s military upbringing, and subsequent predilection towards travel, exposed them to dozens of countries and cultures that made them question whether all of the focus of difference and discrimination was the best use of human energy. As a multiple minority (including race, gender identity, and invisible disability), Dr. Jana has always believed that if they could only help people see the vast depth, complexity, and beauty of the human experience, perhaps people would be kinder to each other. Dr. Jana’s speaking style is inspiring, engaging, high-energy, and relatable.

Dr. Jana has been featured in numerous publications and media including Fast Company, Huffington Post, Forbes, and Psychology Today. Dr. Jana’s favorite awards and recognition include 2017 Enterprising Women of the Year from Enterprising Women Magazine and 2018’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers from Inc.com.

Dr. Jana has co-authored several books including Overcoming Bias: Building Authentic Relationships Across Differences, Erasing Institutional Bias: How to Create Systemic Change for Organizational Inclusion, and the second edition of The B Corp Handbook. Dr. Jana is an acclaimed international speaker with credits including TEDx, SXSW, AdWeek, Watermark Conference, Hong Kong Social Enterprise Summit, Dialogues for Change (Germany), and many more. Dr. Jana’s preferred pronouns are ‘they/them’ but ‘she/her’ is not offensive to them.

Vernā Myers
Vernā Myers is the Founder of The Vernā Myers Company, a Baltimore-based consulting firm dedicated to eradicating barriers to diversity in the workplace. She is a Harvard-trained lawyer, activist, author and cultural innovator committed to making the most difficult conversations around bias, cultural competence, and inclusion accessible to all. Myers is an expert facilitator, motivational speaker, and strategic advisor to for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Notably, Myers was a recipient of The Network Journal’s “25 Influential Black Women in Business.” Vernā’s appearances and message of power and possibility have touched millions of lives, including her TED talk, “How to Overcome Our Biases? Walk Boldly Toward Them,” which has been viewed over 1.5 million times. Myers is also the author of two best-selling books, a contributor to Refinery 29 and Huffington Post, and a cited expert for The Atlantic, Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, and TED NPR Radio. Currently, she serves on the board for two organizations - The Center for Urban Families, which addresses workforce development and family services, and UC Hastings College of Law’s Work-Life Law Program, which advocates for gender and racial equality in the workplace.

Jennifer Overbeck
Jennifer Overbeck joined Melbourne Business School in 2014 as an Associate Professor of Management. After completing her PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Colorado, Jennifer was a researcher at Stanford Graduate School of Business, later holding a number of assistant and associate professorial positions at the Marshall School of Business at University of Southern California and David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. Jennifer’s research, which has been published in Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and other distinguished journals, focuses on negotiation performance and the effects of power and status on first impressions and in group settings. Jennifer currently teaches Organisational Behaviour, Negotiation and Deal-making and Power and Politics on our MBA and Executive MBA programs. She also teaches Research Methods and Statistics on our PhD program and Advanced Management on our open Executive Education programs. Jennifer’s writings have appeared in the Huffington Post, New York Times, USA Today and other international publications.

Brigid Schulte
Brigid Schulte is the author of New York Times bestselling Overwhelmed: Work, Love & Play when No One Has the Time, which has sparked conversations on overwork, busyness, gender roles and the loss of leisure around the globe. She is an award-winning journalist for The Washington Post, and Washington Post magazine. She was part of the team that won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. She is also a fellow at the New America Foundation. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and their two children.

Joan C. Williams
Joan C. Williams has played a central role in reshaping the conversation about women and work over the past quarter-century. Williams is a Distinguished Law Professor and Founding Director of the Center for WorkLife Law at University of California, Hastings. Described as having "something approaching rock star status” by The New York Times, she’s authored eight books and over 90 academic articles and book chapters, including “Deconstructing Gender,” one of the most cited law review articles ever written (1996). She lectures widely and has appeared in outlets as diverse as the Harvard Business Review, Oprah Magazine, Human Resource Executive, Jezebel, and the Yale Law Journal. Her latest book, What Works for Women at Work: Four Patterns Working Women Need to Know, offers savvy advice to help women navigate office politics and thrive in high-powered careers. It earned rave reviews from Sheryl Sandberg, The Washington Post, Forbes, Oprah Magazine, and many others. You can follow her work on Twitter @JoanCWilliams and on her Huffington Post blog.

Cutting Edge Workshop

The Cutting Edge Workshop convenes professionals from diverse fields - law, business, tech and others - to engage in a creative dialogue around a shared commitment to gender equity and diversity.

Cutting Edge Workshop

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