MassWIT 'Marched' during International Women's Day
Leadership Conference was first of many successes.
By Juliann Grant
The sold-out conference elevated more than 150 women – every one of them said they were glad they came.
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Thank you to everyone who braved the snowstorm to attend our first Women's Leadership Conference at Sun Microsystems on March 6. MassWIT's inaugural event was a smashing success, with 150 attendees who all rated our event as excellent (66 percent) and good (34 percent). From the keynote speakers to the panel sessions, everyone delivered value and our attendees loved the conference from beginning to end. |
Liz Ryan, WorldWIT Executive Director
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Dr. Mallika Marshall, HealthWatch Reporter
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The day started out with a few laughs and a health reality check with Dr. Mallika Marshall, HealthWatch reporter for WBZ-TV4, who took the stage first to discuss women's health and its history. Beyond recommending that we take better care of our bodies than we do our cars, she offered a list of health goals she took from Harvard Medical School's Family Health Guide. |
- Get regular medical checkups.
- Eat healthy foods.
- Exercise regularly; consistency is key.
- Avoid addictive substances.
- Practice safe sex.
- Get immunized for flu and pneumonia.
- Prevent injury - beware electrical cords; wear seatbelts and helmets.
- Manage stress; practice relaxation techniques and say "no" occasionally.
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Our midday keynote was Shirley Singleton, CEO of Edgewater Technology, Inc., who shared her riveting story about how she managed her company through crisis and guided her employees through the most horrible of times. Through her leadership and following her intuition on what's right, she and her employees have formed a tightly knit family and the company now has less than 2 percent turnover. |
Shirley Singleton, CEO of Edgewater Technology, Inc.
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Lisa Hall, COO of the Oxygen Network
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Lisa Hall, COO of The Oxygen Network, closed out the day by sharing her top-10 list for negotiating, and demonstrated how we can navigate through the most difficult negotiating sessions. |
The fashion show was a great way for everyone to relax during lunch and check out the spring lines from Casual Corner, August Max and Petite Sophisticate.
Our vendor fair was a big hit with more than 30 vendors showing their wares and services.
Many thanks to our spectacular keynotes, panel speakers, expo exhibitors, sponsors and event volunteers who helped make this event remarkable and memorable. We think we made history.
We had such a good time that 98 percent of the attendees indicated that they would likely or very likely attend the MassWIT Women's Leadership Conference next year. That is just amazing! Here are more highlights from the event:
Event organization
77 percent excellent
22.7 percent rated good
Top three rated panel sessions
- CEOs Big Shoes to Fill
- Finding the Leader Within
- Hot Women in Hot Technology
Top three rated panel speakers
- Evilee Thibeault, Publisher, Network World
Panel: CEOs Big Shoes to Fill
- Christine McKay, Founder, McKay Partners, Inc.
Panel: Finding the Leader Within
- Amy Oberg, Futurist, Oberg & Associates
Panel: Hot Women in Hot Technology
Attendee Comments:
"This is the best conference I have attended - I am still excited and energized after a full day!"
"The keynote speakers were excellent. The panel session forums were excellent!"
"It was an amazing day. I really enjoyed it. Excellent speakers. Well organized. An excellent location, great food and overall a top-notch program."
"Great to hear and bump shoulders with so many women leaders, role models, and talented women. I was so pleased that MassWIT was so inclusive, inviting and open talking with new members and guests."
"The people who should have been here missed out."
Many thanks to ShowValue, Inc. for designing the best evaluation forms and reports that we have ever used. Visit http://www.showvalue.com for information on ShowValue.
