The Converse Women’s Leadership Conference provides emerging and established women leaders across the upstate the opportunity to come together to share their knowledge, success stories, and strategies for advancement in a supportive environment. This one-day summer conference is hosted on Converse’s beautiful campus and includes keynote and breakout sessions as well as breakfast, lunch, and a wine and cheese networking reception. Our annual conference builds upon Converse’s historic commitment to women’s empowerment and leadership while providing the larger upstate community dynamic ways to build new partnerships and advance professionally.
Join us on July 24, 2025, for an engaging panel of women leaders in male-dominated fields, inspiring keynotes, networking & connection, as well as tangible & applicable break-out sessions.
Learn more about the Converse Women’s Leadership Conference.
Ticket and Event Details
Early Bird Registration – $125
RSVP after Early Bird ends in July – $150
$50 for all Converse faculty and staff
$20 for all Converse students
*Registration is required to attend this event.
General Registration closes on July 14 or earlier if we reach room capacity.
Schedule
8:00 am-8:30 am
- Registration Opens & Continental Breakfast
- Optional: Professional Headshots
8:30 am-8:40 am
- Opening & Welcome Remarks from Jennifer Barksdale, Director of the Converse College for Women, and Dr. Tori Good, Assistant Dean of Career Development
8:40 am-9:10 am
- Opening Keynote Conversation with Barbara Melvin, SC Ports Authority; moderated by Chandra Hopkins
9:10 am-9:20 am
- Break
9:20 am-10:35 am
- Panel on Building Community, moderated by Converse Student Government President, D’Asia Thomas ‘26
Panelists:
- Marilyn Nguyen, City of Spartanburg
- Ashley Whitt, Spartanburg County Foundation
- Selena Smith, United Way of the Piedmont & C.S. Consulting Group
- Lakesa Whitner, Northside Development Group & Start:ME Spartanburg
10:35 am-10:45 am
- Break
10:45 am – 12:00 pm
- Panel on Cultivating Resilience as a Leader; moderated by Dr. Tori Good
Panelists:
- Meghan Teague,Teague Studio
- Jessica Dunn, Bank of America
- Tudi Holmes, Tudi Holmes Realty
- Jessica Satava, Greenville Symphony
12:00pm-1:30pm
- Networking Luncheon
- Optional: Professional Headshots
1:40pm-2:30pm
- Concurrent Breakout Sessions
- Breakout 1: Championing Change: Aligning Mission & Career with speaker: Suzy Cole, Village Legal Hub, LLC
- Breakout 2: The Science of Stress: Staying Healthy for the Long Haul with speaker: Dr. Anna Fitch Courie, Clemson University
2:40pm- 3:30pm
- Concurrent Breakout Sessions
- Breakout 3: Building Belonging at Work and Beyond with speaker: Dr. Selena Blair ‘22, Presbyterian College
- Breakout 4:Vocational Discernment: Building the Career You Want with speaker: Rev. Eliza Smith DeBevoise, Converse University
3:30pm-4:30pm
- Wine & Cheese Networking Reception
