Women's Leadership Conference 2026
We are pleased to announce that our 2026 Women’s Leadership Conference will be held on Friday, May 1 at Bigham Knoll in Jacksonville. Our theme, Lift as You Climb, perfectly aligns with our core mission of helping women connect and advance.
We'll be putting the emphasis on women helping women and we’ll introduce ways for you to be on the giving and the receiving end of that support. You will the leave the event with tangible tools, fresh perspectives, and powerful new connections that will guide you to grow your career and help other women rise right alongside you.
OUR SPEAKER LINE-UP
Keynotes
Dr. Meocha Williams: Lift as You Climb, Without Becoming the Ladder
Jan Spence: It’s Game Time! Cheer Leadership to Lift as You Climb
Guided Networking
Elissa Denton: You're Not a Brand: Reclaiming the Heart of Networking
Panel
Lifting Others While You Lead
Dr. Keyan Botsford, Owner Botsford Orthodontics
Libby Gill, Leadership Expert, International Speaker & Bestselling Author
Eve Benton, Associate College Counselor
Annie Jenkins, Executive Coach & Consultant
Lightning Talks
Natasha Ickes: Leadership That Builds People and Not Burnout
Sarah Stevens: Creating the Conditions for Growth
Melanie Bonk: Regulated to Rise: Nervous System Attunement as a Leadership Skill
AGENDA - FRIDAY MAY 1
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8:00 - 8:45 AM -- Check-in, Coffee & Connection
8:45 - 9:00 AM -- Welcome & Conference Kickoff
9:00 - 9:30 AM -- Guided Networking - Elissa Denton
You're Not a Brand: Reclaiming the Heart of Networking
Elissa Denton, LCSW brings a fresh, research-informed approach that transforms networking from an awkward obligation into a high-value, human-centered experience - one that reflects positively on your event long after it ends.
In an age of disconnection and increasing reliance on the artificial, we’ll tap into the original AI: humans’ Ancient Intelligence - the deeply wired and time-tested capacity to connect, collaborate, and co-create for the common good. In this dynamic and participatory experience, you’ll learn some key networking skills and apply them in real time so you’ll leave this conference with new networking capacity and new connections. What a great way to lift as you climb!
9:30 - 9:45 AM -- Break
9:45 - 10:35 AM -- Keynote - Dr. Meocha Williams
Lift as You Climb, Without Becoming the Ladder
“Lift as you climb” sounds inspiring, until lifting turns into over-functioning. Women leaders are often praised for being the steady one, the fixer, and the person who can handle it all. Over time, this becomes costly to their time, peace, and capacity.
In this keynote, Dr. Meocha Williams, Founder & CEO of Elevated Living Leadership and Consulting, introduces a practical framework to help leaders lift others without losing themselves: Lift Your Load, Lift Your Voice, and Lift the Room. Attendees complete a quick Season Scan to identify what is driving their current overwhelm, build a 60-day Lift Cadence to create clarity and boundaries, and practice three real-world leadership scripts for moments when rescuing, resetting expectations, or empowering others feels difficult.
This is a leadership reset, not a motivational talk. Attendees leave with language, tools, and a clear plan to climb boldly while lifting intentionally.
Key Takeaways:
- A simple Season Scan to identify the top constraint draining leadership capacity
- A repeatable 60-day Lift Cadence that protects energy while increasing follow-through
- Three practical “lift moments” scripts to mentor and empower without burnout
10:35 - 10:50 AM -- Break
11:15 - 11:30 AM -- Lightning Talks - Natasha Ickes
Leadership That Builds People and Not Burnout
Leadership doesn’t begin with strategy. It begins in the body. In this experiential session, Melanie Bonk, Somatic Trauma Therapist & Certified Love, Sex, & Relationship Coach, introduces the often-overlooked foundation of influence, communication, and relational impact: nervous system attunement.
Through simple, accessible somatic practices, attendees will experience how quickly internal state can shift and how regulation directly affects clarity, confidence, and presence.
Participants will also explore why the ability to read and respond to the nervous systems of others is essential for effective leadership. When someone is triggered or dysregulated, rapport and influence are lost, not because of the words being spoken, but because safety is missing.
This talk offers a powerful reframe: regulation is not self-care fluff; it is a core leadership skill. When we lead from embodied presence, we create trust, psychological safety, and sustainable impact in our teams, organizations, and communities.
The most powerful leadership tool you have isn’t your voice. It’s your nervous system.
11:15 - 11:30 AM -- Lightning Talks - Sarah Stevens
Creating the Conditions for Growth
In today’s fast-moving, ambiguous world, leadership is no longer about control—it’s about creating the conditions where others can thrive. In this energizing 15-minute talk with Sarah Stevens, Global Learning & Development Director, you’ll explore what it truly means to “lift as you climb” and how everyone—regardless of title—has the power to shape someone else’s growth trajectory.
Through a practical and inspiring framework, this session will unpack three essential conditions that unlock development and performance: Psychological Safety, Skill Awareness and Stretch Experiences. You’ll leave with clear, actionable ways to foster trust, normalize learning gaps, and intentionally create meaningful stretch—for your team, your peers, and even yourself.
Whether you lead a large organization or influence from where you stand, this session will challenge you to ask: Whose growth am I actively creating conditions for?
11:30 - 11:45 AM -- Board Introduction
11:45 - 1:00 PM -- Lunch and Connection
1:00 - 2:00 PM -- Panel
Lifting Others While You Lead
A local lineup of powerhouse professionals share stories on how they’ve helped lift other women in their careers and how they themselves have been supported on their paths.
Dr. Keyan Botsford, Owner Botsford Family Orthodontics
Annie Jenkins, Executive Coach & Consultant
Libby Gill, Leadership Expert, International Speaker & Bestselling Author
Eve Benton, Associate College Counselor
2:00 - 2:15 PM -- Break and Table Discussions
2:15 - 2:30 PM -- Movement Break with Autumn Aloiau
Movement Break with Autumn Aloiau
Strength Instructor at FIIT & FLOW Ashland
A quick, upbeat reset with energizing music and movement to get everyone refreshed and ready for the next session.
2:35 - 2:50 PM -- Lighning Talks - Melanie Bonk
Regulated to Rise: Nervous System Attunement as a Leadership Skill
Words have the power to spark courage, strengthen connection, and help women rise together. Former professional female football player, and CSP®, Speaker, Author, Trainer Jan Spence brings her trailblazing story to life, sharing how encouragement, resilience, and intentional action helped her thrive in a space where few women had gone before.
Through her high-energy Cheer Leadership method, Jan equips attendees with practical tools to elevate communication, champion their teams, and create cultures where women actively support and amplify one another. This session strongly aligns with our 2026 theme, Lift as You Climb, and ends with a tangible Monday-morning action plan.
After this session, attendees will be able to:
- Apply practical ways to encourage and uplift colleagues and peers simple
- Use Cheer Leadership tools to boost morale, communication, and performance
- Create a personalized plan to intentionally lift others as they climb
2:50 - 3:00 -- Break
3:00 - 3:50 PM -- Keynote - Jan Spence
It’s Game Time! Cheer Leadership to Lift as You Climb
Words have the power to spark courage, strengthen connection, and help women rise together. Former professional female football player, and CSP®, Speaker, Author, Trainer Jan Spence brings her trailblazing story to life, sharing how encouragement, resilience, and intentional action helped her thrive in a space where few women had gone before.
Through her high-energy Cheer Leadership method, Jan equips attendees with practical tools to elevate communication, champion their teams, and create cultures where women actively support and amplify one another. This session strongly aligns with our 2026 theme, Lift as You Climb, and ends with a tangible Monday-morning action plan.
After this session, attendees will be able to:
- Apply practical ways to encourage and uplift colleagues and peers simple
- Use Cheer Leadership tools to boost morale, communication, and performance
- Create a personalized plan to intentionally lift others as they climb
3:50 - 4:00 PM -- Celebration & Closing Remarks
4:00 - 5:00 PM -- Post-Event Networking & Meet the Speakers
9:30 - 9:45 AM -- Break
Lift as You Climb, Without Becoming the Ladder
Meocha Williams
9:45 - 10:35 AM
“Lift as you climb” sounds inspiring, until lifting turns into over-functioning. Women leaders are often praised for being the steady one, the fixer, and the person who can handle it all. Over time, this becomes costly to their time, peace, and capacity.
In this keynote, Dr. Meocha Williams, Founder & CEO of Elevated Living Leadership and Consulting, introduces a practical framework to help leaders lift others without losing themselves: Lift Your Load, Lift Your Voice, and Lift the Room. Attendees complete a quick Season Scan to identify what is driving their current overwhelm, build a 60-day Lift Cadence to create clarity and boundaries, and practice three real-world leadership scripts for moments when rescuing, resetting expectations, or empowering others feels difficult.
This is a leadership reset, not a motivational talk. Attendees leave with language, tools, and a clear plan to climb boldly while lifting intentionally.
Key Takeaways:
- A simple Season Scan to identify the top constraint draining leadership capacity
- A repeatable 60-day Lift Cadence that protects energy while increasing follow-through
- Three practical “lift moments” scripts to mentor and empower without burnout
9:30 - 9:45 AM -- Break
Creating the Conditions for Growth
Sarah Stevens
10:55 - 11:10 AM
In today’s fast-moving, ambiguous world, leadership is no longer about control—it’s about creating the conditions where others can thrive. In this energizing 15-minute talk with Sarah Stevens, Global Learning & Development Director, you’ll explore what it truly means to “lift as you climb” and how everyone—regardless of title—has the power to shape someone else’s growth trajectory. (LINK TO MORE)
Through a practical and inspiring framework, this session will unpack three essential conditions that unlock development and performance: Psychological Safety, Skill Awareness and Stretch Experiences. You’ll leave with clear, actionable ways to foster trust, normalize learning gaps, and intentionally create meaningful stretch—for your team, your peers, and even yourself.
Whether you lead a large organization or influence from where you stand, this session will challenge you to ask: Whose growth am I actively creating conditions for?
Come join us!
Early Bird $129 until March 31
General $159
Student $79 with Student ID at the door
