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Historically, empathy has not been a world that’s often used in workplace. Right now, empathy is exactly what we need to make our technologically driven workplaces a liveable, thriving places for all of us. Empathy is the corner stone for creating kinder and more human organisations, then why it is so hard? In this talk Baiba Krumina shows how to avoid three common pitfalls when building a culture of empathy and reveals exactly how empathy makes organisations stronger and more successful.
All human beings have intrinsic value, but do you know your worth? As we seek parity in the workplace, from salary to scope, we must first understand our the value that we bring to an organization. Once we understand our worth in the workplace, we can actively advocate for ourselves to ensure that we are given opportunity and parity with our peers. In this talk, Ariel will walk you through how to position your value to your employer and how to advocate for what you are worth.
Do you tell your clients that you use "cutting edge" tactics, you're always testing new things, you never get comfortable. Do you tell yourself that you will find the time to research your industry and develop new strategies...tomorrow? We've all been there. But what do you do when you see your competitors moving ahead of you? How did they do it? What are they doing? Where are they getting access to these new ideas? Chances are, they created them. In this talk, I will explain how I became my agency's very own, in-house recipe creator. We don't follow the trends, we create them. Because of this, we own and lead the space with platform beta case studies, new feature adoption, and creation of digital strategies. Tune in to learn how you can create this momentum among your team and not only keep up with the trends, but create them yourself.
Imposter syndrome has the worst timing, doesn’t it? It’s always when you’re approaching the major/impressive/bucket list things that you start to wonder if someone will figure out you don’t “belong” or you’re not deserving. As a musical theatre school grad who found herself supporting execs in the fast-paced tech industry, Ashley Gibson has worried about being an imposter more times than she’d care to admit. In this talk, Ashley will divulge her own experience of overcoming imposter syndrome with the help of one of her idols, and share three little words to empower you to feel confident and courageous to do the big scary things.
You’re in charge of learning and development at your organization, tasked with designing or selecting programs that will level up your people and organizational outcomes. This talk will provide the essential (but often overlooked) building blocks of equitable learning environments. Through her work, Preeti Vij Gulati has designed and facilitated impactful programs and learning experiences, including the award-winning Asian Leaders Connect program. In this talk, Preeti will share how to more strategically approach learning and development programs to support your people and organization.
We want to help and uplift marginalized movements in a way that involves long-term commitments. Through story sharing and case narratives, you will learn three ways to support marginalized movements and grassroots organizations through actions that go beyond the money. We will learn how cultural liaisons, brand ambassadors, micro-influencer sponsorships can ignite a movement forward. Our work is to help social issues around health, justice, and equality, by illustrating how seed funding and meaningful support to these programs and ideas, can build a future for these grassroots organizations.
The current political era is largely defined by polarization. Where logistical and pragmatic considerations previously played a larger role in political discourse, they now take a backseat to broad assertions of right and wrong. This talk explores the role of our over-reliance on simplistic moral arguments in driving the current division, and encourages us to take a different approach.
Odds are that someone you know at work is grappling with a mental health challenge or mental illness. But workplace conversations are often limited to “How are you?” with the usual response of “ok” - so you likely don’t know who is struggling. This talk will uncover what's holding you back and empower you to fully embrace the awkwardness of talking about how you and your team are REALLY doing. You will learn 5 impactful strategies to have critical conversations and support each other.
The marketing and advertising industry is often associated with big budgets and celebrity-starring Super Bowl commercials. But in some areas of the world - where political upset is the norm and internet access is limited - creativity is what drives marketing, not budget. In Central America, creativity is a survival resource. Where some marketers see constraints, others see opportunity, resulting in successful digital marketing campaigns in a seemingly impossible market. In this workshop, digital marketer Ana Siu will share lessons you can apply to drive successful marketing campaigns - no matter the region. From working in Nicaragua and Mexico, Ana has discovered that creativity and resilience are far more valuable than a Super Bowl-sized budget.
Poker. Most women don’t give a second thought to it. It’s what the men do in back rooms with dim lighting and cigar smoke. But did you know that poker teaches skills that are associated with good leadership? Risk assessment, negotiation, quick decision-making, confidence and more. This simple game can give you what it takes to break through that glass ceiling.
Content marketers are told over and over to “write content for users.” Yet too often, our users are the last thing we think about. People want to be understood and validated—and that involves listening to them. Your audience is more willing than ever to share their experiences and advice, which can make your content more empathetic. But few marketers are listening. Join SEO + content enthusiast Abby Reimer as she shares actionable tips to source amazing content from your audience. By the end of this session, you’ll know how to infuse a human touch into every article you create.
Working moms have never had more going on than they do right now. The last 12 months of this pandemic has caused a mass exodus of women from the workforce. And the ones who are left are feeling stressed, anxious and over-loaded. There’s a lot to manage - kids, virtual school, work, life, aging parents. I’m one of these moms. And I have a confession to make... a lot of times, I’m putting work first. And I’m sick and tired of feeling like this is a bad thing. In this talk, I’m going to moms and moms-to-be about how to let go of perfection, accept help, and be unapologetic about your ambition.
Ever wanted to be in control of your thoughts, in particular, the negative ones that pop up when you least expect? They might tell us that we’re not ready, or we might fail, or simply, we’re not good enough. Whether in our personal life, our relationships, our career, or business...our limiting beliefs can hold us back from taking action on the things we truly desire. Yet, it doesn’t have to be this way. In this talk, Tam shares how powerful our beliefs are in shaping our lives. It is absolutely possible to rewire our thought patterns in order to overcome our limiting beliefs. As a Marketing & Mindset Coach, Certified NLP Practitioner, and Clinical Hypnotherapist, Tam coaches women to master their mindset in order to get MORE out of life. If you’re ready to stop playing small and take control of your thoughts and beliefs, don’t miss this talk!
As HR professionals we know employee engagement is important, but how come onboarding isn’t given as much importance as recruiting? Amanda Schaefer has had the opportunity to onboard over 150 people in the last year (during a pandemic, no less)! She has had many conversations with new hires to gather meaningful feedback on Thinkific’s two week long initial onboarding process and has consistently actioned suggestions for improvement. This has resulted in a onboarding satisfaction score of 4.78/5, contributing to a high retention rate and overall engagement score at her company. In this talk, she'll teach you what goes into an exceptional employee onboarding program and how it has helped her company get awards like Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures and Employee Recommended Workplace by The Globe and Mail.
Liberals. Conservatives. Activists. Racists. Racial "Minorities." White Supremacists. Black Lives Matter. Blue Lives Matter. #StopAsianHate #StopWhiteTerrorism We learn to view the world and life through a binary lens. It's one or the other. But that's not true. We all have different intersectional identities, lived experiences and ways we process the world. We also have oh. so. much. in. common. All of us. If we take the time to listen, to seek to understand, to connect- we CAN find the common spaces in between. In this talk, you’ll learn to practice what I call the ACE approach- where we can practice finding commonality, creating connection and a deeper understanding. AND come back to what unites us. All of us.
In my life, I've given up on a variety of things: jobs, college, business, relationships, and each time, I felt like a failure. Eventually though, I realized that quitting certain things freed me to focus on more meaningful things. Society often tells us that quitting equals failure. We then place a lot of pressure on ourselves to finish things we wish we hadn't started in the first place - a career, a project, even relationships. I want to show you that it's not only okay to give up, it also has some great advantages Are you overwhelmed with all the things on your plate? Maybe you need a break, but you're not sure how to make that happen? Or maybe you know, deep down, that something in your life is not working for you, but you're afraid of quitting. This talk will help you see "giving up" in a whole new way - and, hopefully, encourage you to start quitting more to focus on the things that matter.
Are you stressed about how to make your second marketing platform get just as great of results as your first marketing platform? Discover how you can utilize multi-channel marketing to get quicker wins – even if you don’t have a CDP or a fancy analytics tool. This presentation will help you learn how to create winning strategies across multiple platforms to get better results sooner. Prepare for the challenges facing the current digital marketing industry post COVID19 and the current challenges facing the pending IOS updates without getting stressed about what you’re going to do next to get the results your striving for.
What if you were told you’ve been approaching sales training all wrong? In order to outsell your competition, you can’t be training in the exact same way as them. Learn the unconventional tricks from Megan O’Shaughnessy, a B2B SaaS Account Executive who has mastered enterprise sales at Unbounce, and is now moving to perfect the craft at Shopify. In her presentation, she will share three ways her background in improvisational theatre has made her a standout seller in the technology sector, and how you can learn these SaaS(sy) sales secrets too.
Urban dwellers are craving a sense of community, yearning to help one another and contribute to the wellbeing of their neighbourhoods. Yet, social isolation remains a silent killer in Canadian cities, while community potential remains untapped. At the same time, municipal governments are committing to pursuing meaningful community engagement, promoting civic literacy, and democratic participation. Yet, the trust in government is at an all-time low. Drawing on her on-the-ground experience in community engagement and organizing, latest trends in community development, and the success stories and lessons learnt from the neighbourhoods across Canada, Ksenia builds a case for a resident-led, citizen-centered neighbourhood strategy as a pathway to strengthening social connectedness, and building culture of care and citizenship. Ksenia invites city staff, urban planners, social service organizations and agencies to consider this radical approach to community development to help empower residents and support positive community change.
As K-12 schools become increasingly diverse, they are perfectly designed to fail students of color. It is time to reimagine our approach by moving away from White Supremacist ideals and center our system to meet the needs of students of color. In this talk, Chalon Jones will share why our approach to educating students is failing BIPOC and how our education system can be restructured to place the needs of historically underserved students first. Chalon will challenge our current approach to teaching K-12 students by presenting a new approach that leads us toward antiracist, culturally responsive learning communities.
When approaching new features and products, engineering is often the last step in a long line of decisions from the business, product, and design teams who establish our requirements. As a software engineer, it’s easy to get so focused on this acceptance criteria assembly line that you lose sight of your true power. Stakeholder requirements are important to final delivery, but great engineering teams own their product at every phase — even if they don’t have all the answers yet. In this talk, you’ll find impactful engineering steps you can take when the road ahead is hazy and ambiguous… or your PM is waiting for that linchpin decision from legal. As a Senior Software Engineer at Teachers Pay Teachers, Courteney Ervin will walk you through lessons learned from architecting new products for the world’s educators. Learn to transform product development periods of frustration or impatience into empowered, high-impact moments of ownership for you and your team.
The social justice movement born from the painful incidents of summer 2020 has prompted organizations worldwide to build, move forward with, or re-evaluate their DEI efforts. Most conversations center on leaders wanting to create more diverse and inclusive organizations - ensuring people "get along." Those are reasonable goals, although complex group problems have never been solved without personal change. Drawing from her experience as a DEI Strategist and a proud imperfectionist, Dominique invites you to consider what could happen if people let go of their need to be perfect. What if we saw people we admire, leaders, acknowledging the errors of their biases? What if we paused to reflect on the impact our thoughts can have on our actions - and the impact those actions have on other people?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is capturing our digital footprint while simultaneously attempting to predict our next steps. This workshop is for participants to develop non-technical and technical solutions for understanding potential gender and racial biases embedded in machine learning algorithms.
They say writing is a marathon, not a sprint...but in both cases, the only way it ends is to reach the finish line. So when putting words on the page seems impossible or your messy middle just keeps getting messier, how do you stay motivated enough to find your second, third, fourth (...you get the idea) wind? In this talk, Karra shares the tactics that helped her complete various long-distance races, and how these can also be applied to help you cross the finish line of your novel. Writers of all levels–no experience or interest in running needed!–will discover why every writer is actually an athlete in disguise and how getting to The End just takes the right mix of preparation, training, and grit.
“Attitude is everything.” “Think happy thoughts.” “Love yourself!” “Be grateful for what you have!” How many times have you heard these statements? Studies imply that positive thinking can increase immunity, longevity, and perhaps even lower cardiovascular risks and depression. Thousands of people like Tony Robbins have made entire careers around positive thinking. But who truly benefits from these phrases? What communities do these words invalidate? Erin draws from disabled activists as well as their own journey of mental illness and disability to reframe the idea of reframing ideas to be positive.
Truth time: Analysts are being vastly under-utilized in a centralized model. Rather than contributing meaningful insights that move a business forward, they're often bogged down by continuous ad-hoc requests. But there is another way. Hear from Lead Digital Analyst Carolina Lizama as she reveals how ditching the centralized model allowed BestBuy Canada to successfully scale their digital analytics team to deliver business value at a lightning-fast pace. Think the analyst is the bottle-neck? Think again.
Companies and teams are moving into more agile, experimental, and collaborative ways of working. There is a big opportunity for designers and marketers to work together, but traditional workflows and taboos still get in the way. In this talk, Cecilia will share how to find the missing link between design thinking and marketing strategy, so marketers can get the best out of their design team to maximize both creativity and ROI for their business.
Your superpower is developing strategic copy that’s grounded in rationale. But when it comes to writing creative headlines, it might not come easy. From left brain to right brain, Brianne will share her journey to enhanced creativity and share a framework you can use to get out of your head and write headlines that stick. You'll walk away with immediately actionable strategies and the confidence to generate a sea of creative headlines for your next copywriting project.
Currently, only 30 states in America mandate sex education. Of those 30 states, just 17 require it to be medically accurate. Only 9 call for consent to be taught. The sheds a heck of a lot of light on our high sexual assault rates because 41 states don't even have to teach that no means no. So, how can we foster a future that prevents sexual assault? If you want to foster a better world for the coming generations, this talk will help you ponder how we can do that. Walk with me through my story of being a summer camp director, sexual assault survivor, and passionate advocate for change.
Women are not advocating for themselves, asking for more, or challenging pay, making it so they are being paid 18% less on average than a man in a similar position. Whether it be a lack of confidence or simply not knowing what to ask for, women tend to skip the conversation altogether or simply take what they are given without negotiation or discussion. After seeing too many women be underpaid and not ask for the raises they rightfully deserve, Evan created this talk to share her best-kept salary and raise negotiation tips so that you can advocate for yourself to get paid like the boss you are.
In a world where women and girls are constantly bombarded by a culture of “You can do it all”, comparison is a justified response. For minority women, who face even greater systemic disadvantages, such comparison can become a heavy burden to carry. Through facilitating conversations with Latin American women in her podcast “Diosas in da House”, Cristina discovered the impact of recognizing we are our own role models. In this talk, she shares those anecdotes and explores the power of community and story sharing as an effective way to counter comparison, suggesting ways in which we can all be tools to support Latinas and minority women.
Leading and managing a remote team is challenging. Your team must still deliver results, and you must lead them effectively to be successful in this environment. Remote human collaboration did not come into existence 12 months ago. Britta Lorenz works and manages teams in a remote environment for more than 15 years. In this talk Britta introduces her new C²LEA²R framework which supports you to navigate your leadership in the highly remote-working era. Britta will encourage you to rethink your leadership approach. She will explore how you can make your soft skills such as collaborative communication, and others, your superpower. You will find out why this will be key in driving collaborative and successful teams.
After a heavy year - mother passing away and burnout, I was forced to slow down - an utterly foreign experience for me. Man-made societal norms have made us constantly seek for the perfect destinations, but not the process. These 10 minutes, with photographs of mundane objects featured, will invite you to slow down and appreciate the in-between parts in life. By being present, we are making room for discovery and finding joy in our day-to-day life. It is time to take a slow dance with life.
Discover how consciously designing your home and workspace can play a key role in improving your well-being with former Anthropologie Home Stylist, Kelsey Walker. As human beings, we’re wired to physically and emotionally respond to our environment. Despite this, the psychology of interior design has been overlooked and undervalued. Often thought of as a luxury for the wealthy or craft for the design-minded, most people are missing out on the psychological benefits of a well-designed home and workspace. As much of the population continues to adjust to a work-from-home lifestyle, it’s critical to take into account the effect our environment can have on our mental health and productivity. In this talk, Kelsey will provide an accessible (and affordable) approach to styling your home in a way that improves mood and productivity.
How do you attempt to find ‘the one’? I’m sure you have a few ideas floating around in your head based on personal experiences, good or bad. The majority of those who have already found ‘the one’ have likely spent years dating before meeting their person. So, what if we were to apply this to our careers and alter our way of thinking when it comes to landing ‘the one.’ Jade Hugh, HR Professional and Talent Advisor, challenges you to navigate through new job opportunities by using 3 phases that can help you focus on finding your dream job.
Being the eldest/first born daughter of immigrant parents comes with an unspoken set or rules and expectations. Often we aren't encouraged to explore our own interests or goals, we are assigned ambitions based on our parents needs and values. What happens when we fail? How can we take charge of our own lives, create our own redemption arch and redefine what success means to us?
A “business as usual” attitude is contributing to the intense distain your employees have about showing up for work. In the age of these chaotic times your employees are NOT ok. To move forward, as a collective, we must acknowledge the present reality to ensure the movement towards a people first workforce. In her work with individuals and organizations, Jodi Tingling will discuss how leaders can start to work towards collective healing to move the needle on creating a more resilient, engaged, and innovative workforce.
Google body language and we find many articles, talks, books, and master classes seeking to teach us how to read other people's body language and figure out what it says about them. What about reading our own body language and discovering what it says about ourselves? My body talks to me. By listening to it and talking back, I continue to gain knowledge of myself. The more we know ourselves, the more we can unleash ourselves upon the world. Let's get you one step closer to feeling like a polyglot by giving you the credit you deserve for speaking the language of your body.
When we think of domestic abuse, we often think of intimate partner violence. But what about the children? Children who grow up in abusive homes also endure physical, verbal and emotional abuse. They may grow up to be abusers themselves or become intimate with a violent partner. Life is a circle and we tend to repeat the same patterns when we are unconscious. In this talk I share my own experience of abuse, trauma and healing. I speak to the cyclical nature of abuse - and what it does not only to our psyches but our DNA. As an educator, I dedicate my time to opening dialogues with other survivors. I want to encourage people from all walks of life to think differently about the healing process - because it’s never too late to make your wildest dreams come true.
Every product or service is built with a customer in mind, but sometimes we make incorrect assumptions about our customers (or worse, assume that we are the target customer). Slowing down and setting aside our own preconceptions to gain a deeper understanding of users is critical for ongoing product success. Join Ginny for a primer on cultivating customer empathy, and how you can use empathy as a tool to make better product decisions.
Dynamic programming is a hard topic to understand when preparing software engineering interviews. It involves the knowledge of recursion tree structure, figuring out the subset of the problem. By looking at the well-known fibonacci equation, and solving it in dynamic programming way, it helps to deep understand and conquer other dynamic programming problems
Change is hard. Sometimes, it's really, really hard. For changemakers (and those who dream of making change) at all levels of NGOs and local governments, finding the courage and the tenacity to champion new things can be trying. But without innovation, there is no growth, no betterment. Innovation is at the root of almost everything that makes our communities great. Leaning on lessons gained through hundreds of projects in as many communities, we’ll consider what it takes to spark change, to champion the cause and to see it to fruition.
How many times have you left a conversation thinking “I should’ve said this” or “why did I say that?”? We all want something out of our conversations, but we don’t always know how to get what we want. Imagine going into conversations with intention. And coming out with the results you want and a better understanding of the people you communicate with. Join Kim, President of KlientBoost, as she gives you the frameworks and tools to get the most out of your communication. Learn how you can identify your own behaviors, what drives you, what motivates you, and ultimately how you can adapt your language to communicate with intention.
A high achiever consistently hitting goals, building meaningful relationships with colleagues and customers makes for a high value employee. But are they happy? Are they progressing their career? Are they really doing what they love, or are they sticking around because it’s the reasonable option? It’s time to end feeling stuck and make a difference for yourself. I’ll share tips from my own journey from constantly craving change wherever I could find it to intentionally building a personally meaningful career.
Having an eye for aesthetics and design isn’t simply an inborn talent. It’s something we can all develop through dedicated practice, training, and effort. Visual fluency is also a key facet of being an exceptional communicator—something that every marketer must master to stand out and progress in their career. As a designer, curator, and now as a content strategist in artist marketing at Adobe Stock, Irene has collaborated with hundreds of creatives from around the world. In this talk, she’ll share what she has found to be consistently true about cultivating visual fluency and improving your “eye”—giving you the skills and confidence to not only see yourself as visually creative but expand your communications toolbox, no matter what your training or background.
Diary of a Hostile Unicorn is my personal story of an eight-year journey from naive to resilient who eventually turned "Hostile." Our story begins with Renee, an ambitious but naive young woman who eagerly joined her city's fastest-growing digital agency to become an industry-leading SEO. She realized that not only was 72% of the Search Engine Optimization industry made up of men, but so was her workplace. More than 90% of men filled leadership roles and eventually discovered she was paid less than her male coworkers. Like many women in male-dominated organizations, she was challenged with a lack of career development opportunities and limiting gender biases. She was trapped in a boys' club culture and didn't fully realize it until year 6! She's not alone. According to her study of 67 women, 45% believe they are in a pervasive boys' club and 24% didn't know for sure. It's now this proud Hostile Unicorn's mission to help women first recognize the warning signs of bro culture. In this talk, you'll learn boys' club navigation strategies if you choose to live happily ever after at male-dominated workplaces. You'll also decision-making process for deciding when the fairy tale is over and it may be time to leave the boys' club for good. Embrace your own inner Hostile Unicorn with resilience like the magical beast you are.
Do we want modern workspaces built on hope and optimism or isolation and burnout? The World Health Organisation has found that 12 billion working days are lost each year to depression and anxiety alone. As a leader and someone who’s managed anxiety firsthand, Niharika Maggo believes it is time we challenge the mental health stigma and look for a more humane solution. In this talk, Niharika shares strategies to reset the way mental health is perceived, discussed and treated in the workplace. Her insights come from spending 17000+ hours working in a fast-paced environment and talking to a wide range of community members and fellow advocates.
Olga has spent 25 years in the corporate world. During that time, she worked with many leaders but two of them made the biggest impact on her professional identity. In this talk, leadership coach, Olga Valadon, explores the question: How can we develop more leaders who will make an impact on people and leave a mark?
Everyone has a story - a hard beautiful journey - but it's what you do with that story that defines who you are. Do you keep it buried inside or share it with the world? Using your voice can be scary. It can shine a spotlight on where you feel most vulnerable - being rejected or lack of reciprocity. Using your voice and being vulnerable can be your road map to deeper healing. Tiffany Vaughan, host of the podcast Hard Beautiful Journey, shares how she discovered her mess is her message - and how by using her voice, she ignited her soul, setting in motion a still-unfolding spiritual awakening.
Current awareness of the climate crisis is the highest it's ever been, but too many people are stuck on how they can make an individual impact. Advancing climate conversations require collective power that centers justice. In this talk, we'll unpack what "climate justice" really means, and cut straight to how you (and your network of friends and family) can act collectively. For anyone looking to go beyond awareness, fear, and concern, this is your climate justice starter pack.
There's a lot of messaging encouraging you to strive, to love yourself, discover your passions and seek enlightenment. Andrea will share, while these are worthy pursuits, the flip side is cultivating a culture of being too individualistic, a culture of not caring about anything but your own problems, a culture of checking out. Having spent over 15 years working in some of the most marginalised communities in Latin America, Andera herself has nearly "checked out" many a time, solving problems is exhausting and it can feel ungraspable. In her talk, Andrea will share how we human beings are born to fight, wired to persist, and designed to come together. She will talk about how to connect to your community with your voice, presence and compassion.
Life is full of a bunch of cliches. People say "stop and smell the roses" and “life’s too short”. While that is all very, very true, there are no actionable takeaways that tell you exactly what to do to make a difference in your day-to-day life. More than that, how many of us are even strong enough to withstand the pressures of what it means to “leave a legacy”? If you ever feel like you’re lost, have no plans, or are too busy to make plans, and don’t know how you’re going to contribute to the future - this talk is for you. Maleri breaks down tangible and practical steps that you can implement into your daily life to ensure you leave your mark on this world.
This talk discusses my struggles as I navigate the events of my life and how they have shaped me today. I am a young Arab-American woman born to Egyptian parents. Already at the age of 27, I have had my fair share of struggles. I was married at a young age and I became a single mom at age 23. I struggled to find purpose within myself while navigating the judgements of the community I was a part of.Coming from an Arab background, it seems that many have a say in how you should lead your life. How you are expected to act. Divorce is shameful. Admitting you made a mistake is frowned upon. Your reputation and image is everything in the Arab world.
You've probably heard this quote over and over again by Verna Myers "Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance." That's true, and Neena takes this a step further in her talk because she believes that real change happens when the conversation is based in distinct, understandable concepts that focus on individual learning. By addressing common misconceptions and sharing her own real world examples, this session will help give you the top 3 action steps to implement to become an advocate for change.
Once upon a time, there was a high-performing communications professional named Marlene. Her love for the English language and her skill in wielding its power was renowned across the public and private realms. All was well until 2019 when Marlene started to experience mysterious bouts of severe fatigue, panic attacks, depressive episodes and mood swings. She was ultimately diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, a severe form of PMS that affects 3-8% of women. This is the story of how Marlene battled burnout, defeated her demons, and learned to love her luteal phase.
Is it just me or does it seem more difficult than ever to make true connections with others? Being in a time where we’re so easily susceptible to judgments and vocalized backlash, it’s no wonder, we all like to stay in our little bubbles. Not to mention, it’s just not as easy to have deeper meaningful conversations with your neighbors. But at the root of all this fear, is the desire to make genuine human connections. So what’s the magic ingredient to achieving that? - it’s vulnerability. In this talk, we’re going to redefine the perceived weakness of vulnerability and why it holds so much value in making true connections for meaningful relationships. With various types of relationships in your lifetime, we’ll dive into how you can embrace your yearn to connect and why fear holds us back so very often.
Around the world, more than 85% of people feel uninspired, undervalued, and even hopeless at work. This costs our global economy more than 3 trillion dollars annually and the underlying mental health implications are catastrophic for humanity. We’ll dig into how we got here and why we’re really so unhappy at work. Spoiler: it has a lot less to do with whether you go to college, launch a startup, or become a roadie for your favourite band, and everything to do with where you come from and what you believe. Rebecca dropped out of high school and spent the next 5 years avoiding college, working jobs she hated, and feeling hopeless about finding the “right” career. And then, something changed. Today, she’s a fulfilled social entrepreneur, joyfully stumbling through constant learning and change. We’ll uncover the one simple (but not easy) thing she learned and that we can all practice to find our way to more meaningful work and fulfilling lives.
“I’ll start when I’m ready”. Since entering the entrepreneurial world, this common saying keeps coming up for me and it’s made me curious. What does being ready mean? Do you get better at being ready? How does it feel from one person to another? Exploring the feelings instead of getting caught up in the ‘shoulds’. Moving beyond the notion you need to be fully ready to act and leaning into the power behind what is stopping you. By learning to understand the feeling of being in alignment with ourselves, can this create the space to leap with confidence? In this talk I investigate other perspective of what being ready means and how there is power and choice in not being fully ready.
A Gallup poll of more 1 million employed U.S. workers concluded that the No. 1 reason people quit their jobs is a terrible boss or immediate supervisor. 75% of workers voluntarily left their jobs because of their managers and not the role itself. People leave managers, not companies. Employees want managers who are leaders. Leaders care about your people, and strive to show up for them consistently. As a Human Resources Practitioner, Yufa Li coaches managers to navigate low morale, mental health problems, and burnout. Drawing from her experiences as an immigrant and a meditation teacher, she will teach you why and how it's important to bring mindfulness into leadership training.
Challenging the status quo isn’t for the faint of heart - systems of oppression exist to bring us down, causing self-doubt and hesitation. But it's the very folks who have been historically oppressed who are in the best position to lift up their communities - as long as they learn to trust their inner fire. Based on years of experience helping marginalized folks find their voice and launch initiatives, as well as primary research and personal experience, this talk will help you understand the importance of safety and self-trust as essential elements to the launch process. Whether you’re a creator, a founder, or an entrepreneur, you’ll walk out with actionable steps to build your inner fire. Let’s design a more just world, together!
The average sales organization salesperson turnover rate is now 34%. You hire reps, ramp them, and a third of them make quota. A tale as old as time. What gives? SaaS sales leaders think they need to tweak the sales process or implement shiny new tech, but there is often a much deeper, foundational issue. Too many sales teams lack culture, mission, and values. The result is quota-grappling-chaos and missed opportunities. To succeed, salespeople must go beyond sales process compliance, beyond a sales playbook. In this talk, Sara will illustrate how defining the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of your early sales culture helps make the right thing easy to do.
Life, as well as business, is not a linear experience and sometimes we feel stuck, as if we're standing still and not sure what the next move is. After overcomng a divorce and her mother's sudden passing (in the same year), Shannon dealt with complicated grief and a life reset which led her to co-founding the tech startup, FanSaves. Through her struggles came resilience and Shannon will help you understand why you're not a failure if you're seemingly standing still and how to be patient, accept change and lean into these times of growth to help empower yourself and your business.
As awareness of fashion's role in advancing the climate crisis grows, conversations about sustainable transformation of the industry continue to gain ground. Conversations primarily center on reducing consumption, upcycling, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and capsule collections. What’s rarely discussed is how global fashion supply chains continue to profit from the exploitation of people and the planet thus undermining any gains to be made by sustainability initiatives. This talk reveals the interconnectedness of fashion and colonialism by unpacking the historical and present realities in supply chains and provides a blueprint for how to fashion a more equitable, sustainable future.
In 2020, political strife and racial injustice sparked a renewed focus on why governance matters in the American government system. Likewise, historical chapters of burgeoning civic engagement expanded following declining confidence in public servants and elected leaders. This talk will demonstrate why people who are exploring public service careers cannot wait for rules to be made. Regardless of daunting societal challenges, aspiring public servants must be part of the policymaking process. Dawn brings 20 years of experience as a public servant and equity advocate and will share strategies, including volunteerism and service-learning, to bring about positive systemic change, cohesion, and stronger communities.
If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to save the planet, I’m sorry to say you’ve come to the wrong place. So what is this about? Let’s get together to learn more about how to connect and communicate with each other in order to take action! Explore our present, the future we want and how to get there.
Do you ever feel like you have too many tabs open... in your head? What if the way you’re accustomed to working is actually working against you? Habit Coach & Consultant Valentina Kibedi challenges commonly-held assumptions about the way we work and offers a compelling call to action for a new way forward.
Whether you’re a developer, marketer, or entrepreneur, technology professionals have the opportunity to solve the greatest problems of our time. One such opportunity lies in one of our most vital resources - water! Most of us take for granted that we can miraculously drink tap water and we forget about what happens after we flush our toilets. Gain insight into the technologies and companies that drive our water infrastructure by following Sahil on her journey across continents and industries. Learn about ways to make clean water a right not a privilege - both as a professional and a member of your community. The digital age has brought both challenges and new opportunities in the water industry, and we in the technology world are uniquely poised to bring our talent and ideas to conserve this vital resource.
Changing careers or industries can be scary, but it doesn't have to be. Are you feeling the unshakable urge to go in a different direction? Well, I have good news, you don't have to stick with a career that no longer serves you. With some effort and planning, you can build change careers and prime yourself for success. Let's talk about identifying when it's time for a change, getting into the right emotional space to pivot and the necessary steps you need to take to achieve your goals.
Marketing was not built to be equitable and inclusive. The predominant approach to brand building is riddled with bias and current diversity efforts in the industry fail to address these broken foundations. As a result, the dangerous trend of performative allyship in marketing will inevitably continue. With a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and social change, Valerie will share why we can’t wait for CMOs to act. In this talk, she’ll draw from Systems Change Methodology to illustrate how you can engage the C-suite to create compassionate dialogue and rebuild marketing for inclusivity.
We live in a world where authenticity is not always welcomed and celebrated. Comparison coated thoughts mixed with negative self-talk tend to interrupt our very being causing us to play small and shy away from our purpose. I’m a firm believer that when you make a conscious decision to amplify your voice and own your podium, your best self will show up! In this talk we will discuss how to find and amplify our voices, one platform at a time.
Industry insiders and SaaS experts are all saying the same thing: the future of SaaS is Product-Led Growth (PLG). 4 in 5 companies say they have adopted at least one PLG tactic. But only 27% of those surveyed feel it’s fundamental to their business strategy. What’s holding the others back? PLG has become a buzzword. What's more it's intimidating, can feel like a cult or a zero-sum game. Especially for those who have built a business that include a traditional sales or marketing team. In this workshop, I’ll share my own experiences going from a Product Marketing Manager at traditional enterprise sales orgs to running growth & marketing at a smaller SaaS. I'll make Product Lead Growth approachable. You’ll learn how you don't have to make major shifts in your business to adopt it, and how you can get started with it today.
The smooth operators that get women to run for office appropriate cultures and hashtags along with images of women of color to sell the dream of full representation. The reality: we don’t have a single Black woman Senator and women of color make up less than 10% of Congress. A former Congressional candidate, Sameena uncovers the truth behind the electoral industrial complex and how we can overcome their covert tactics to keep us out of the halls of power.
Marketers, do you talk about your competitors? Or do you pretend they don’t exist? Most companies want to ignore their competitors. Or if they talk about them, they don’t know what to say. So how do you stand out from the crowd? Competitor comparison landing pages are often overlooked and unconsidered. Yet, they can help showcase your unique value proposition and seize new opportunities. In her talk, Valentine will discuss the potential of competitor comparison landing pages. You’ll learn how to build high-converting ones, and leverage them through paid ads.
