SESSION OVERVIEWS
​Guided by the principles Regenerate, Invest, Support and Empower, the 2024 Women in Wine Conference, themed "RISE," will feature prominent female wine professionals, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and industry pioneers. Conference sessions will both inspire you, and equip you with strategies for personal and professional growth. Get the chance to network with like-minded individuals, gain invaluable insights, and discover new opportunities for collaboration and empowerment.
Regenerate
Take time to think about yourself. What are you craving? What are your short term and long term personal and professional goals? How can you generate the energy to reach for those goals, achieve them and strive for more? How can you find the time and resources to regenerate that energy?
Britt Ide, an energetic speaker, engineer, lawyer, philanthropist, entrepreneur and corporate board director, will help you think big and strategically and offer you tactical steps for your forward journey. Among other topics, Britt will discuss engagement in non-profit service, a soul-filling way to grow your career and create change in your life and the lives of others. Britt also will give insights and real-life examples of how to become involved in for-profit boards and answer the question "How DO you get on a paying corporate board?" This engaging and informative session will leave you regenerated and inspired to be more for yourself, to give more to yourself, and to think about how taking care of yourself and your priorities can mean taking care of the world and people around you, too.
Invest
with Alicia Towns Franken
Investing in Oneself and Community for Collective Growth
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In an era where personal and community growth are intrinsically linked, the importance of investing in ourselves and our communities has never been more evident. When we engage in self-improvement, we are not merely bettering ourselves, we are setting a standard, creating a model of what is possible, and lighting the way for others to follow. Alicia Towns Franken, the Executive Director of Wine Unify, will lead us on a journey to understand how investing in ourselves can ripple outward to uplift entire communities. Alicia will share insights from remarkable community leaders and advocates of personal development, providing you with practical tools and inspiration to apply in your own life and career. You will walk away with actionable steps to balance personal growth with community engagement, ultimately contributing to a more vibrant, inclusive and equitable wine industry and society.
Empower
with moderator Heather Davis and panelists Dr. Robin Beavers, Ashley Highsmith & Sarah Keane
Fireside Chat with the Trailblazing Women of the
Portland Timbers
Standing alone among men's professional sports teams in the United States, if not the world, the Portland Timbers professional soccer team have women serving in three of the club's five C-suite roles -- CEO Heather Davis; CFO Sarah Keane; and COO Ashley Highsmith. Join them, along with Dr. Robin Beavers, VP of Community and Social Impact, for an inspirational panel discussion. Each of these women found her way to and in men's professional sports through a very different path, but each has been uniquely successful in doing so.
Heather will moderate the panel, which will focus on how the women of the Portland Timbers felt empowered by others throughout their careers, how they want to help empower other women in sports, and how each of them approaches leadership in roles that are considered trailblazing in their field.
Regenerate
Do you ever feel like an imposter? It’s time to get over it. You matter. The work you are doing matters. You are an inspiration to others. In this authentic talk, Sensi Graves -- an entrepreneur, professional kiteboarder, and speaker dedicated to spreading joy and empowering women everywhere to believe in themselves -- shares how we hold ourselves back for fear of looking stupid. But it’s only through letting ourselves fly that we can have an awesome impact on the world. Sensi will provide you with actionable tactical tools to start applying now for creating more self-belief.
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Support
with moderator Trish Glose and panelists: Julia Coney, Clive Pursehouse, Nori de Vega & Samantha Cole Johnson
Support. Storytelling. Sharing. Through storytelling we learn, we connect, and we find support. This star-studded panel brings together some of the most beloved journalists and storytellers of the wine and food industry -- Trish Glose, Samantha Cole Johnson, Clive Pursehouse, Julia Coney, and Nori de Vega.
We will turn the table on those who usually do the interviewing and learn more about the people typically asking the questions. They will share how they make connections through their storytelling, and how they translate what they learn into supporting the Oregon wine industry. You will leave this panel become better equipped to collect and share your own stories.
Empower
with Marli Williams
Let's RISE Together: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Transform the Wine Industry
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In a world where networking and interpersonal skills are essential, mastering the art of confidently connecting with anyone is a game-changer. Our program EMCEE, Marlie Williams, a master facilicator and inspiration generator, will lead an interactive presentation that dives into three core principles and practical strategies essential for fostering meaningful relationships in both personal and professional spheres. This exercise will equip you with the tools and mindset to confidently connect with anyone, anywhere. Join us on a journey to unlock the secrets of meaningful connection and transform the way you engage with the world around you.
Live Music
with Haley Johnsen
Haley Johnsen is a Portland, Oregon-born musician with a knack for genre-bending and a hard-earned career path that is uniquely her own. Haley has the type of showmanship that is electric, earnest, and whole heartedly endearing. With or without a band, you can be sure to leave her shows with a smile on your face while whiping tears from your eyes.
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RISE
with moderator Morgen McLaughlin, and panelists Gina Bianco, Emily Ritchie, Sofia Torres, & Jana McKamey
Rising above: Women Leading through Change
Join female leaders from Oregon's wine and cider non-profits as they discuss how executive leadership is not only navigating but also thriving in the dynamic and often challenging landscape of the wine and beverage sectors. These trailblazing women will share their unique journeys, discuss the hurdles they've overcome, and offer insights into how they are fostering growth and innovation within their organizations and beyond.