Event Details
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Brookfield Conference Center
7:30-8:10 AM – Networking & Breakfast 8:10-10:00 AM – Welcome & Program 10:20-12:00 PM – Breakout Sessions
Women in Business Symposium
This half-day symposium filled with valuable insights will help you take your career and leadership skills to the next level. Hear a panel of women from a range of industries discuss their journeys, attend breakout sessions to go deeper on important topics, network with women from across the southeastern Wisconsin business community and join in celebrating the 2024 Woman Executive of the Year.
SEIZE YOUR MOMENT
Practical Strategies to Thrive as a Leader in The Workplace.
WOMAN EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
The program will began with the presentation of the 2024 Woman Executive of the Year award to Peggy Troy, president and CEO of Children’s Wisconsin. Troy started working for Children’s as a pediatric nurse in 1975 and was named president and CEO in 2009. Under her leadership the organization has grown substantially and now has more than 50 locations throughout the state.
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION
Keynote presenter Jenny Just shared lessons learned on her journey from Brookfield, Wisconsin, to co-founding PEAK6 in 1997 and later launching Poker Power in 2020. PEAK6 started as a proprietary options trading firm and has grown into a multibillion-dollar financial services firm. Started with Just’s daughter Juliette, Poker Power teaches women poker, and by extension, strategic thinking, capital allocation and decision-making skills. Keynote Moderator: Nina V.A. Johnson, MBA, Senior Vice President, Wisconsin Branch Banking Market Leader, U.S. Bank
PANEL DISCUSSION
After the keynote, attendees heard from a panel of business leaders from across southeastern Wisconsin and attended breakout sessions on topics like mental health, entrepreneurship, personal finance, technology and common workplace issues. 
Panelists:
- Gaurie Rodman, Vice President of Real Estate Strategy and Development, Direct Supply (1)
- Melissa Allen, President, Maures Development Group (2)
- Candace Spears, Founder & CEO, Floor23 Digital (3)
- Lyssa Olker, Design Principal, HGA (4)
Moderator: Portia Young, Director of Corporate Public Relations, Sargento (5)
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Mind, Body, Spirit: Simple Strategies for Making Life Better and Brighter
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Speakers:
- Amanda Zagrodnik, Owner, Nutritionist, Integrative Health & Wellness, LLC
- Alyssa Greer Ph.D., Psychologist, Center For Anxiety Disorders
- Faye Wetzel, Founder, CEO, CMO, Owner, Faye’s
Moderator: Melissa Johnson, Senior Manager, Global Communications, Komatsu
Women & Wealth: Building Confidence and Security
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Join us to explore financial security, address wealth concerns, and navigate life transitions confidently. Gain insights on starting or continuing your wealth journey. Learn the differences between planning vs. investing, and strategies for having courageous conversations to achieve financial goals and peace of mind.
Speakers:
- Maria Roloff, Partner, Wealth Management Advisor, Myklebust, Horne, and Fies Financial Group
- Lisa Erickson, Senior Vice President, Head of Public Markets Group, U.S. Bank Wealth Management
- Deanne Phillips, Director of Client Learning & Development, Annex Wealth Management
Moderator: Dan Meyer, Publisher/Owner, BizTimes Media
Making Work Work: Bridging Generations on the Job
We hear a lot these days about different generations clashing in the workplace, but even in rapidly evolving professional settings, it’s possible for seasoned employees and those just starting their careers to collaborate effectively. Discover how leaders can leverage each generation’s strengths to promote strong, respectful cross-generational teamwork.
Speakers:
- Stephanie Banks, Owner, Banks C-Suite
- Catherine Burke Fink, Director of Retail, Burke Candy and Ingredients
- Pamela Tillman, Shareholder, Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols
Moderator: Lori Kuhn, CEO and Founder, Thrive
Breaking the Silence Surrounding Mental Illness
Q&A with author Meg Kissinger, a Pulitzer Prize finalist who shares personal reflections on her family’s struggles with mental illness in her engaging and nuanced new memoir, “While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence.”
Speaker:
- Meg Kissinger, Journalist, Author, Mental Health Advocate, Speaker, Visiting Professor at Columbia University
Moderator: Maredithe Meyer, Associate Editor, BizTimes Media
Meet the Founders: Stories from Women Entrepreneurs
In this session, women entrepreneurs will share stories of starting and building their own businesses. In addition to describing lessons learned and challenges they’ve faced along the way, they will share aha moments when they spotted and seized new opportunities. Panel discussion led by Angela Damiani, CEO and co-founder of NEWaukee.
Speakers:
- Britt Gottschalk, CEO & Founder, Geno.Me
- Laura Markewicz, CEO & Founder, Lotza
- Steph Schertz, Founder, Bushyl
- Stephanie Hoskins, Herbert Kohler Frank Jacobson Chair in Business & Entrepreneurship, Lakeland University
Moderator: Angela Damiani, CEO & Founder, NEWaukee and Partner at Newance
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