The Women Innovators Conference is a professional development summit designed to help female innovators connect the dots between their ideas and achieving a positive, significant impact. On November 14, 2017, this event will inspire, inform, and connect STEM-trained women students, faculty and business professionals to strengthen and extend the diverse talent pool of women innovators in the Twin Cities. Register Here!
Last year's conference inspired, informed and connected over 170 women UMN students and industry professionals. The audience was energized by opening speaker Alison Brown, President of the Minnesota Science Museum and closing speaker Cindy Kent, President & General Manager of 3M Infection Prevention Division (pictured second from left). Attendee feedback was enthusiastic:"Do it this way again! This is one of the best networking / professional development conferences I've attended. The sessions felt like the right length, the keynotes were awesome, you brought in an amazing mix of panelists, and you had deliberate but focused networking breaks between each session. The planning was excellent - thank you."2017 Program - McNamara Alumni Center on UMN Campus
- Opening Address: “One Italian Class – One Important Box”
- Marie Johnson, CEO & Founder AUM Cardiovascular
- Career Development Breakouts
- Getting Started (and Getting it Right): Advice for students and recent grads
- Rebecca Luebbert, Coordinator of Career Development, UMN College of Biological Sciences
- Erin Syverson, Analytic Consultant at Wells Fargo
- Whitney Moore, Career Counselor, UMN College of Science and Engineering
- Ximin (Natalie) Huang, Assistant Professor, Supply Chain and Operations
- Moving on Up: Considerations for advancing and thriving in established organizations
- Stacy Enxing Sing, Venture Partner at Lightstone Ventures, former President of Vascular Therapies at Covidien
- Silvia Perez, President and General Manager at 3M Drug Delivery Systems Division
- Jane Davidson, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the UMN Solar Energy Lab
- Moving on Out: Taking the leap to founding or joining a startup
- Cora Liebig, Founder & CEO at Chromatic 3D Materials
- Deb Loch, Cofounder and Brewer at Urban Growler
- Terri Souter, President & CEO at FastBridge Learning
- Jennie Thomas, Co-founder & COO, Photonic Pharma
- Innovation Toolbox Breakouts
- How to Innovate a Product/Technology: Specific examples to illustrate product design methods
- Juliana Elstad, President & CEO at Impleo Medical
- Eve Poeschl, Director of Solutions Design at MentorMate
- Kate Gallager, Sr. R&D Manager-Cheerios at General Mills
- How to Innovate a Process/Service: Specific examples to illustrate process design methods
- Susan Dray, Founder at Dray & Associates
- Kathleen Harder, Director of the Center for Design in Health at University of Minnesota
- How to Innovate with Influence: The art of persuasion in presentation & organizational navigation
- Cynthia Arnold, former SVP Global Technology at Sherwin Williams
- Maura Donovan, Executive Director of Economic Development at the University of Minnesota
- Kathy Tune, Managing Director at Fourth Element Capital
- Closing Address: “If You Want People to Take You Seriously, Don’t Wear Jewelry That Makes Noise”
- Lisa Schlosser, CTO of FindLaw at Thomson Reuters
- Reception and Networking
