3 Reasons You Need to Go to the Watermark Conference For Women
Opportunities for men and women aren’t the same— that’s nothing new —Which is why a group of Bay Area women formed the nonprofit Watermark Conference. The conference’s mission is “to increase the representation of women at executive levels to drive innovation, human development and economic growth . . . [and] ensure women are able to make their mark in and for their companies, their careers and their communities by providing programs focused on connection, development and advocacy.” Now that’s something I want to be a part of. Keep reading for the 3 reasons you’ll want to make a trip to San Jose for the April 21 full-day event.
Inspirational Speakers
Well-known celebrities like Mindy Kaling, Abby Wambach, Cindi Leive and John Jacobs (to name a few) are Keynote Speakers, but when you look a bit more into all the speakers at the event it is mind blowing. I’m possibly an easily emotional person (OK I am), BUT just reading some of what these female leaders have accomplished in the world brought tears to my eyes. These women are go-getters that are making a difference in a beautiful way and are willing to share a bit of their wisdom with the rest of us.
Career Growth
Have you been working on a product idea for the longest time but have no clue how to get it out there? A panel of QVC experts (along with host Albany Irvin) is listening to presentations at the event! (Click here to be added to the wait list.) This year’s event also hosts a huge Career Pavillion with resume lab & reviewers, industry leader chats and private career coaching (a must-visit area). Keep the career learning going with online event workshops (click here) meant to deepen your understanding of networking and making new goals. This event is great whether you’re starting a new career, trying to get the next raise or figuring out how to balance work with life. Check out which parts of the conference you may want to attend based on your interests, here! Young women in high school are also able to attend certain seminars and tracks designed for them to support future career growth and foster confidence in future generations.
Danielle Feinberg, director of photography for lighting at Pixar Animation Studios, is one of the panellists in Brave Girls: Strategies to Excel happening from 11:30-12:30 p.m. with Justine Siegel (first female coach for major league baseball) and LisaWrightsman (director and founder of Street Soccer USA’s Lady Salamanders). She shared with me that she’s excited about hearing stories from these two other amazing women and also seeing how the high schoolers engage with the panel and waht questions they’ll have. Daniel adds that conferences like this one are so important because there aren’t enough of them for women and girls, and these opportunities help women understand how to handle challenges, grow from failure and find courage in community. She added that if you’re afraid of something that just means you’re being brave when you make it happen, that there’s probably something waiting on the other side.
Community Connection
Women are ultimately competitive in nature. We fight for the same limited job opportunities, over men who peg us against each other . . . and it really needsd to stop. Watermark is all about women coming together to collaborate, build and create community together. While listening to the breakthrough stories shared at the conference, it’s doubtful that you won’t feel inspired and charged to be a part of such a wonderful movement. Take a leap and join the community.
Check out the conference agenda for more details on what’s happening when and what to expect, then be sure to register before tickets run out! They may still be accepting applications for volunteers, too, which would allow you to help out at the conference and get to attend for free. I hope to see you there.
Can’t make it? Follow along with me on Twitter and Snapchat (@savvyeveryday on all accounts) for a glimpse at the event!
