Epic Wisdom for Women (and Girls) at the 2023 Women & Worth Summit

The morning view over Hudson Yards was breathtaking.

Light streamed in through floor to ceiling windows at SAPs offices as guests sipped coffee, took photos against the New York City skyline, and exclaimed over the speaker agenda. The 2023 Women & Worth Summit was here, and the sold-out crowd was ready.

Milling through the crowd of over 200 women and taking careful notes were seven high school and college-age Être girls, engaged by Worth Media Group to be junior correspondents.

The opportunity was surreal.

Cover panels with speakers like Valerie Jarrett, Stacey Abrams and Sallie Krawcheck? Yes.

The chance to ask unvarnished questions about finance, entrepreneurship and philanthropy? Absolutely.

Ready to share #nextgen perspectives about power, equality and ambition under a Worth byline? You bet.

I couldn’t have been prouder to take the stage with Jennifer Just, co-founder of PEAK6 and Poker Power, and one of the few self-made female billionaires in the U.S., and to watch Être members absorb the day. While we await their upcoming articles, here’s a fast list of 12 panels that kept these teens and hundreds of rapt audience members hanging on every word:

  • Leading with Intention: Overcoming Obstacles on the Path to Leadership with Gloria Feldt, author, women’s leadership advocate and former CEO of Planned Parenthood opening the day.

  • Why Women Should Take Big Jobs in Government on the importance of women in government office, gender equality and political leadership.

  • Fortune and Finance with Doris Meister, CEO of Wilmington Trust and 1-800-Flowers.com founder & chairman Jim McCann on career arcs, pivots and reaching the c-suite.

  • Women, Poker & Power, where Jennifer Just and I delved into Jenny's mission to teach women how to play poker, and why poker skills hew closely to power dynamics in business.

  • Level Up: Scaling Your Business & Career in Today's Economy with Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson on co-founding NOW Corp and sharing lessons learned from their successful partnership in building a mission-driven business.

  • Why Investing in Women is Good for Business and Society with Mina E. Black of the RainMakers Collective, Heather Hartnett of Human VC, and Sarah Foley of SWAT Equity Partners noting strategies for entrepreneurs seeking to raise capital and for investors seeking to support new founders.

  • How AI is Addressing Gender Inequity with Keith Sonderling, Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, examining how AI is being used to address gender inequity across industries.

  • The Ongoing Push for Pay Equity with Kange Kaneene and Zara Nanu MBE discussing the continuing push for pay equity and the underlying data reflecting pay inequity.

  • Bermuda's Time in the Sun where NASDAQ’s Kristina Ayanian interviewed newly appointed CEO of Bermuda Tourism Authority Tracy Berkeley about her role and what’s next for business in Bermuda.

  • The How and Why of Landing a Seat in the Boardroom with Lisa M. Shalett of Extraordinary Women on Boards, Breen Sullivan of The Fourth Floor, Maria Pinelli of Strategic Growth Advisors, and epic board director Shelly Lombard on gender diversity in boardrooms and why it matters.

  • The State of Financial Wellness for Women with Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, taking on the current state of financial wellness for women.

  • Building a Sustainable Fashion Ecosystem with Caroline Brown of Closed Loop Partners, Kristy Caylor of For Days, and Elizabeth Trongone Layne of Rebag exploring how and when sustainability goals can be reached in fashion.

What were a few of the girls' reactions?

This year, as one of the only girls in my Economics class at school, I have had to work harder to be heard by many of my male peers. Attending the Women & Worth Summit gave me hope as a girl who wants to be a part of the finance world. While all of the speakers had insightful advice to share, my favorite panel was Women, Poker & Power. I was surprised to learn how poker relates to power dynamics for women in the boardroom. Hearing the Worth community mentors talk about their obstacles as women showed me the power of women’s tenacity in achieving success. After being on the receiving end of mentorship through Être by attending the summit, I hope to one day be in the mentors’ position to help girls like myself!
— Anika Gandhi, high school junior
Before I attended the Women & Worth Summit, I was expecting to listen in on two panels and work on my articles covering them for the rest of the summit. However, being able to attend all of the summit and listen to all of the remarkable women discuss their achievements, inspirations, and businesses was eye-opening and showed me the unique abilities of each woman present.
— Rhea Shah, high school sophomore
The Women & Worth Summit was an extremely insightful event that covered varying topics surrounding the impact of trailblazing women. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to cover 3 panels: Level Up: Scaling Your Business & Career in Today’s Economy, How AI is Addressing Gender Inequity and The Ongoing Push for Pay Equity. After listening to everyone speak, I definitely felt more informed and inspired to make a change.
— Nora Anzer, college freshman
It was incredibly inspiring to be able to sit in and hear the stories of such successful women. As a young woman at the summit, I left with a new sense of optimism as it felt like I gained an understanding of a community that is working on my side to create networkers available for me to tap into in my future.
— Ava Liu, high school junior

I couldn't ask for more.

Yet, more is coming. Over the next few weeks we'll see dynamic photos, watch engaging replays and share our favorite moments with friends and colleagues. But on this first Monday following the summit, it is enough to say that the day made an indelible impression on every woman in attendance, and will be remembered forever by the teens welcomed into the room.

And I think Anika is right. These girls will be the mentors taking the stage someday.

Looking forward,

Illana

ÊXTRAS: Three books authored by 2023 #WomenandWorth speakers I highly recommend: Level Up by Stacey Abrams, Laura Hodgson and Heather Cabot; Back on the Market by Holly Parker; and Intentioning by Gloria Feldt.

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