Agenda – Investing in Womxn Conference

Fuqua Students – Register on FuquaConnect.

Non-Fuqua Affiliated Attendees – Register Here.

9 – 10 am
Check-in, Coffee and Pastries

Location: Kirby Reading Room
Coffee will be provided by 321 Coffee

10 – 11 am
Keynote: Marcia Dawood

Location: Geneen Auditorium

Author of ‘Doing Good While Doing Well’

Marcia is on a mission to empower and educate everyone to realize their potential to invest in positive change and is passionate about bridging the gap from early-stage inception to building thriving, profitable companies.

During her keynote she will focus on early-stage investment trends and boosting funding for female entrepreneurs.

11 am – 12 pm
Panel Breakout 1: Navigating from 0 to 1

Location: Geneen Auditorium
Moderated by Arya Diwase, MBAA Co-President

In this panel, speakers will share their firsthand experiences of starting and scaling a business from its inception, providing insights into overcoming early-stage obstacles, securing funding, and offering practical advice, inspiration, and strategies for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Eden Laurin
CEO & Co-founder, Nyssa

Kelly Froelich, MBA ’19
Director, Mindbody, Co-founder & COO, Balanced

Michelle Addison, MBA ’23
CEO & Co-founder, Allergood

Lindsay Wrege
CEO & Co-founder,
321 Coffee

11 am – 12 pm
Panel Breakout 2: Innovating STEM

Location: Connolly Classroom

Moderated by Amy Linnane, Duke I&E

This panel will focus on the intersection of innovation, health equity, and diversity leadership. Speakers will share their experiences in STEM fields, the impact of investment dynamics, and the significance of inclusive leadership. They’ll discuss strategies for nurturing diverse leadership talent, particularly among womxn in STEM, and how this fosters innovation and tackles root causes of inequity in these fields.

Afreen Allam, MBA ’16
CEO & Founder, SiNON

Andrea Mohamed, MBA ’08
COO & Co-founder, Launch2Lead

12 – 1 pm: Lunch

Location: Kirby Reading Room

Lunch will be provided free of charge to the first 100 guests who sign up for the conference via FuquaConnect. Due to space constraints in Kirby Reading Room, lunch will only be offered to the first 100 participants and panelists.

1 – 2 pm
Panel: Game Changers

Location: Geneen Auditorium
Moderated by Erica Aresco, Senior Associate Athletic Director and CFO, Duke Athletics

Panelists will discuss their journeys in ascending to leadership roles, the challenges faced in a traditionally male-dominated arena, and their strategies for success. They will share insights on fostering team spirit, driving performance, and promoting gender diversity in sports management.

Francie Gottsgen
President, North Carolina Courage and North Carolina Football Club

Elizabeth Lindsey
President, Wasserman

2 – 3 pm
Feature: Building Diverse Teams at e.l.f. Beauty

Location: Geneen Auditorium

Moderated by Sanyin Siang, COLE

Mentors and allies play a critical role in empowering womxn and breaking down barriers. In this panel, we will discuss how to build robust support systems, foster inclusive workplaces, and how mentors are nurturing the next generation of womxn leaders.

Tarang Amin, MBA ’91
CEO & Chairman, e.l.f. Beauty

Mandy Fields
CFO, e.l.f. Beauty

3 – 4 pm
Panel Breakout 1: Empowerment Through Equity

Location: Geneen Auditorium

Moderated by Kandasi Griffiths, MBA Candidate

This panel convenes finance and investment leaders from firms dedicated to empowering diverse and minority founders. They will discuss their commitment to inclusive investment strategies, challenges in the current financial landscape, and the importance of supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs.

Marcia Dawood
SEC Advisory Committee, Author, TEDx Speaker

Andrea Inokon
COO, Cadence Cash

3 – 4 pm
Panel Breakout 2: Green Futures

Location: Lilly Classroom

Moderated by Judy Ledlee, Ph.D., Executive Director of Duke Design Climate

This panel will feature leading pioneers who are building innovative solutions to complex challenges in sustainability. They will share their leadership journeys, highlighting the nuances and lessons learned from building startups that focus on sustainability and address overconsumption and discussing the impact of these initiatives on environmental conservation.

Rachael Classi, MBA ’14
CEO & Co-founder, Tiny Earth Toys

Rachel Lichte MBA ’14, MEM ’14
Head of Product Strategy & Brand, Orbillion Bio
CEO & Co-founder, The Clarity Project

Paula Alexander, MBA ’98
Sr. Director, Sustainability, The Clorox Company

4 – 5 pm
Inclusive Excellence

Location: Geneen Auditorium

Moderated by Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions

This panel brings together a distinguished group of industry leaders and experts to discuss the critical role of diversity and inclusion at the highest levels of decision-making. It features speakers who are champions of diversity in various sectors, sharing their insights on building inclusive environments, overcoming hurdles to leadership growth, and cultivating a leadership landscape that truly reflects and embraces a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

Danielle Squires
Head of Diverse Segments, Wells Fargo

Jennifer McCollum
CEO, Linkage
Author, ‘In Her Own Voice’

Neelu Burugapalli, MBA ’05
COO Wholesale Lending, Wells Fargo

5 – 6 pm: Happy Hour at J.B. Duke

Walk across the bridge to the J.B. Duke hotel, where we engage in happy hour and networking opportunities.