Invest in Yourself

For those looking for a boost in their career or entrepreneurship endeavors, one unique opportunity is WILMA’s Leadership Accelerator, a half-day conference focusing on women’s leadership.

The event, at the Wilmington Convention Center on June 2, has the theme of “Time To Reinvest,” both in yourself and your career, and will touch on topics including diversity, community involvement, financial knowledge, and more.

The seventh annual event, back to in-person, continues the tradition of bringing local women together including top executives, entrepreneurs, and up-and-coming leaders.

MAGGI APEL, co-director of WILMA’s Leadership Initiative, says she is looking forward to bringing the event back in person.

“We’ve held the event virtually for the past two years so co-director VICKY JANOWSKI and I are excited to finally be back in person,” she says. “We’ve pulled together a great line-up of speakers and topics focused on re-investing in yourself and your career.”

The morning starts with two different opportunities to attend a workshop of your choosing, which begin at 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

The four workshops to choose from include a session on creating an inclusive environment led by ELIZABETH BARFIELD FORTE; leadership advice from NATALIE ENGLISH, TAUREAN GREEN, and LILY LOIZEAUX; training for board membership led by SARAH DANIELS and YASMIN TOMKINSON and ALEX UMSTEAD-WRENN during session one and TAMMY SIMMONS and TERES FOUNTAIN during session two; the fourth workshop is a talk on financial empowerment with LAUREN HENDERSON and SUZY KEARNS.

Learn more about the speakers here.

The workshops are followed by the keynote lunch which will include four TED-style talks on different topics. JENNIFER TURNAGE will lead a talk on entrepreneurship, VELVA JENKINS will discuss inclusion, KATE GROAT will present on the importance of community involvement, and SHERI SHAW will discuss how inspiration can guide through challenges to create opportunities.

“To take full advantage of this annual event, I recommend coming in with an open mind and ready to engage and connect with new and old contacts,” Apel says. “Be sure to ask questions while in the workshops too. The more you put into the day, the more you’ll get out, so take this time to re-invest in yourself, meet someone new, and get prepared to walk away feeling empowered to be the best version of yourself.”

The Accelerator is part of WILMA’s overall Women to Watch Leadership Initiative. The deadline to register is Tuesday, May 24 at midnight.

WILMA Leadership Accelerator: June 2, Wilmington Convention Center, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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