At this year’s Leadership Accelerator, we explore the three perspectives that shape impactful leadership: My Self, My Team, and My Network.
WILMA’s half-day leadership conference is back—this year focused on leadership that isn’t one-dimensional.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: July 30th, 2025
Time: 9am-2pm
Location: Wilmington Convention Center

2026 tickets are on sale now. Click here to get yours!

Join two out of four 45-minute breakout sessions with personalized programming that allows you to select the workshops that best align with your goals.

Learn more about our workshop speakers!
Click here to view speaker bios.

The Hive Effect: A Vocal Visibility Experience

Presented by Kimberly McLaughlin-Smith, Founder, Courage2Become Consulting

Vocal Visibility is the ability to express your thoughts, ideas, and truth with courage, clarity, and respect – especially in spaces where silence feels safer.

In this interactive session, participants will explore the journey of their voice, engage in a guided small-group reflection activity, and walk away with practical strategies to confidently speak up in professional and personal spaces.

This experience blends storytelling, research, and real-world application to help women move from hesitation to intentional expression—without compromising authenticity or relationships.

From Manager to Coach: The Leadership Transformation

Presented by Jennifer Adams, Global Director of Learning & Enablement, nCino
with guest panelists Jen Bernard, Nicole Haverly, Brittney Lehrschall, & Lindsey Quick of nCino

In today’s fast-paced business environment, the most effective leaders aren’t just managing tasks – they’re coaching people.

This session explores the critical shift from traditional management approaches to a coaching mindset that unlocks team potential, builds trust, and drives sustainable performance. 

Drawing on proven frameworks and real-world application, participants will discover the fundamental differences between managing (telling people what to do) and coaching (empowering people to find solutions). 

Whether you’re a new manager learning to lead for the first time, an experienced leader looking to refresh your approach, or someone preparing for future leadership responsibilities, this session provides immediately actionable strategies you can implement with your team. You’ll leave with practical tools, reflection exercises, and a clear understanding of how coaching transforms not just individual performance but entire team cultures. 

The best leaders don’t create followers – they develop other leaders.

Reaching Out: Building Your Connections

Presented by Amy Conway, Senior Consultant, Leath HR Group & Lisa Leath, Chief People Officer, Vantaca & Owner, Leath HR Group

Whether new to the area or looking to expand your circles, personal connections are how you build bridges.

But there are ways to do that while still being true to yourself and not falling into the networking pitfalls. Learn how to spend your energy building your professional network with intention and authentic connections.

Get on Board

Presented by Fletcher Daniels, Director, UNCW Office for Quality and Enhancement of Nonprofit Organizations (QENO)

Joining a board of directors is a powerful way to achieve three impactful goals: building leadership skills, expanding your network, and giving back to the community.

WILMA Leadership’s Get on Board program, in collaboration with UNCW’s QENO, is designed to help more women in our region step into these rewarding roles. Fletcher Daniels brings the Get on Board training session to this year’s Accelerator and is joined by leaders from area organizations. They will talk about different types of boards and answer your questions about finding the right fit.

Visit WILMAAccelerator.com to learn more about WILMA’s Leadership Accelerator.

The Accelerator is part of the overall WILMA Leadership Initiative and is attended by Wilmington’s top female executives, entrepreneurs, up-and-coming leaders, and others intent on advancing their careers.