Women in Leadership Conference

2026 Conference Agenda

Meet the Keynote Speakers

 Karen Laos, Communication Expert and Founder, Karen Laos Consulting

The Confidence Cocktail™: 3Cs to Powerhouse Presence

What if the only thing standing between you and your next opportunity is how you’re communicating?

Too many brilliant women leaders second-guess themselves in moments that matter most. They hold back an idea, soften a recommendation, over-explain a point, or leave a room wishing they had spoken up differently. The result? Their expertise doesn’t always get the visibility, influence, or recognition it deserves.

In this dynamic and interactive keynote, Karen Laos shares the proven strategies she has taught leaders at organizations like NASA, Google, and Netflix to communicate with greater confidence, clarity, and impact. You’ll discover how to quiet self-doubt, strengthen your executive presence, and become the kind of leader people naturally trust and listen to.

Through practical exercises, real-world examples, and Karen’s signature formula, The Confidence Cocktail™, you’ll learn how to communicate with authority while remaining authentic, build credibility quickly, and deliver your message in a way that inspires action.

Because when your presence matches your brilliance, doors open, opportunities expand, and your influence grows.

Key Takeaways

– Quiet self-doubt and communicate with greater confidence in high-stakes moments.

– Build instant credibility and trust through executive presence, body language, and delivery.

– Eliminate over-explaining and communicate with clarity, concision, and impact.

– Apply The Confidence Cocktail™ framework to become a more influential and compelling leader.

About Karen

Your voice has the power to change your life. Yet too many women hold back in moments that matter most: staying silent in meetings, underselling themselves in negotiations, and missing opportunities that could change the trajectory of their careers. Karen Laos is fiercely committed to ending that, for 10 million women (she’s already reached 5 million!). She’s a communication expert, executive advisor, and TEDx coach, trusted by NASA, Google, and Netflix. At the center of her work is The Confidence Cocktail™, her trademarked formula for showing women how to speak with clarity and credibility in high-stakes moments. She’s a three-time bestselling author and host of the top 3% podcast, Ignite Your Confidence. Karen’s passion for communication began at age six when she successfully negotiated her first flea market purchase; a moment that sparked a lifelong fascination with the power of asking for what you want. Today, her clients don’t just show up. They stand out.

Dr. Alexis J. Stokes-Burks, Stokes Strategy and Consulting The Power of Community: Recentering Your Why

Have you ever felt pressured to live by others’ expectations instead of your purpose? This talk explores how women can leverage the strength of community to break free from the box the world places them in and reconnect with their “why”, especially within cultures that stifle growth, silence diverse voices, and gatekeep opportunities. You will gain actionable tools for building and sustaining four types of intentional communities that invest in career mobility, leadership development, and overall wellbeing. Through the AUTHOR framework, a values-driven tool rooted in community, you will begin laying the foundation for owning your value, leading with intention, and achieving collective thriving. Key Takeaways: 1. Identify and build four types of communities that affirm belonging, share resources, amplify voice, and promote collective success. 2. Recognize the cultural and professional forces that pressure women to silence their purpose and learn strategies to lead with your “why” without compromising who you are. 3. Apply the AUTHOR framework to advocate for what you need, set boundaries, and honor your values amid life’s pressures.

About Dr. Alexis

Dr. Alexis J. Stokes-Burks is an international speaker, equity and inclusion strategist, and leadership development expert with more than 15 years of experience across higher education, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. She has served in senior DEIA leadership roles at Harvard University and is the Founder and Chief Strategist of Stokes Strategy & Consulting. But her path was not linear. Alexis has navigated spaces not designed for her, built a consulting practice that grew from a side hustle into a full-time venture, and learned firsthand what it means to face gatekeeping and systemic inequities and build the community that holds you accountable to your purpose. Dr. Stokes-Burks is a co-author of publications on belonging, gender equity, and inclusion. She holds degrees from Xavier University of Louisiana, University of Georgia, and Vanderbilt University. Alexis splits her time between Mobile, AL and Saudi Arabia, working globally to advance access, inclusion, and community.

Sharon McMahon, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Small and the Mighty | Editor-in-Chief of ThePreamble.com | Creator of SharonSaysSo

Having Productive Conversations Across the Aisle: Truth, Civility, and Critical Thinking

Inspirational educator and podcaster Sharon McMahon brings a unique and uplifting approach to challenging conversations. In an era when our politics have become so deeply entwined with our personal identity, and Americans with different ideologies seem unable to even tolerate one another, Sharon offers a unique perspective on how to talk kindly and effectively with one another, and occasionally even change hearts and minds.

About Sharon

Sharon McMahon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Small and the Mighty, founder of The Preamble, a weekly magazine that reaches over 360,000 readers with fact-based, nonpartisan insights on history, government, and current events, and a highly sought after public speaker.

A nationally recognized educator, Sharon became known as “America’s Government Teacher” for her viral efforts to explain civic processes during the 2020 election. Her unique ability to bring clarity to chaos — rooted in historical context, constitutional grounding, and calm authority — has built a devoted following of more than 1.5 million people, who call themselves Governerds. She also built Governerds Insider, one of the largest and most engaged online book clubs in the country, where tens of thousands of members dive deeper into history, law, and public life through live conversations, workshops, and intimate interviews with guests such as Ken Burns, Percival Everett, Ina Garten, Bryan Stevenson, John Green, and dozens more.

Sharon has conducted in-depth interviews with prominent leaders across the political spectrum, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Antony Blinken, and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Her work has earned widespread acclaim, including a Jefferson Award for Public Service, Freedom Forum’s Free Expression Award, a Webby Award for Best Podcast, and PR Week’s Communicator of the Year.

Through her platform, Sharon has also raised more than $13.2 million for charitable causes — ranging from disaster relief to medical debt forgiveness — and continues to champion civic engagement as a path to meaningful change. Her message is simple but urgent: truth matters, facts don’t require your approval, and small actions can shape the future.