Scroll through the complete program to learn about the various sessions available to attendees. To find out more about each speaker, click on the panelist bar.
What does it take for an organization to thrive—not just survive—in today's environment? If you think it's connected to the value your organization offers, you're not wrong.
The problem is that with increasing competition and a rapidly changing environment, to provide customers and members with something they will value, you need to think and act differently.
And that requires risks. However, most people don't know how to take risks, so they avoid them and continue with what they believe to be the safe route.
Join this pioneering thought leader and award-winning wildlife photographer as she shares her images and insights on embracing risk and fostering innovation. Drawing from her remarkable adventures across all seven continents, Sheri will reveal three crucial lessons she learned throughout her career.
Key Takeaways:
Sheri Jacobs is a highly sought-after keynote speaker who has helped thousands of people unleash their creativity by understanding how to take risks.
Leveraging her role as a seasoned CEO, her work with over 300 companies and organizations, and her achievements as an award-winning wildlife photographer, Sheri helps people and teams learn how to take risks and solve some of the toughest challenges they face today.
Long before "innovation“ and "thinking differently" became the popular terms in the business world, Sheri recognized a crucial truth.
Genuine change can only occur when we are brave enough to break free from traditional boundaries.
Sheri is the author of numerous books, including Venturing Into Uncharted Waters, The Art of Membership, and Pivot Point: Reshaping Your Business When It Matters Most.
It's crucial for leaders to continually refine and expand their skills to stay relevant and effective in a rapidly changing world. Constant skill development enables leaders to adapt to new challenges, foster innovation, and inspire their teams. By staying current with industry trends and best practices, leaders can make informed decisions, drive organizational success, and maintain a competitive edge. Moreover, a commitment to personal growth demonstrates a leader's dedication to excellence and sets a positive example for others to follow.
Dr. Tina Woodard founded Capstone Performance Solutions, Inc. in March 2016 with a vision to inspire leaders and organizations to reach their maximum potential. As both an accomplished engineer and HR executive with over twenty years of experience in the manufacturing, government, and education sectors, Dr. Woodard brings innovative solutions to clients looking to improve their profitability, build a strong organizational culture, and become transformational leaders.
Prior to managing Capstone full-time, Dr. Woodard served for eight years as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Organizational Development at the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG). Recognized by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) as a Champion of Learning, her visionary work led to growing the talent pool for executive level leadership positions in the USG from 0 to 300 executives within a six-year period.
As a passionate advocate for youth and giving back to the community, Dr. Woodard earned a Doctorate with honors in Adult Education from the University of Georgia for her extensive research on growing leaders through strategic talent management practices. She also holds a Master of Human Resource Development and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University.
As many once-successful organizations have discovered, clinging to an outdated business model in today's rapidly changing landscape is a recipe for failure. So, how do you adapt on the fly?
In this workshop, attendees will learn the strategies of organizations that reinvented themselves as technology and behaviors shifted. They will gain insights into creating an agile business model leveraging AI and other innovations to respond to evolving markets. Most crucially, they will learn to foster a culture that actively seeks out speculative ventures as vital for growth. Simply surviving disruption is not enough—organizations must embrace relentless innovation to thrive amid constant change.
Key Takeaways:
Sheri Jacobs is a highly sought-after keynote speaker who has helped thousands of people unleash their creativity by understanding how to take risks.
Leveraging her role as a seasoned CEO, hegair work with over 300 companies and organizations, and her achievements as an award-winning wildlife photographer, Sheri helps people and teams learn how to take risks and solve some of the toughest challenges they face today.
Long before "innovation“ and "thinking differently" became the popular terms in the business world, Sheri recognized a crucial truth.
Genuine change can only occur when we are brave enough to break free from traditional boundaries.
Sheri is the author of numerous books, including Venturing Into Uncharted Waters, The Art of Membership, and Pivot Point: Reshaping Your Business When It Matters Most.
In today's fast-paced and dynamic work environment, the ability to lead with emotional intelligence is crucial for accelerating team performance and fostering a positive organizational culture, especially considering the world of remote and hybrid work. Join ca Lawrence and Megan Cook from Happy Companies for a transformative 90-minute workshop at the SEMA Women's Leadership Forum, where you will explore the power of emotional intelligence in leadership. This interactive session will delve into the importance of understanding diverse work styles and how this knowledge can make you a more effective leader, co-worker, and employee. Through engaging activities and practical insights, you will learn how to harness emotional intelligence to improve communication, collaboration, and overall business performance. Engage in two dynamic group activities designed to test and enhance your ability to thrive under pressure, fostering teamwork and resilience. The session will also provide actionable tips on applying emotional intelligence in your daily work to drive positive outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
This workshop will equip you with the tools and insights needed to lead with heart and accelerate the performance of your people, ultimately contributing to the success of your organization.
James Lawrence is a seasoned tech executive and serial entrepreneur with a passion for cultivating great workplaces and empowering people. At 48, he's the co-founder and CEO of Happy Companies, a startup that uses technology to revolutionize the way organizations encourage improved communication, collaboration, and engagement with their employees.
With a background of launching four startups, two auto racing championships under his belt, and leadership roles as the CEO of Power Automedia and Chairman of the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association, James brings a unique blend of speed and innovation to the business world.James places a strong emphasis on nurturing talent and fostering the next generation of leaders, always with an eye toward meaningful work. But his journey to leadership wasn't straightforward. Early in his career, James learned the hard way that authority doesn't come from a title; it comes from genuinely understanding and connecting with your team.
James is married to his amazing wife Melissa, and father to three kids–Bradley, Jordan and Taylor. When he's not leading his team or spending time with his family, he's likely coaching youth football, driving a race car faster than 200 mph, or diving into one of his favorite books. A sought-after speaker and innovator, James loves to share his insights on leadership, organizational culture, and technology. James believes that the cornerstone of every successful organization is its people. His mission is to help people love their work and get connected with their teams.
Megan Cook is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in business administration, leadership, and human resources. As co-founder and Chief Administrative Officer of Happy Companies, Megan finds joy in helping others, building exceptional teams, and coaching those around her to excel. She believes that the heart of every organization is its people and that breaking down barriers through understanding fosters deeper connections, which is ultimately the key to personal and professional growth.
Megan thrives on connecting with her team. As a self-professed data nerd, she also loves diving into numbers and spreadsheets. In her role, Megan oversees critical functions such as HR, Finance, and Administrative Operations at Happy Companies, ensuring the company’s backbone remains strong and agile. She also collaborates closely with the Happy Science Team on the Happy Assessment and Happy Workstyles, which aim to understand and improve workplace behaviors and dynamics. Megan works with the team to ensure that the behavioral science behind the Happy Assessment is robust, sound, and effective.
Her goal is to ignite passion in everyone, helping them feel understood and empowered to be their best selves. Through her work at Happy Companies, Megan remains committed to pushing the boundaries of how teams can communicate, collaborate, and work more effectively together.
Effective professional relationships impact and influence careers. High-performing organizations leverage executive coaching to support specific leadership development needs for senior leaders. Learn what it takes to inspire and influence your team to achieve superior results through strategic alignment and innovation. Excel Coaching consists of five high-impact phases that help leaders understand their strengths and growth areas. Additionally, coaching emphasizes why these factors are critical to leadership success. Drawing on nearly 25 years of experience in leadership roles in various sectors, Dr. Woodard serves as a strategic confidant to help senior leaders effectively navigate complex leadership and organizational challenges. In addition to candid discussions, Excel Coaching includes powerful questioning, leadership assessments and reflection activities that guide the development of leadership agility, self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Learning Objectives:
Dr. Tina Woodard founded Capstone Performance Solutions, Inc. in March 2016 with a vision to inspire leaders and organizations to reach their maximum potential. As both an accomplished engineer and HR executive with over twenty years of experience in the manufacturing, government, and education sectors, Dr. Woodard brings innovative solutions to clients looking to improve their profitability, build a strong organizational culture, and become transformational leaders.
Prior to managing Capstone full-time, Dr. Woodard served for eight years as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Organizational Development at the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG). Recognized by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) as a Champion of Learning, her visionary work led to growing the talent pool for executive level leadership positions in the USG from 0 to 300 executives within a six-year period.
As a passionate advocate for youth and giving back to the community, Dr. Woodard earned a Doctorate with honors in Adult Education from the University of Georgia for her extensive research on growing leaders through strategic talent management practices. She also holds a Master of Human Resource Development and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University.
The Application and Action Planning session is designed to help attendees define specific actions needed to achieve their application. This session will provide a clear picture of the actions that are needed to achieve your goals and a way to track and record progress.
Tiffany K. Martin is an equity-minded thought leader, keynote speaker, presenter, author, and health equity advocate. She is the CEO of TKMartin Consulting LLC and the Founder and Executive Director of Elevated Health and Community. Serving as an Executive Change Strategist and ICF-certified Professional Coach (CPC/CLC), Tiffany specializes in Organizational Culture and Change Management, Strategic Planning, Professional Development, and Training in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Tiffany served for 13 years as a Special Agent in the FBI, and with over 25 years of diverse experience in government, private industry, engineering, education, project management, performance coaching and health equity, Tiffany is uniquely positioned to help others understand the “big picture” and act with intention. Tiffany is passionate about helping organizations cultivate an internal culture where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best. Through her work, Tiffany provides people and organizations with the information, resources and support they need to become better and do better.
Whether you're a people leader, building a business, cultivating self-care practices or managing day-to-day tasks, how you approach your journey has everything to do with how successful you will be in achieving your goal. We will discuss (6) simple strategies that will lay the foundation for success and put you on the path to getting the most out of your endeavors. You will leave with specific steps and actions you can apply to both work and life pursuits. These strategies will optimize results and move you closer to your desired outcomes with efficiency and structure.
Learning Objectives:
Patrice Banks is opening up the male-dominated automotive industry, bringing a fresh perspective to the status quo. By telling her story, she continues to make history, through engaging talks, interactive workshops, authoring an informative car care guide, and the successful running of Girls Auto Clinic. Passionate about equality and empowerment of women, business leadership, innovation, technology and STEM education, Patrice promotes positive messages for female inclusion and empowerment in the auto industry through her #sheCANic movement. Whether speaking to a room full of middle school girls, or national conferences with executives and CEO's, Patrice inspires individuals, groups, and businesses alike, to push boundaries, redefine success and tap into their full potential.
For more than 10 years, Patrice has wowed crowds, beginning her public speaking career at Dupont, presenting engineering results to top level executives. As a prominent orator, Patrice provides the perfect blend of energy, credibility, humor, grit, and a refreshing realness, to motivate audiences to action, beckoning them to break down barriers, find their purpose and achieve greatness
With two ongoing wars, collapse of big companies, and inflation, the economy today is going through a turbulent time. How do you survive? How can you have a turnaround as a business? Companies no longer have the luxury to spend money on low return projects. In this keynote, Sharon will teach businesses how to do more with less. We'll dive deep into the transformative effects of AI on business and explore the tremendous opportunities and challenges it presents. You'll discover how businesses of all sizes can leverage AI to gain a competitive edge, streamline processes, automate tasks, and make data-driven decisions that drive growth and profitability. Those who listen to this keynote will come out ahead.
Learning Objectives:
Sharon Gai is a culture fluid expert in AI, ecommerce and innovation. She helps organizations become agile disruptors in their industries so they can increase revenue and retain users. In her tenure at Alibaba, she advised brands and heads of state in crafting their digital strategy with programmatic marketing and AI. She has worked with TEDx, Singularity University, UBS, Deloitte, Walmart, LVMH, Nestle, Tetra Pak and Twilio. She is in the AAE list of Top Keynote Speakers in 2023. She is also one of 2024’s RETHINK Retail’s Top Retail Expert and a Linkedin Top Voice in Public Speaking 2024. She has appeared on Bloomberg, Reuters, ABC, CBC, CCTV, Techcrunch, Retail Asia, Wired, and The Next Web. She is the author of the book, Ecommerce Reimagined. Sharon has an Honors Bachelor’s degree in International Development from McGill and a Masters in Information Management from Columbia University. When she is not speaking, she is travelling the world (the speaking part of her job helps with that) and interviewing entrepreneurs for Alibaba’s podcast, B2B Breakthrough.
Today's leaders face challenges that stretch beyond service, development, and profitability as they balance workplace priorities alongside a hybrid workforce, DEIB efforts, retention concerns, and more.
New strategies, championed by business leaders, are essential to ensuring teams and employees remain connected, collaborative, and engaged. Attendees will be empowered to see how their leadership strengths track to the performance and behaviors of those reporting to them.
Beyond developing insights which will pave the way to create lasting change and stronger, healthier teams, this session provides actionable strategies leaders can champion for cultivating trust and managing conflict effectively and purposefully.
Learning Objectives:
Candice Gottlieb-Clark is a renowned business advisor, leadership coach, conflict management specialist, and the founder of Dynamic Team Solutions. Her passion and expertise for helping businesses raise the level of their functionality, teamwork, productivity, and performance are boundless.
As a sought-after speaker and thought-leader, Candice has delivered programs and keynotes to both local and national audiences, and she has been published in numerous business and professional journals, including Business Insider and Forbes.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Candice and her family now enjoy the wider expanses and outdoor activities of living in Broomfield, Colorado. In her free time, Candice enjoys cooking, hiking, snowshoeing, and taking long walks with her husband.
Opportunities for conflict are everywhere you look: everything from simple differences in personality and communication styles, to the divides caused by generational differences and deeply held beliefs around sex, race, and politics.
Throw in a little remote work, and even the most successful leaders can find themselves losing focus on important goals when minor issues explode into a time-consuming crisis. Because left alone, conflicts – big and small – undermine the very foundation of your organization.
It's time to learn a few simple communication strategies to navigate conflict with ease and success.
Learning Objectives:
Candice Gottlieb-Clark is a renowned business advisor, leadership coach, conflict management specialist, and the founder of Dynamic Team Solutions. Her passion and expertise for helping businesses raise the level of their functionality, teamwork, productivity, and performance are boundless.
As a sought-after speaker and thought-leader, Candice has delivered programs and keynotes to both local and national audiences, and she has been published in numerous business and professional journals, including Business Insider and Forbes.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Candice and her family now enjoy the wider expanses and outdoor activities of living in Broomfield, Colorado. In her free time, Candice enjoys cooking, hiking, snowshoeing, and taking long walks with her husband.
In today's dynamic landscape, the cornerstone of organizational success lies in cultivating a robust and empowering culture. This presentation explores the pivotal role of organizational culture within organizations, and how leaders contribute to the overall culture, which is reflected by staff and significantly influences daily operations. Uncover strategies to nurture a positive, inclusive, and resilient culture that propels your organization forward. Whether you are a leader, manager, or rising professional, this session will equip you with practical tools and actionable strategies to create and maintain a culture that is the bedrock of your company's success. Join us on the transformative journey to drive organizational success through the essential elements that define and shape a thriving workplace environment.
Learning Objectives:
Tiffany K. Martin is an equity-minded thought leader, keynote speaker, presenter, author, and health equity advocate. She is the CEO of TKMartin Consulting LLC and the Founder and Executive Director of Elevated Health and Community. Serving as an Executive Change Strategist and ICF-certified Professional Coach (CPC/CLC), Tiffany specializes in Organizational Culture and Change Management, Strategic Planning, Professional Development, and Training in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Tiffany served for 13 years as a Special Agent in the FBI, and with over 25 years of diverse experience in government, private industry, engineering, education, project management, performance coaching and health equity, Tiffany is uniquely positioned to help others understand the “big picture” and act with intention. Tiffany is passionate about helping organizations cultivate an internal culture where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best. Through her work, Tiffany provides people and organizations with the information, resources and support they need to become better and do better.
The Application and Action Planning session is designed to help attendees define specific actions needed to achieve their application. This session will provide a clear picture of the actions that are needed to achieve your goals and a way to track and record progress.
Tiffany K. Martin is an equity-minded thought leader, keynote speaker, presenter, author, and health equity advocate. She is the CEO of TKMartin Consulting LLC and the Founder and Executive Director of Elevated Health and Community. Serving as an Executive Change Strategist and ICF-certified Professional Coach (CPC/CLC), Tiffany specializes in Organizational Culture and Change Management, Strategic Planning, Professional Development, and Training in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Tiffany served for 13 years as a Special Agent in the FBI, and with over 25 years of diverse experience in government, private industry, engineering, education, project management, performance coaching and health equity, Tiffany is uniquely positioned to help others understand the “big picture” and act with intention. Tiffany is passionate about helping organizations cultivate an internal culture where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best. Through her work, Tiffany provides people and organizations with the information, resources and support they need to become better and do better.
The SEMA Businesswomen's Network is a dynamic group of professionals representing the women of SEMA. The SBN oversees the continued development and management of the SEMA Mentoring Program, the Annual SEMA Speed Networking Breakfast, opportunities for SBN Member Networking, SBN Communications, SBN Projects, development of articles and member features, contributes regularly to SEMA Member News, and much more!
nicoleb@sema.org
909-323-2149