GW Women In Business 5th Annual Spring Conference

PAF Academic and Professional Development Fund Experience

April 28, 2014

The GW Women In Business 5th Annual Spring Conference this year went with the theme “Driving Vision to Reality” with featured keynote speakers from Facebook, Google[x] and Bluemercury. It was eye opening for me to hear how these women navigate in their careers and rise up on top while giving the student audiences tips and advice. An overarching theme mentioned by all three keynotes is to continue learning and be open to opportunities. In addition to the keynotes, there were also several panel sessions throughout the day. I attended Deloitte Business Chemistry and Women in the Fields of Law and Policy panel sessions. The Deloitte Business Chemistry session was very similar to our True Colors training session. Business Chemistry is a business personality test developed by Deloitte and a system to allow students an opportunity to understand their business personality type with individuals and groups in an organization. I am interested to share this tool with Sara and PAFs as a professional development resource. This conference allowed me an additional opportunity to gain insights into business leadership of large businesses across different industries. I learned from Jean Wang about the journey of creating Google Glass and from Marla Beck, raising capital to create Bluemercury. With my academic concentration in International Business, I learned a great deal about the realities of creating a product and running a business. The smaller panel sessions were also a valuable opportunity to interact and discuss the ins and outs of their careers in a more casual setting.