Voices of Leadership 2024: The Magnitude of Choice with Kat Esser

Over 250 guests attended Mount Mary’s Voices of Leadership event on November 14 which featured keynote speaker Kat Esser. Esser, Principal for Amazon Web Services (AWS) Global Social Responsibility + Impact, spoke about the power of our choices to spark momentum, and how even seemingly incremental choices converge in unexpected and impactful ways.

In her address, Esser stated that though we may not control circumstances or outcomes of our choices, leaning into choice with intent and the right level of effort increases a sense of empowerment. “Choice allows us to be the author of our own stories,” she said.

Esser shared examples of the unexpected choices she has made which she believes have ultimately led to realizing her purpose. As a promising young gymnast, she was confronted with the tough choice whether to remain on that trajectory, which would separate her from friends and family, or to remain in familiar surroundings. Esser chose to step away from her Olympic aspirations and went on to study engineering before pivoting to design. A professional opportunity in this field would eventually lead her to the Olympics—but as a designer of the venue in which the games took place rather than as a competing athlete.

Another pivotal point came when Esser realized that her life balance was strongly tilted toward her career rather than her personal life. Just as she made the decision to step into full time motherhood, a new professional opportunity arose—joining a new team Amazon Web Services. Esser, whose early life has been impacted by the passing of her father, was already a passionate advocate for creating a more accessible healthcare delivery system. In this position she would have the opportunity to do just that. The opportunity was too promising to turn down and she was able to strike a balance that would allow time for both her career and family. It was a decision that she would not regret. “My team is the most purpose-driven and humbling group of people I’ve ever worked with,” she said.

The journey to close the gap in healthcare delivery has taken Esser across the globe, simultaneously challenging and strengthening her as a leader. She shared her observation that that growth is only made possible by embracing the discomfort of taking risks and stepping away from the status quo.

Esser learned valuable lessons from both successes and setbacks. Comparing her time as an aspiring gymnast to her professional trajectory, she told the audience that she views agility and resilience as key to her success. And through her non-linear journey she has learned to trust her instincts. “Choice is not final, and failure is not fatal,” she said. “The moment you realize that you have choice is the moment you take your power back.”

Following the keynote, Amanda Porterfield from CBS 58 led a dynamic Q&A session with Kat Esser, exploring her career journey and the challenges she's overcome. The audience of business and community partners, faculty, staff and students submitted a variety of questions.

Immediately following the event, Masters of Dietetics students presented their student project to Esser and representatives from Premier Sponsor, Baird. Students shared their ideas and process behind the “MMU Pocket Pop Up,” the breakfast and lunch pop led by students in the Supervised Experiential Learning in Management course. The Masters of Dietetics students who participated in the project led the pop up from beginning to end including concept creation, market research, recipe testing, logo creation, product marketing, purchasing ingredients, product preparation, customer service, and sales and revenue. The “Pocket Pop Up” was a campus hit and the team earned over $2,000 in profit!

View TMJ4's Story about the 2024 Student Projects
See photos from the 2024 Voices of Leadership
Watch the 2024 Voices of Leadership Keynote

Campus Connections: Learn About Our Student Projects

The Center for Women's Leadership's Voices of Leadership event is about more than bringing a leader to campus to learn from her experiences. It's also an opportunity for our faculty to utilize the themes of the keynote to enhance the curriculum and explore these different topics with students in a way that is relevant to their disciplines. Learn about the course collaborations that were a part of this year's Voices of Leadership event here:

2024 Voices of Leadership Campus Connections Video

Voices of Leadership

Since 2013, Voices of Leadership has fostered conversations with women leaders who have broken ground in entrepreneurship, innovation, social change and leadership to inspire community partners and students. Leaders share their experiences, stories and best practices to help you see and pursue your own leadership potential. This annual event also enhances curriculum and the educational experiences for students through student projects that align with course learning objectives and also incorporate the themes from the keynote address.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: