The Women’s Leadership Institute is committed to sharing leadership resources to promote ongoing learning for women leaders of all kinds. Use these videos, interviews, book suggestions and other resources to learn more about leadership strategies and opportunities in Wisconsin and across the country.
Voices of Leadership Videos from our Speaker Series
We are pleased to share presentations from our speakers series. Leaders share their experiences, stories and best practices to help you see and pursue your own leadership potential. The featured speakers have backgrounds in business, health care, non-profit leadership, religious life, politics, the military, and the recording industry. These videos range from a brief 6 minutes to a more in-depth 60 minutes. You can view the speakers by subject category.
Art Therapy
Lori Vance '81, Founder of Express Yourself Milwaukee – February 9, 2015 (Studio Series) Lori Vance '81, Mount Mary alumna and former adjunct professor, spoke about her experience and impact as an art therapist. Working with children, adults, families and adolescents, Lori has made a positive impact in over 1,000 lives in our community. Watch a recording of her talk.
Kathryn Jackson, Founder and CEO of Protect Your Pumps – April 29, 2014 (Studio Series) Kathryn Jackson spoke with our students and faculty in a moderated discussion about how persistence, self-awareness, and knowing where your passion lies turned into a successful business venture. Watch a recording of her talk.
Peggy Eskenasi, Senior Executive VP of Kohl's – February 27, 2014 (Studio Series) Peggy Eskenasi spoke with our students in a moderated discussion about her career path and personal experiences in retail, marketing, branding, product development and design. Watch a recording of her talk.
Health
Gretchenhen Mead, Founder and Executive Director of Victory Garden Initiative – October 29, 2014 (Studio Series) During the fall Studio Series, Gretchen Mead spoke about her passion for home grown food, its health implications and how the Victory Garden Initiative brings healthy garden food to all neighborhoods around southeast Wisconsin.Watch a recording of her talk.
Pat Pearman, Executive Director of Oncology & Disease Solutions for GE Healthcare – September 23, 2014 (Studio Series) Pat Pearman spoke with our students in a moderated discussion about being authentic in every role of your life, having meaning and passion for what you do, and how she overcame many obstacles in her life to find new direction for her career path.Watch a recording of her talk.
Politics
Eleanor Clift, Political Journalist, Television Pundit, and Author on the Centennial Celebration of the 19th Amendment – October 5, 2020 (Visiting Fellows Program) This live stream event featured Eleanor Clift discussing the women's suffrage movement, the women's vote centennial and analyzing the current political and social climates. Following Clift's keynote, Shannon Sims, co-anchor of TMJ4 news, moderated the Q&A session between Clift and the audience. Watch a recording of her talk.
Betsy Myers, Founding Director of Bentley's Center for Women and Business on "Igniting the Entrepreneurial Spirit" – March 4, 2015 (Stage Series) Betsy Myers spoke about her leadership style, "leading with love," as well as her experiences with two White House administrations. Watch a recording of her talk.
Mona Sutphen, Former Deputy Chief of Staff to the Obama Administration – October 11, 2013 (Fall Transform) Mona Sutphen, Milwaukee native and former Deputy Chief of Staff to the Obama Administration and adviser to the president on domestic policy and international issues, was the keynote speaker at the 2013 Transforum. She shared the story of her varied and intriguing career while urging attendees to “find what they’re good at” and use it to make a difference.
Social Change
Callie Crossley, Producer, Award Winning Journalist, and Documentary Filmmaker – February 18, 2021 (Visiting Fellows Program) Due to the ongoing pandemic, this complimentary live stream event was held in a Q&A format and was moderated by award winning CBS 58 Anchor, Amanda Porterfield. Crossley and Porterfield discussed politics, media and society, and women and leadership, among other topics. Watch a recording of her talk.
Fania Davis, Social Activist, Civil Rights Attorney, Founder of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth – October 8, 2019 (Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows) Fania Davis presented her community keynote called “Interrupting the School-to-Prison-Pipeline through Restorative Justice” with a moderated Q&A session. At this presentation, participants heard Davis' story and listened to the concepts and development of restorative justice approaches. Watch a recording of her talk.
Jessica Shortall, Nationally Recognized Advocate, Author, and Speaker – March 21, 2019 (Voices of Leadership) Jessica's keynote, "What We Tell Ourselves About Gender And Work," delves into the myriad ways in which our culture reinforces gendered roles in work and caregiving – and how the rules we are expected to follow impact all of us. Learn more about Jessica's talk.
Josephe Marie Flynn, SSND, Award-Winning Author, Chairperson of Archdiocesan Justice for Immigrants Committee – February 2, 2016 (Studio Series) Sister Josephe Marie Flynn spoke about her book "Rescuing Regina." This book takes a hard look at America’s immigration system, serves as a quest for justice, and represents a story of friendship and the power of faith.Watch a recording of her talk.
Jessica Disu (aka FM Supreme), Peace Movement Activist, Recording Artist, Educator – April 30, 2015 (Studio Series) Born and raised in Chicago, Jessica Disucontinues to build peace movements and work closely with youth both in Chicago and across the U.S. She is also a international music performer, an activist, and an educator.Watch a recording of her talk.
Veronika Scott, Founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan – March 25, 2014 (Studio Series) Veronika Scott spoke with our students and faculty in a moderated discussion about how her college design project became a thriving non-profit company that is making huge strides in the fight against homelessness in her hometown of Detroit.Watch a recording of her talk.
Lauren Bush Lauren, Founder & CEO of FEED Project – March 5, 2014 (Stage Series) Lauren Bush, who uses her passion for social good to feed the hungry around the world, spoke about the importance of women's empowerment. Watch a recording of her talk.
Women's Empowerment
Nilofer Merchant, author and idea activator – September 17, 2020 (Voices of Leadership) The 2020 Voices of Leadership: Celebrating Women's Vote Centennial event took place on Thursday, September 17, 2020. Due to the pandemic, Voices of Leadership was held as an online/livestream event. Keynote speaker, Nilofer Merchant, was able to bring her talk, titled, “Onlyness: Find your purpose, your people, your power" to Mount Mary University in a webinar format. Watch a recording of her talk.Read "Why We Still Haven't Found What We're Looking For" the essay Merchant wrote as a complement to her keynote speech.
Claudia Kennedy, Retired Lt. General for the United States Army – September 12, 2014 (Fall Transform) Lt. General Claudia Kennedy (RET.) was the keynote for the September 2014 Fall Transforum held in downtown Milwaukee. She spoke of her experience as the first woman to receive the rank of three-star general in the United States Army. Watch a recording of her talk.
Carly Fiorina, Global Ambassador for Opportunity International & Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard – March 5, 2014 (Stage Series) Carly Fiorina spoke remotely to the audience about the unlimited resource of women's potential and how women can find their potential in all of life's lessons. Watch a recording of her talk.
Voices of Leadership Speaker Interviews on Wisconsin Public Radio
Julia Landauer, Nascar Driver
Julia Landauer, Nascar Driver – March 14, 2018 Julia Landauer, a two-time champion NASCAR driver, knows the importance of being a bold woman. She embraces her competitive spirit – whether she is in a race or faced with the realities of a male-dominated profession. Landauer graduated from Stanford in 2014, earning a BS degree in Science, Technology, and Society. She focused on business and how modern technology can be applied to racing. Ever since, she has purposefully built her brand where technology, community and racing intersect and fuse.
“I love winning, and I think that is not something we encourage girls to say a lot,” said Landauer.
Shiza Shahid, Malala Fund Co-Founder – March 28, 2017 Shiza Shahid is an entrepreneur, investor, and women’s rights advocate who co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prizewinner Malala Yousafzai at the age of 23. Her passion for change has landed her on numerous prestigious lists, including Time and Forbes 30 under 30. Today she supports other change-makers and her new seed-stage venture capital fund, NOW Ventures, funds startups around the world.
Books by Women’s Leadership Institute Event Sspeakers:
Find Your Way: Unleash Your Power and Highest Potential by Carly Fiorina
Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment by Eleanor Clift
Generally Speaking: A Memoir by the First Woman Promoted to Three-Star General in the United States Army by Claudia J. Kennedy
Madam President: Shattering the Last Glass Ceiling by Eleanor Clift
Of Beauty and Substance: A Backbone Guide for Women by Susan Marshall
Playing Through the Fence by Mary J. Dowell
Rescuing Regina by Sr. Josephe Marie Flynn, SSND
Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey by Carly Fiorina
SoulPancake: Chew on Life's Big Questions by Shabnam Mogharabi, Golriz Lucina, Rainn Wilson and Devon Gundry
Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You by Betsy Myers
The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice by Fania E. Davis
The New How: Creating Business Solutions Through Collaborative Strategy by Nilofer Merchant
The Pampered Chef: The Story of One of America's Most Beloved Companies by Doris Christopher
The Power of Onlyness by Nilofer Merchant
Work. Pump. Repeat.: The New Mom's Survival Guide to Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work by Jessica Shortall
Other Women in Leadership Books:
#girlboss by Sophia Amoruso
#metoo in the Corporate World: Power, Privilege, and the Path Forward by Sylvia Ann Hewlett
A Is for Abigaill by Lynne Cheney (JUVENILE)
Ascent of Women by Sally Armstrong
Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder by Reshma Saujani
Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Women Can and Must Help Run the World by Marie C. Wilson
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown
Dare: Straight Talk on Confidence, Courage, and Career for Women in Charge by Becky Blalock
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Feminist Fight Club: An Office Survival Manual for a Sexist Workplace by Jessica Bennett
Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts
Hesselbein on Leadership by Frances Hesselbein
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
In Sweet Company by Margaret Wolff
Iron Butterflies by Birute Regine
Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success, Harvard Business Review Press, 2007 by Sylvia Ann Hewlett
On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments by Alison Levine
Own It: The Power of Women at Work by Sallie Krawcheck
Profiles of Female Genius by Gene N. Landrum
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
Rising Stars by Elisabeth Kelan
Shaping Social Justice Leadership by Linda L. Lyman
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
The Athena Doctrine by John Gerzema
The Female Advantage: Women’s Ways of Leadership by Sally Helgesen
The Female Vision: Women's Real Power at Work by Sally Helgesen
The Fix : Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work by Michelle P. King
The New CEOs by Richard L. Zweigenhaft
The Power of Women by June Sarpong
The XX Factor: How the Rise of Working Women Has Created a Far Less Equal World by Alison Wolf
There's a Business in Every Woman: A 7-Step Guide to Discovering, Starting, and Building the Business of Your Dreams by Ann Holmes
Tiger Woman on Wall Street: Winning Business Strategies from Shanghai to New York and Back by Junheng Li
Uterus Is a Feature, Not a Bug: The Working Woman's Guide to Overthrowing the Patriarchy by Sarah Lacy
Vital Voices: The Power of Women Leading Change Around the World by Alyse Nelson
What Works: Gender Equality by Design by Iris Bohnet | Belknap Press Clay Water Brick: Finding Inspiration from Entrepreneurs Who Do the Most with the Least by Jessica Jackley
When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women by Farnoosh Torabi
Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner?: A Story of Women and Economics by Katrine Marcal
Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators by Susanne Tedrick
Women of Influence, Women of Vision by Helen S. Astin, Carole Leland
Women Who Don't Wait in Line: Break the Mold, Lead the Way by Reshma Saujani
Yes, You Can Do This! How Women Start Up, Scale Up, and Build The Life They Want: Rethink, Redefine and Reform Business and Entrepreneurship by Claudia Reuter
You Can Have It All, Just Not at the Same Damn Time: A Guide for Women Everywhere by Romi Neustadt
You Got This!: Unleash Your Awesomeness, Find Your Path, and Change Your World by Maya S Penn
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