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Join us for the Women’s Leadership Summit: Cultivating Renewal, Resilience and Empowerment. This transformative event delves into the essence of renewal within the framework of leadership, empowering women to foster resilience, adaptability, and empowerment in both their personal and professional spheres. Through networking opportunities, engaging keynote speakers, dynamic breakout sessions, and rejuvenating mindfulness activities, participants will embark on a journey to lead with authenticity, purpose, and renewal.
The summit will take place at the serene Mountain Hermon Conference Center, offering a tranquil backdrop for reflection and growth. Attendees are encouraged to dress comfortably, allowing for ease of movement throughout the day. Yoga pants are most welcome!
As we explore themes of renewal, resilience, and empowerment, our summit aims to provide holistic support for women’s well-being. With the generous support of our title sponsor, Dignity Health Management Services, we are excited to create a space where women can come together to cultivate renewal, forge meaningful connections, and emerge empowered to lead lives of purpose and vitality.
Ticket Prices
Members: $99 – Before August 31st | $125 – After August 31st
Non-Members: $125 – Non-Member Price | $150 After August 31st
AGENDA
9:30 – 10:30 AM – Registration & Networking (Coffee, Tea, Refreshments)
10:30 – 11:30 AM – Welcome / Ignite Session: Keynote Speaker Margaret Graziano
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM – Mindfulness & Meditation Time; Intention Setting with Cathy Conway, CEO Hospice Santa Cruz
12:30 – 1:30 PM – Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 PM – Breakout Sessions – See below
2:45 – 3:45 PM – Closing Panel Discussion – The Evolution of the Working Woman – See below
4:00 PM – Adjourn
PANEL SPEAKERS – 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
Keisha Browder – CEO, United Way of Santa Cruz County
As the Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Santa Cruz County, Keisha leads multiple countywide initiatives focused on the building blocks of a thriving life – education, economic mobility, health, and community engagement. She is an experienced nonprofit executive with a career spanning nearly 25 years in community development, education, youth success, and philanthropy throughout the United States. Keisha is a graduate of the University of Washington and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders.With a focus on youth well-being, Keisha leads several initiatives focused on college and career readiness, health and wellness, economic mobility, and community engagement – this includes United 4 Youth in Watsonville and Live Oak; Jovenes SANOS in Watsonville; the countywide Youth Action Network and 211 Santa Cruz County. In addition, United Way conducts the nation’s longest-serving Community Assessment Project – a robust tracking of well-being is community data that includes the voice of Santa Cruz County residents. Keisha co-authored “Leveraging Data for Meaningful Improvements: How Credible Data Enables Partnership Alignment to Achieve Well-Being at the Population Level” (Community Quality of Life Indicators Best Cases VIII, Springer). This data supports local nonprofit organizations, government, and health services as we continue to create a healthy, thriving and safe Santa Cruz County for all. Keisha serves on several boards that reflect my values of equity, integrity, compassion, and dignity – these include Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce, Bay Federal Credit Union, Santa Cruz County Health Improvement Partnership, Black Surf Santa Cruz, and Soroptimist International of Watsonville. She co-chairs the United Way Statewide Public Policy Committee and serves on the United Way Worldwide Equity Council. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Silicon Valley, NAACP Santa Cruz County, and Rotary Club of Watsonville.
MariaElena De La Garza, Community Action Board
Born and raised in Watsonville, MariaElena brings over 30 years of nonprofit experience to her role as Chief Executive Officer of the Community Action Board (CAB) of Santa Cruz County, Inc. Under her leadership, CAB has expanded services, strengthened community engagement, embraced cultural reflection, and achieved significant fiscal growth. MariaElena’s commitment to equity, humility, and service has been instrumental in driving the agency’s success. As a prominent public speaker on local, statewide, and national platforms, MariaElena strives to amplify the voices of immigrants, Latinx families, and those affected by poverty. Grounded in her mother’s teachings, she advocates for services that foster a sense of belonging. The dicho, “Cada quien pone su granito de arena” (every person contributes their little grain of sand), inspires her to build networks and teams focused on cultural respect and making a tangible difference in the lives of others. Most recently, MariaElena was selected as a TEDxSantaCruz speaker, where she proudly highlighted the strength of Latina leadership. MariaElena holds a dual BA degree in psychology and Chicano studies from Scripps College in Claremont, California, with extensive leadership development, including the Bank of America National Leadership program, United Way Leadership for Community Transformation, Stanford University Graduate School of Business School’s Nonprofit Management Institute, Cornell University Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program, and the Gilroy Leadership Program. In 2018, she was the recipient of the prestigious UC-Santa Cruz Tony Hill Memorial Award for her work in social justice. In 2023, MariaElena received the SCRIPPS College Alumna Recognition for Commitment to the Community Award and the Santa Cruz County Nexties Lifetime Achievement Award.
Annie Morhauser, Annieglass
Annie Morhauser is the founder and lead designer of Annieglass, a line of sustainably handcrafted glass tableware, home decor, and sculpture made in Watsonville, California. A graduate of California College of the Arts (CCA) with training in a range of glass techniques, Morhauser has invigorated the ancient craft of glassmaking with cutting-edge technology by constantly experimenting with new approaches. From humble beginnings as a hippie art student in the 1970’s, she is now an icon of American craft. Morhauser founded Annieglass in 1983 with just one employee. Over the last four decades, she has carved a courageous path as a woman artisan and business owner in a male-dominated field. Her exquisite Annieglass pieces, inspired by nature, her community, and experiences around the world, are on permanent display in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. They can also be found in the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, and Glasgow Museum of Modern Design in Scotland. Annie is a member of the board trustees at CCA and has served as an advisor to the college’s MBA program, which she helped develop. She continues to mentor and support the dreams of emerging artists through an annual scholarship there. (also offer 2 to local high school students) Among her many honors, Annie was named the Santa Cruz County artist of the year in 2022 and elected to the Monterey Bay Business Hall of Fame in 2018.
