WELF 2024 Information
The 10th Annual Women's Emerging Leadership Forum is hosted in collaboration with LinkedIn. We're looking forward to seeing you!
- Date: Friday, October 25, 2024
- Time: 8:15 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Location: LinkedIn, 222 2nd St, San Francisco, CA 94105
Reasonable accommodations: This event welcomes persons with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. Please send an email to welf@sfsu.edu at least 5 days before the event to request reasonable accommodations.
The Lam Family College of Business (LFCoB) at San Francisco State University is hosting our 10th Annual Women’s Emerging Leadership Forum as an in-person event.
WELF is a dynamic and engaging forum designed to help you realize your full potential in the workplace by bringing together an amazing and diverse group of successful and aspiring leaders to exchange their one-of-a-kind stories and hard-earned insights, share knowledge and learn how to navigate common pitfalls on the path to career and life advancement. As an attendee, you will also discover ways to enhance your leadership skills, forge meaningful connections and expand your professional network.
This year, our focus is on growth, with the theme “Unlock Growth Through Lifelong Learning.” To celebrate WELF’s 10th anniversary, we have designed a great program with interactive learning sessions and are proud to present an exceptional line-up of speakers. We believe in continuous learning that fosters both personal and professional development. Join us to enrich your vision as we explore the rewards of lifelong learning while connecting and growing with like-minded individuals.
Complimentary continental breakfast, lunch, and coffee/tea are included, as always. Each attendee will also receive a copy of the book Take Charge of Your Brand by Guisselle Nuñez.
BUY TICKETS NOW ON Eventbrite! We sold out the last two years in a row, so reserve your seat now.
This event is hosted in collaboration with LinkedIn. We thank them for their support.
Photo and Video Release Notice
This event takes place in a public venue and will be VIDEO RECORDED and PHOTOGRAPHED for distribution through various California State University outlets. All event attendees (or parents/guardians of minors attending the event) acknowledge that they may appear in these recordings and photographs by attending or participating in this event and agree to the University’s use of photographed or videotaped materials through the University’s websites, applications and other channels of communication.
Opening Remarks
Gulnur Tumbat, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing and Lam-Larsen Community Engagement Initiative Director, Lam Family College of Business, San Francisco State University
Gulnur Tumbat has used her extraordinary experiences on the highest mountains in the world in her academic research and in her speaking engagements on topics such as risk taking, making decisions in dynamic contexts, managing uncertainty, and achieving ambitious goals through strategy, leadership, persistence, entrepreneurship, and passion. She has published in prestigious academic outlets such as Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Marketing Theory, Consumption, Markets and Culture, Journal of Consumer Behavior, Advances in Consumer Research, European Advances in Consumer Research, and Handbook of Research on Digital Media and Advertising: User Generated Content Consumption. Her favorite area of teaching is consumer behavior. In addition to being a business behavioral scientist, she is an elite endurance athlete who climbed the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each geographic continent (and is the first and only Turkish woman to do so).
Morning Speaker
Rebecca Tierney
Co-Founder, CEO, AdaMarie
Rebecca Tierney is dedicated to transforming the landscape of gender equity in STEM through an innovative "ecosystem" approach. AdaMarie, named after pioneers Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie, combines job opportunities, community support, and evidence-based employer consulting to bridge the gap between women seeking STEM careers and employers striving for gender diversity. Holding advanced degrees from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and the Art Institute of Chicago, Rebecca transitioned from a successful career at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, a top international law firm, to lead AdaMarie. Rebecca’s legal career cemented her commitment to credible, evidence-based research and refined her skills in leadership, communication, and strategic problem-solving, making her a formidable advocate for women in STEM.
Keynote Speaker
Tani Girton (MBA, '90)
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Bank of Marin
Tani Girton joined Bank of Marin in August 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer responsible for Finance, Accounting, Treasury, Internal Audit and Compliance. Ms. Girton’s 40-year career spans financial services across the banking, brokerage and thrift industries. Before joining Bank of Marin, she served as Executive Vice President and Treasurer for Bank of the West. Prior to that, Ms. Girton was Vice President of Treasury Capital Markets for Charles Schwab and a key member of the team that launched and expanded Schwab Bank. Ms. Girton earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from San Francisco State University, where she also served as a finance lecturer for several years. Ms. Girton graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for GraceSigns and her past board service includes the Treasurer and Vice Chair positions for Professional Business Women of California as well as Treasurer for Junior Achievement of Northern California.
Panel Moderator
Nicole Serena Silver
Entrepreneur, Author, and Forbes Contributor
For over a decade, Nicole Silver has been developing resources designed to empower individuals to leverage their unique professional talents. She is the renowned author of the career clarity guidebook, "Vekita Full Potential", She is also the visionary behind the nonprofit GROWmyfuture,org, which is dedicated to assisting high school students in discovering their passions and plotting their career trajectories. As a valued contributor to Forbes, she offers perspectives on the evolving landscape of work, personal growth, and entrepreneurship. Equipped with a robust understanding of the modern workforce, Nicole adeptly blends insightful strategies with practical wisdom to steer participants toward illuminating their purpose and achieving fulfillment in their professional journeys.
Panel: Leveraging LinkedIn
Megan (O'Meara) Jacobson
Talent Acquisition Manager, Global Business Organization, LinkedIn
Megan Jacobson is a dynamic talent acquisition leader with over a decade of experience in recruitment and hiring strategy. As the Talent Acquisition Manager for LinkedIn's Global Business Organization, she leads a team of five Recruiters, focusing on hiring within LinkedIn Marketing Solutions and the Member & Customer Success Org. With nearly seven years at LinkedIn, Megan ensures her team drives efficient, inclusive hiring processes that deliver a positive candidate experience, while fostering clear communication and a commitment to diversity. Before LinkedIn, Megan worked at Apple in key recruitment roles, honing her expertise in talent management. Known for fostering a growth-oriented, collaborative team culture, Megan emphasizes data-driven decision-making and continuous learning, helping her team achieve exceptional results aligned with the company’s goals. She has led several initiatives to enhance team performance and build more effective, inclusive recruitment strategies. Megan is also a certified Rock Your LinkedIn Profile Ambassador, supporting others in building their personal brands through the platform. Her leadership style centers on empowering her team members and fostering a supportive, inclusive work environment where diverse perspectives can thrive. Outside of work, Megan is passionate about fitness and staying active, often enjoying outdoor activities. Her ‘happy place” is Lake Tahoe. She is excited to welcome a puppy into her family next month, adding to her love for an active, fulfilling lifestyle. She also loves to travel and experience new culture.
Hope Diwata
Employee Programs Coordinator, Social Impact, LinkedIn
Hope Diwata is an ever-learning collaborator experienced in facilitating community centered, equitable programs serving historically under-resourced groups. As a Program Coordinator for LinkedIn’s Social Impact team, she is the administrative lead for LinkedIn’s volunteering and donation programs and leads On-Demand Coaches, a global program connecting job seekers with LinkedIn employees for one-on-one career development conversations and LinkedIn Profile reviews. Hope was previously part of Meta’s Internal Audit Operations team where she sharpened her operational skills, ensuring a seamless exchange of knowledge between four accounting firms and crafting assets to inform the Board of Directors. Before Meta, Hope worked at Google’s Education Equity Team where she developed her ability to provide attentive, high-caliber, concurrent support to three premier programs (Tech Exchange, Google In Residence, and Faculty in Residence). Hope prioritizes the recording and conservation of legacy knowledge as operating from a well-researched foundation is the key to creating dynamic and effective programming. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Hope can be found scrutinizing the shelves at a thrift store, buzzing between booths at the Alameda Antique Fair, or spending quality time with friends out in nature (preferably by a body of water).
Dina To
Senior Managing Product Counsel, LinkedIn
Dina is a Director in the Legal & Public Policy group at LinkedIn, whose portfolio spans our consumer efforts and products, including the push to have over 1B members, introducing games on LinkedIn, and launching the first consumer AI product on the platform. Dina joined LinkedIn as the inaugural "returnship counsel," after taking a hiatus from practicing law for over a decade during which she taught at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), free lanced as a food writer, and raised her 3 sons. Prior to that, Dina was a product counsel at Yahoo!, an antitrust attorney for the Department of Justice, and a litigator at Morrison & Forester.
Dare to Lead™ Session
Maya Kraft
Leadership and Organizational Development, Strategic Advisor and Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator
Maya Kraft is a seasoned executive and leadership development consultant, specializing in workshop facilitation for corporate clients and providing strategic advisory services to private equity firms. Holding a Master’s Degree in Organizational Psychology and credentials as a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator based on Dr. Brené Brown’s work, Maya offers extensive expertise in her consultancy. Prior to her consulting career, Maya served as COO and President at Validant, a global leader in Regulatory, Compliance, and Quality Consulting. She was instrumental in scaling the company from its startup phase to a $100M+ global enterprise, overseeing Business Development, Talent Acquisition, Legal, Compliance, and People Operations. Her leadership was key in professionalizing the business and strengthening the executive management team. Maya's own experiences with executive coaching and peer advisory groups underscored the transformative power of personal and professional growth, fueling her passion for leadership development. Since 2019, she has been an independent consultant, delivering impactful leadership development workshops. Maya firmly believes that personal and professional growth is integral to effective leadership, encapsulated in her belief that “Who we are is how we lead.” Based in the Bay Area, Maya enjoys life with her husband, two daughters, and their adorable pup, Sadie.
Personal Branding Session
Guisselle Nuñez
Associate Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Communications and CMO, San Francisco State University
Guisselle Nuñez is focused on helping organizations and individuals achieve success through enduring marketing and personal branding strategies. Currently, she’s Associate Vice President, Strategic Marketing Communications for San Francisco State University and serves as the chief marketing officer. Guisselle has served on many non-profit boards and currently serves on the Board of Regents for her alma mater, Santa Clara University. By sharing her life experiences and lessons, her passion is to help women learn how to build their own toolkits to equip them to find their courage, joy and growth. An award-winning marketing communications leader; speaker on personal branding and political leadership; and author of the book "Take Charge of your Brand” and co-author of “Life in the Fishbowl: Lessons to help you survive and thrive in elected office.” Learn more at guissellenunez.com
Agenda
| 8:15 - 9:00 a.m.: |
Registration, Complimentary Continental Breakfast, Coffee/Tea, Networking |
| 9:00 - 9:15 a.m.: |
Welcome Remarks Gulnur Tumbat |
| 9:15 - 9:45 a.m.: |
Morning Address Rebecca Tierney |
| 9:45 - 10:00 a.m.: |
Coffee/Tea Break & Networking |
| 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: |
Keynote Address Tani Girton |
| 11:00 - 11:15 a.m.: |
Short Break: Stretch, Refresh, Hydrate |
| 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.: |
Panel Discussion: LinkedIn Resources With LinkedIn Team: Megan Jacobson, Hope Diwata, Dina To & moderated by Nicole Serena Silver |
| 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.: |
Lunch Break |
| 12:45 - 1:45 p.m.: |
Dare to Lead™ Session Maya Kraft |
| 1:45 - 2:00 p.m.: |
Short Break: Stretch, Refresh, Hydrate |
| 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.: |
Personal Branding Session Guisselle Nuñez |
| 3:00 - 3:15 p.m.: |
Closing Remarks |
This event is hosted in collaboration with LinkedIn. We thank them for their support.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or are interested in partnering with us or becoming a speaker at a future WELF event, please email us at gulnur@sfsu.edu.
Learn more about the Lam-Larsen Community Engagement Initiative.