At Adelphi’s eighth annual Women’s Leadership Conference attendees were empowered and inspired throughout a day of career-focused programming.
When an event opens with a powerful video narrated by young girls imploring adults to enable their access to equal opportunities, an audience of more than 350 students, alumni, professionals, industry leaders and community members takes notice. This message set an inspirational tone at Adelphi University’s eighth annual Women’s Leadership Conference on Saturday, March 29, and was reinforced with the daylong event’s theme: Empower. Lead. Inspire.
The motivation continued with the opening remarks of Thomas Kline, EdD, vice president of University advancement and external relations, who emphasized the goals of embracing change, seizing opportunities and supporting one another as empowered leaders—while noting this leadership event is now one of the largest women’s conferences in the area.
Careers: The Power of Strategic Storytelling
The morning keynote speaker, bestselling author Kindra Hall, encouraged a rapt audience to understand that there is power hidden within the stories they tell about themselves.
The topic of storytelling continued throughout the day as participants had the opportunity to choose from six breakout panel discussions. Each featured panelists industry powerhouses who happened to also be alumni, board members, faculty, local business leaders or friends of the University. They offered encouragement and motivational advice during session topics that included self-care, imposter syndrome, the power of saying no, making career moves, launching side hustles and navigating to get what you want.
The event motivated Michaela Quinn, a Mineola (New York) High School junior who hopes to pursue computer science and cybersecurity. After attending the “Navigating to Get What You Want” session, Quinn said, “It’s been so inspirational … . It’s very impactful to hear all these women on the panels and to be surrounded by people who all prioritized the same thing.”
Adelphi sophomore Natalie Ward, a communications major, attended the “Imposter Syndrome: Lead with Confidence” breakout session. “The panelists shared some incredible stories about challenges they overcame that were particularly inspiring,” she noted.
Alumna Nicole Mosby, MBA ’20, said she attended the conference to network “and to be surrounded by like-minded people and to learn from inspiring women leaders. It let me know that it’s possible to be the boss, wife and mother all at the same time,” said Mosby, a senior certified professional coach and consultant.
Opportunities for Connection
There were also numerous other opportunities to connect and learn, including two roundtable discussions. In the financial literacy session, Valley National Bank staff met with about 15 students and alumni who stopped in for advice—including a woman who returned to follow up on steps she took from the 2024 conference.
The Career Support Hub was a center of activity, welcoming up to 40 high school, Adelphi and alumni guests. They took full advantage of services like the Career Closet, which offers free professional outfits, as well as hands-on help with LinkedIn profiles, résumés, mock interviews and career counseling sessions, according to Thomas J. Ward Jr. ’93, assistant vice president for career development and strategic partnerships. In addition, roughly 30 students and alumni explored TypeFocus, taking behavioral assessments to discover careers and work styles aligned with their Myers-Briggs codes.
There was also a steady line for the free professional headshot sessions: 140 people received free makeup touch-ups from Clinique on-site before getting their photo taken.
Strong Support From Alumni, Recognition for Future Leaders
The energy of the day’s experiences carried into the awards celebration and keynote dinner, where Dr. Kline announced that the event had raised more than $100,000 to support this year’s conference, ensuring the programming remains accessible to all members of the community. Additionally, he shared that the Women’s Leadership Endowed Fund has surpassed $1 million, a milestone made possible by generous donors, steering committee members, and especially leadership gifts from conference co-chair and President’s Advisory Council member LeeAnn Black ’83 and Loretta Cangialosi ’80, vice chair of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees.
The conference was created to include a wide range of ages, and this year, more than 50 students from 16 high schools attended. Among them were the Women’s Leadership High School Award winners, who each received $500 toward their passion projects.
Other annual awards were also presented. The Women’s Giving Circle “Courage to Inspire, Strength to Empower” essay winners were Adelphi students Parwinder Kaur and Elorna Pierre. The winner of the Women’s Giving Circle Endowed Scholarship was Adelphi student Victoria Rodriguez. The recipients of the 2025 LeeAnn Black Women’s Recognition Award were faculty member Sandra Castro, PhD, interim dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, and students Tonantzin Martinez and Candice Garwood.
The event concluded with a compelling keynote discussion moderated by then-president Christine M. Riordan, featuring Emmy Award-winning coanchor Juju Chang of ABC News. Chang shared her career journey in the media industry, including her experiences balancing motherhood with her ambitions to advance in her field. She complimented the Women’s Leadership Conference leaders, saying, “It’s so great to have gatherings like this, and seeing male allies here tonight makes me very happy.”
The themes both Dr. Riordan and Chang highlighted were perseverance, overcoming self-doubt, addressing unconscious bias, and the critical role of supportive partnerships. Chang also shared advice for the next generation, emphasizing the need to build strong relationships, be advocates for gender equity, and focus on their earning power. About this last topic she shared what had been the common thread throughout the day: “It’s important to be knowledgeable about all these things because you need to be in charge of your future.”