Meet Five Speakers from EMPOWER NYC

This International Women’s Day, we’re hosting EMPOWER, an invite-only event celebrating women in business, marketing, and leadership. Here’s your chance to meet some of the amazing leaders who will be speaking.

In a recent study we analyzed event data from thousands of events over the past five years and discovered that the nearly 70% of speakers at events are male. In response, we decided to host an event where we gave the podium to talented women in leadership.

EMPOWER is a half-day event that will be taking place in NYC on March 8. Throughout the morning and and into the afternoon our 10 speakers will discuss creating a high-growth culture, modern marketing best practices, and the future of experiential marketing, and more.

Get to know several of these speakers below. For more information on our speakers and content, check out the EMPOWER agenda.

Melissa Goldberger, Argyle Forum

Melissa is VP of Global Marketing at Argyle. She has 15+ years of experience in developing and executing innovative, creative and effective marketing strategies that increase engagement for B2B and B2C organizations. Prior to Argyle, she served as the VP of Marketing at the International Association of Women.

What does it mean to be a female leader in your domain?

For me, this means serving as a coach and mentor for the next generation of marketing leaders. Marketing is heavily dominated by women at the entry- and mid-level, but may don’t realize that the tables turn past the VP-level. I am currently the only woman on my management team, which also holds a lot of power and responsibility. Having to juggle family and work is often a challenge that I face. It requires knowing which resources I have access to at any given time and being extremely organized.

Diana Cruz Solash, Infor

Diana Cruz Solash is VP, Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) at Infor. She works with the entire Infor Team to ensure they fully value the diversity each person brings to Infor by equipping employees with skills and resources to team and lead inclusively; embedding I&D into the processes that impact the careers and sense of belonging of all Inforians; and engaging in the market through external partnerships.

What does it mean to be a female leader in your domain?

While I don’t consider myself special, I do recognize that there are still far few women of color in executive roles across all business and in the technology sector in particular. With that, I feel an extra responsibility to forge a path for women – and other underrepresented talent – who are coming up behind me. This means, investing my personal time to mentor, sponsor and advocate for other women’s success. It also means role modeling inclusive leadership by inviting different perspectives and ensuring equitable access to opportunities. I truly believe that opening the door for more women, and other underrepresented talent, to advance is not a threat, but a win for everyone. It’s been proven that inclusion and diversity leads to higher employee engagement and innovation, which leads to higher growth – and when the “pie” gets bigger, it gets bigger for everyone.

Einat Weiss, NICE

Einat is VP Global Marketing at NICE, leading the company-wide Marketing and Corporate Communications strategy, covering demand generation, digital, events and field activities across all regions and solution lines. In the 10 years she has been with NICE, Einat has held several leadership roles that have defined and shaped NICE’s global marketing strategy and contributed significantly towards the company’s growth and current stature

What does it mean to be a female leader in your domain?

This may be controversial but I believe that leadership can be gender agnostic. Throughout my career, I am often the only, or one of very few woman around the table. I do not perceive that as an advantage or a disadvantage. For me, leaders are those that can define success and then passionately and relentlessly pursue it. Personally, I am constantly searching for opportunities to learn, grow, influence and shape our business, and of course, exceed expectations. I have been fortunate to have strong mentors, both men and women, that shaped my leadership style. I am doing my best to do the same for a new generation of leaders.

Mita Mallick, Unilever

Mita Mallick the Head of Diversity and Cross Cultural Marketing at Unilever. She is a corporate change maker who believes corporations have a responsibility to make a social impact. Mita is a disruptive business leader who has brought her experience in managing P&Ls, brand innovation, and strategic planning into leading cultural transformation. She is a passionate storyteller who believes in the power of diversity to transform business and brands.

What does it mean to be a female leader in your domain?

I hope some day we can stop using the word “female” as a qualifier when we ask about leadership. I can’t recall the last time we asked a male leader to talk about what it means to be a “male leader.” And maybe when we have as many women in C Suites as men, we won’t be having this conversation. For me, I am working every day to exemplify servant leadership. That means having empathy, really listening and being available and present, and fostering and growing the next generation of leaders.

Kira Willner, Dow Jones

Kira Willner is executive director, brand experience at Barron’s Group, which is part of Dow Jones. In her current role, she oversees live journalism events for all of the brands within the group, including Barron’s, MarketWatch, Mansion Global, Penta and Financial News. In addition, she oversees brand marketing and business strategy for luxury brands, Mansion Global and Penta.

What does it mean to be a female leader in your domain?

I’ve worked in the media industry for over 10 years and it has always been a rapidly-changing industry that keeps you on your toes and inspires you to think differently, every day. With constant change comes opportunity and healthy competition both internally and externally. For me, and many women in similar roles, it’s about staying ahead of trends, understanding the competition, thinking creatively and being confident. We have to approach our work knowing that we have the ability, knowledge and experience to not only have a seat at the table but to be leaders in our fields.

Interested in attending? Visit the EMPOWER website to request your personal invitation.