With the spell of autumn comes the annual Central Iowa Women Lead Conference, a one-of-a-kind women-centered leadership and empowerment event. This year, it was specifically targeted to capture Drake students’ involvement.
The Central Iowa Women Lead Conference is an intense but unique chance to connect with women in leadership roles, learn and garner leadership skills of your own, all while providing an incredible opportunity for young women to network with like-minded individuals and potentially find internships and jobs.
The conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Oct. 25-26 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The Adams Leadership Institute will be sponsoring 10 women student leaders to attend. If you’re interested, contact Director of Student Leadership Programs Kristin Economos at [email protected].
Anne Kremer, the Drake dean of admissions who is the co-chair of the student track committee for the event, expressed her excitement at the Central Iowa Women Lead Conference finally getting recognition on the Drake campus.
“I’ve enjoyed it every year that I’ve gone, and I’m so excited that it will be promoted to the Drake community.”
A variety of highly sought-after speakers contribute to the event every year. Every year they bring in a whole slew of different speakers and the caliber of speakers are so fantastic,” Kremer said.
This year’s speakers include names such as Brooke Baldwin, Dima Ghawi and Nada Lena Nasserdeen.
Along with touching base on organizational practices and basic logistical techniques, the conference will also include influential stories on working in leadership roles and navigating career opportunities.
“They’ll talk about everything (such as) time management, but also just some real-life experiences,” Kremer said.
Kremer noted one of the stories that stuck with her from the conference in years past.
“One of the speakers I went to listen to a couple [of] years ago was all about how the world was really kind of made for a man. Everything from seatbelts to the way that buildings are designed,” Kremer said. “It’s not necessarily designed with a woman in mind.”
Kremer explained in detail the importance of hearing from speakers and wading through uncharted subjects and the power that derives from that in professional development.
“When you think about preparing people for the working world, of course, you could go to an accounting seminar, go to a continuing education class on something that’s related to the work that you do,” Kremer said. “But there’s something about showing young people what an incredible network of women and women leaders that we have here in the Des Moines area that as you think about preparing people for the world of work that this conference (contributes to).”
The conference itself aims to prepare women and organizations for advancements in the economy and the workforce and in general focuses on lifting women up.
“It’s just great for you at (a young) age to be able to look at some women who have carved some really interesting paths in their own careers, and you will then get a chance to see yourself, or maybe see the things that you might want to do, in another person,” Kremer said.
The Central Iowa Women Lead Conference is a special event that caters to the minds of women, solely focusing on elevating them to heights that they themselves might not have suspected to be possible.
“You just never know what connection might lead to something that creates a new path for you or helps you solidify the path that you’re on,” Kremer said.
