University Joins National Thought Leaders and Innovators at PA Conference for Women

Saint Joseph’s University will join a who’s who of national industry leaders, innovators and experts on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the 16th annual  Pennsylvania Conference for Women, which is one of the most popular and illustrious gatherings of its kind. Among them: Ava DuVernay, named Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and heralded as director of Netflix’s powerful and highly successful miniseries When They See Us, which depicts the wrongful arrest of five New York City teenagers in Central Park.

The Pennsylvania Conference for Women brings together an empowering community of more than 12,000 participants and high-profile speakers for two days of inspiration and professional development. The sold-out event addresses a range of important women’s issues and positively promotes the influence women have in the workplace and beyond. Saint Joseph’s University is a proud sponsor of the event as it returns to Philadelphia at the city’s convention center.

Saint Joseph’s presence at the conference on Wednesday, Oct. 2 will include an exhibit space, where University representatives will be available throughout the day to speak with attendees interested in exploring their “Next Act” -- in their personal, educational and professional lives. For Saint Joseph’s, a clear benefit of the conference sponsorship is the opportunity to showcase the University as an employer of choice, a provider of strong graduate programs, and a resource on women’s issues. The theme of the planned exhibit reflects the University’s commitment to inspiring life-long learners to discover new possibilities, career pathways, industries and passions. While on site, Saint Joseph’s experts will discuss the University’s wide array of educational offerings, including multiple graduate programs and professional certificates -- healthcare administration, cybersecurity, food marketing, business intelligence and analytics, organizational development and leadership, among others.

This year’s keynote speakers include DuVernay; Elizabeth Gilbert, the best-selling author of Eat Pray Love; and Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, CEOs and founders of the popular news subscription service, theSkimm. The full conference lineup features more than 100 accomplished speakers and a series of breakout sessions.

Heading into the conference, Saint Joseph’s subject-matter experts have been offering helpful tips on a variety of industry topics such as transitioning into a new career, personal branding and breaking into your field. 

University faculty, staff and students are invited to join an on-campus livestream to experience a portion of the conference on Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Campion Student Center’s Forum Theatre.

Follow Saint Joseph’s Twitter and #PennWomen to be a part of the important conversation and for live updates from this year’s conference. Be sure to share your #SJUNextAct with us.