SMITHFIELD, R.I. – On Friday, March 17, 2017 Bryant University’s Women’s Summit® will celebrate “20 Years of Inspiring, Empowering, and Advancing Women!” The event will welcome three powerful keynote speakers known for excellence in their professions and for their commitment to helping women achieve their potential. In order of appearance, they are: Leadership expert and former Navy Commander Mary Kelly, Nobel Prize Recipient Leymah Gbowee, and Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis.
One of the most popular conferences held in New England, the Women’s Summit® has welcomed a sold-out crowd every year. More than 1,000 women and men are expected to attend. Registration opens Thursday, Jan. 19 at wsummit.bryant.edu.
When Women’s Summit® founding director Kati Machtley, a former nursing educator, came to Bryant in 1996, she was impressed that the institution has always recognized the importance of educating women. With her background in higher education and her experience educating and mentoring women, she enlisted some like-minded colleagues to create the first Women’s Summit®, which was held in 1997. Kati attributes the success of the event 20 years later to perseverance and to her dedicated Bryant University team, noting that her husband Bryant University President Ronald K. Machtley is one of the event’s strongest advocates.