Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold its 12th annual day-long Worcester Women’s Leadership Conference on Thursday, October 28 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DCU Center in the hopes of bringing together hundreds of women to network, participate in workshops as well as discussions, and hear from keynote speakers.

“We felt it was critical to gather in person to just lift each other up and support each other,” said Karen Pelletier, the executive vice president at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. “The fact that there are multiple events shows that there is a need. It’s not like we can be one and done…This is an ongoing issue and something that we all benefit from coming together.”

The largest women’s leadership conference in Central Massachusetts will provide women with the tools to discover new career and leadership opportunities and lift themselves up. 

“It’s been a favorite not only of the Chamber staff and myself but also attendees. We see people return year after year,” Pelletier said. “Everyone feels really welcomed and it’s a very friendly vibe.”

Pelletier said that many women today are facing obstacles within the workforce each day. Covid-19 has added an extra burden as well. 

As Dawn LaRochelle, the program manager and developer at the Center for Women & Enterprise, will discuss in “Career Trajectory: Advancing or Regaining Your Career in a Post-Pandemic, Digital World,” the pandemic’s impact on women is at a higher pace compared to men. It’s estimated that 11.3 million jobs held by women disappeared within weeks of the nationwide covid-related shutdowns. Many are now changing their career paths, and sessions like LaRochelle’s are meant to help them with their new occupations.

“Women have been more impacted than men in the pandemic, and especially women in the workplace and working moms have just felt a huge impact,” Pelletier said. “We wanted to pull people together.”

With eight different breakout workshops, which were coordinated by a group of 24 women, attendees will be able to choose their journeys throughout the conference. For example, “Leading through Lemons” will discuss boundaries, burnout, and support during the unprecedented pandemic. It will be led by Dr. Shlomit Schaal, who is a professor and chair of the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at UMass Memorial Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Author, educator, and public speaker Wendy OLeary will lead a discussion on mindfulness and managing difficulties in life to cultivate happiness and wellbeing.

There will be time for the women to also take breaks for coffee and networking. Unfortunately the annual exhibitor market place of women-owned businesses will not take place due to Covid-19.

This year’s conference will feature keynote addresses from Cynt Marshall, the CEO of the NBA’s  Dallas Mavericks, as well as Michelle Poler, the author of “100 Days Without Fear,” a book that follows Poler’s journey toward dealing with fear and living to the fullest.

“I am hoping that all of us just get to do one thing that day, that we all get to be present at that event,” Pelletier said. “During Covid we’ve been asked to bridge so many things at one time. We’re on Zoom and we’re texting and we’re watching our kids. It’s just a lot. It would be a wonderful gift to each of us if we could just be present and do this day as a professional development for ourselves and bring the information back to our organizations and companies.”

Presenting sponsors are the Hanover Insurance Group, as well as UMass Memorial Health. The keynote sponsors are Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA and the DCU.

The last day to register is Friday, October 22. To join, go to Worcester Women Leadership | Bringing together the most forward thinking female leaders.