By Ciara Salinas and Kennedy Nashe 

Adelphi held its 9th annual Women’s Leadership Conference in March with co-chairs Leean Black ‘83 and Humera Qazi ‘93 and invited keynote speakers Nataly Kogan, best-selling author and creator of the REINVENT•ABILITY™ framework and Monique Coleman, an activist and actress best known for her role in “High School Musical.” 

Intended to allow for discussion about purpose, work and how women can support one another, the event began with a networking brunch followed by a kickoff session, The Reinvent-able Mindset: A Framework to Grow and Thrive During Change and Uncertainty with Nataly Kogan. Using her “loving agitation,” Kogan worked with the audience to challenge their limiting beliefs and adapt to change.

Keynote speaker Nataly Kogan guides the audience through the process of overcoming adversity in life changes. 

The conference consisted of numerous breakout sessions and networking opportunities. One of the first breakout sessions, The Power of Patience: Leading with Your Values included panelists and Adelphi University alumnae Renee McLeod-Sordjan Ph.D. ‘23, Israa Nasir M.A. ‘13 and Molly Dyson-Schwery M.S.W. ‘14. Entrepreneur Nancy Engelhardt moderated the discussion which focused on managing the mental load that can lead to stress and irritability. Panelists shared strategies about how to maintain patience, set boundaries and lead effectively, and they answered questions from the audience. 

Business management student Jasmine Vargas experienced an important takeaway about the self. She said, “One thing I feel stood out to me was being present with yourself because I think if you’re present with yourself, you can be present for other people that need you.”

Biology student Deijah Barrios said that she was truly inspired by the words spoken in one of the breakout room sessions about financial literacy. She said, “As someone who is currently trying to figure out how to split their savings up, they gave a lot of good advice on what to do and how to start investing.” 

Keynote speaker Monique Coleman (right) shares her experience as an actress and activist and what has helped her through hardships.

To end the night, participants were invited to attend  the keynote dinner, where Coleman served as the keynote speaker. Moderating the conversation was Irene Quarshie ‘98. The two discussed Coleman’s time with Disney and her ventures as an activist afterwards. The dinner was filled with laughs, valuable insight and the sharing of accomplishments.