SMITHFIELD – A sold out crowd packed into Bryant University yesterday for the school’s 15th annual Women’s Summit.
The all-day event was the most successful to date, according to the university, with tickets selling out in six days (from Jan. 23 to 29) and a final registration total coming to 1,118. The program attracted 33 corporate sponsors, a record (Providence Business News was one of three media sponsors).
Founded 15 years ago – and still run – by Kati Machtley, wife of University President Ron Machtley, the summit presented 19 sessions, with topics ranging from “Your Mentors as Sponsors: Building Your brand,” to “Shoes, Wine and Background Checks – Entrepreneurship and Women” to “Financial Empowerment for Women in Transition.”
In addition, there were three keynote speeches and a plenary session for all attendees. The luncheon keynote was given by Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, who spoke on the issue of making sure that you to communicate your value in the workplace, something she learned “the hard way” when she negotiated her salary relative to her co-host on the television show, Joe Scarborough.
Four tips for getting what you want:
- “Don’t miss the moment.”
- “Do your research.”
- “Don’t play the victim. … Get more money because you are worth more.”
- “Stop worrying about whether people will like you.”
Bryant University Director of Public Relations Tracie Sweeney believes the event was such a success because the program “spoke to our guests regardless of where they are in their careers. It was an opportunity to educate and empower women and those who support them, so they can grow in both their personal and professional lives.”
In addition to Brzezinski, the crowd, made up mostly of professional women, heard keynote addresses from Carla Harris, a managing director at Morgan Stanley and Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, as well as a lecture from Alice D. Domar on “Women’s Health: Mind/Body Wellness.”
