Contact Information: Media Contacts: For Women's Leadership Exchange David Bernstein 212-209-1570 Holly Ferris 562-429-6456
Women's Leadership Exchange Returns to Southern California for 2008 West Coast Summit -- Aug. 12th
Delivering Businesswomen Strategic Tactics for a Tough Economy
| Source: Women's Leadership Exchange
LONG BEACH, CA--(Marketwire - July 31, 2008) - The Women's Leadership Exchange (WLE), a
social entrepreneurship founded by and for successful businesswomen,
announced today the WLE West Coast Summit will be held on Tuesday, August
12, at the Long Beach Convention Center. This year's event features a
dynamic program to help business owners and executives of small to mid-size
companies rise above the effects of today's tough economy and turn crisis
into opportunity. Expert speakers will cover topics such as building sales
momentum, green growth strategies, tactics to triumph in tough times,
breaking through barriers, boundaries and biases, and more.
Four successful businesswomen will be honored with Compass Awards: Sung-Joo
Kim, who has been named one of the "Top 50 Women to Watch" by the Wall
Street Journal, and owns a $120 million company; Tracey Doi, group vice
president and CFO of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and named by
Automotive News as one of the top 100 women in the auto industry; Frieda
Rapoport Caplan, founder & chairman of the board or Frieda's, Inc., the
first woman-owned and operated wholesale produce company in the United
States; and Dr. Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los
Angeles, who oversees the daily operations and internal management of the
nation's number one container port. The roster of distinguished keynote
speakers and honorees is headed by an extraordinary woman, Dr. Sarah
Weddington, who successfully argued the landmark Supreme Court case, Roe v.
Wade.
Leslie Grossman and Andrea March, cofounders of the WLE, said, "After six
successful years of running WLE conferences across the country, we are
producing a West Coast Summit to fulfill demands from regional
businesswomen. This year's Summit addresses the specific needs of Southern
California business owners."
Innovative features at the WLE Summit include SpeedCoaching, six different
seminars, and a special general session in the afternoon focused on helping
women break through barriers, boundaries and biases. Ten SpeedCoaches will
spend five minutes with each attendee for a private coaching session.
Attendees will gain invaluable advice and insight as they move from table
to table and meet with experts from various fields including marketing,
sales, management and leadership. The six seminars, led by top business
experts, are designed to help attendees tackle the tough climate caused by
Southern California's current economic challenges. The final general
session of the day will feature an interactive discussion about diversity
with an emphasis on recent research findings that demonstrate how embracing
diversity as a universal business practice can generate an array of
opportunities.
The full-day program also offers attendees the opportunity to connect with
successful CEOs and top executives, to network with local entrepreneurs,
and to renew their sense of purpose in business and provide new ideas to
propel their success.
OPEN from American Express' President, Susan Sobbott, WLE's founding
partner, says, "Over the past six years, OPEN has worked closely with WLE
and we have seen women make significant strides in every arena of business.
WLE's Summits and Conferences have definitely been a contributing factor
because they bring women together in the most impactful way. All of us at
OPEN are proud of our role with WLE and we are delighted to help bring this
Summit to Southern California's entrepreneurial and executive women." In
addition to OPEN from American Express, corporate partners include Union
Bank of California, WLE's exclusive Southern California banking partner,
IKEA, Morgan Stanley, American Airlines, Best Buy, Bermuda Department of
Tourism, and fashion brands, Donna Morgan and Ali Roe.
The cost to attend the conference, which includes facilitated networking,
breakfast, luncheon, a cocktail reception, and raffle, is $199 until August
6, then $249 after that. Register at www.womensleadershipexchange.com or
call 888.937.5800.