VIEW THE 2023 RETREAT PAGE HERE 

The Women in Business Retreat is back! Looking to meet and hear from women leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals? Then this event is for you. Whether you’re local, new to town, or just passing through, join us at our Women in Business Retreat to connect, learn and recharge. The Women in Business Retreat will be in-person at the Alexander Hotel and is a great way for women from all professional backgrounds to escape their hectic life and learn from one another, share successes, laugh, network and strategize about what comes next.

From networking to breakout sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with some of the brightest, most inspirational, thought-provoking women in the Indianapolis Region.

Your Retreat ticket also includes:

• Professional headshots
• Meals and snacks throughout the day
• Silent auction
• Cocktail reception
• Local vendor fair
• Wine pull

Tentative Agenda:

THURSDAY, MAY 5
8 a.m. — Check-in & Breakfast
8:30 a.m. — Welcome Remarks with Althea Cooper, CIWBC Council Chair
8:40 a.m. — PLENARY: Putting “Self” Back Into “Self-Care” with Leslie Bailey, Indy Maven
9:40 a.m. — BREAK
10 a.m. — PLENARY PANEL: Is Work-Life Balance an Illusion?

• Melissa Proffitt, Indy Chamber Board Chair (Moderator)
• Arianna Cruz, MORE Magazine
• Sarah Iglehart, Indy Chamber
• Lucia Mar, Bank of America

11 a.m. — Vendor Fair & Headshots
12 p.m. — KEYNOTE LUNCHEON: Mental Health Initiatives with Suzanne Crouch, Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
1:30 p.m. — BREAK
2 p.m. — BREAKOUT SESSION:

• Session A: Developing a Brand & Market Strategy for Sustainable Success with Taja Graham, Emmis Communications
• Session B: Know Your Why with Ava Taylor, City of Indianapolis

3:15 p.m. — BREAK
3:35 p.m. — PLENARY: Navigating the Hard Stuff with Jessica Gendron, The Center for Leadership Excellence
5 p.m. — Cocktail Reception
6:30 p.m. — Dine-Arounds
9 p.m. — After Dinner Drinks @ Plat 99

FRIDAY, MAY 6
9 a.m. — BREAKOUT SESSION:

• Session A: BREAKOUT PANEL: Women Exiting the Workforce and Turning To Entrepreneurship
  • Kathy Miller, Steel Toes and Stilettos (Moderator)
  • Nicole Kearney, Sip and Share Wine
  • Courtney Zaugg, Plaka + Associates
  • Katina Washington, She. Event Indy Co.
• Session B: Recharge, Reignite, and Reinvent Your Career with Caroline Dowd-Higgins, Ivy Tech CC

10:15 a.m. — Vendor Fair & Headshots
11 a.m. — PLENARY: Say, “Yes!” to New Opportunities with Anne Hathaway, Hathaway Strategies and Melissa Proffitt, Ice Miller & Indy Chamber Board Chair
12:15 p.m. — BREAK
12:30 p.m. — KEYNOTE LUNCHEON: Equitable Access to Capital with Kelli N. Jones, Be Nimble Foundation & Sixty8 Capital

About CIWBC:

The Indy Chamber’s mission is to empower businesses to ensure all have the opportunity to succeed in the Indianapolis region. The Business Ownership Initiative and the CIWBC are critical business development drivers for those without a traditional path to entrepreneurial success. The CIWBC focuses on leveling the playing field for women- and minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Please take this opportunity to network with women at all levels at our 8th Annual Women in Business Retreat. We look forward to providing ongoing opportunities to expand your women in business network.