She Was Bold: A Day to Honor Fearless Women Leaders

Boldness is not just a personal trait: it’s a choice we make in the face of uncertainty, a commitment to show up even when the path ahead is unclear. At this year’s Yale Women’s Leadership Conference (YWLC), we celebrated that choice.

Held each spring at Yale SOM and proudly sponsored by the Women in Management (WiM) club, the conference brings together students, alumni, and professionals to reflect on what it means to lead with courage and conviction. Since its founding in 2016, YWLC has served as a dynamic platform to empower, inspire, and connect women across industries, and this year was no exception. Our 2025 theme, “She Was Bold,” honored the women who have already dared to lead and asked how we, too, might leave a bold legacy.

We chose the word “was” intentionally. Not to suggest boldness is behind us, but to honor the women whose bold actions have shaped the world we live in today. They challenged convention, redefined leadership, and opened doors for others to follow. By reflecting on their journeys, we’re reminded that every act of courage can echo forward. This year’s conference invited us to build on that foundation with bold steps of our own.

The conference featured a robust day of programming, including two keynote speeches, industry panels, and a new series of intimate fireside chats. Our speakers spanned sectors including tech, media, venture capital, and healthcare. They generously shared lessons on risk-taking, reinvention, and leading with authenticity. These conversations were designed to foster learning and create space for reflection for attendees navigating career transitions, seeking to grow in their current roles, or simply looking for community.

Our opening keynote was delivered by María Teresa Arnal, a trailblazing leader in the tech and digital sectors across Latin America. María Teresa has held executive leadership roles at Stripe, Twitter, Google, and Microsoft, and built decades of experience in innovation, marketing, and digital transformation. Her talk challenged us not just to do bold things, but to live boldly. That distinction, between action and intention, stuck with me, and set the tone for the day ahead. It’s easy to check boxes and stay busy, to do bold things without ever pausing to feel them. But Maria Teresa urged us to embrace boldness as a way of being- to find joy in who we are, not just what we accomplish.

Our afternoon programming included panels like “The Risk Equation: Navigating Uncertainty with Confidence” and “Daring to Lead: The Power of Boldness,” where leaders spoke candidly about failure, decision-making under pressure, and what it really means to push past fear. In a more intimate setting, our fireside chats allowed attendees to engage directly with speakers in smaller groups, encouraging vulnerability, honesty, and rich discussion. These sessions quickly became a favorite part of the day, and we hope to expand them in future years.

We closed with an inspiring keynote from Joanne Lipman, a bestselling author who has served in leadership roles at USA Today, Conde Nast Portfolio, and the Wall Street Journal. Joanne, a current lecturer at Yale and CNBC contributor, shared stories from her latest book, NEXT! The Power of Reinvention, and offered tangible advice for women thinking about what’s next—whether it’s the next role, next chapter, or next version of themselves.

This was my second year being involved in the conference, and my first as a co-lead alongside my incredible partner, Varthika Tunoori ’25. We were supported by a powerhouse team of 10 SOM students who organized everything from programming to operations and marketing to logistics. The conference is entirely student-led, which meant we were responsible for building it from the ground up: every session, every speaker invitation, every logistical detail.

Planning began nearly a year ago, and the process was equally rewarding and intense. From sourcing funding and designing the day’s flow to troubleshooting A/V hiccups and coordinating hundreds of guests, it was a crash course in event management, stakeholder communication, and collective leadership. At times, it became an all-consuming labor of love, but seeing it come to life on the day of the event was incredibly meaningful. The energy in the room, the generosity of our speakers, and the strength of our community made the long hours and late nights worth it. The YWLC is always one of the most uplifting and inspiring days of the year, and this year was no exception. All the blood, sweat, and tears paid off.

We’re also deeply thankful for the support from our sponsors, without whom this day would not have been possible. A special shoutout goes to our platinum sponsors: Graduate Hotels, Breeze Airways, Lo & Sons, Root & Seed, House of M Beauty, and the Campaign School at Yale. Their contributions helped us dream bigger and deliver an experience that truly resonated with our attendees.

For me, this conference was a full-circle moment. Before SOM, I worked at Avery Dennison, where I helped organize programming through our women’s resource group. That experience shaped my early understanding of what inclusive leadership can look like. Being able to continue that work at Yale, and to grow through it, has been incredibly fulfilling. Even more special: my former mentor, Julie Vargas, joined this year’s conference as a speaker. Julie believed in me early in my career and gave me opportunities that set me on the path to business school. Having her speak at SOM was a deeply emotional and meaningful moment, one that underscored the power of mentorship and legacy in women’s leadership.

As a woman who has worked in a male-dominated field and will likely continue to move through male-dominated spaces, this conference gave me space to recharge, reflect, and find strength in the stories of others. It was also a celebrational way to mark Women’s History Month not only by looking back, but by building something bold for the future.

To everyone who attended: thank you for showing up boldly. And to those who made it possible: thank you for believing in the power of student leadership to drive meaningful change. I’m honored to have been a part of it, and I already can’t wait to return as an alumna and continue supporting this incredible community for years to come.