At the Young Women’s Leadership Launch, Building Bright Futures with Bold Voices

On February 21, 2026, Yale SOM hosted the annual Young Women’s Leadership Launch (YWLL), welcoming 70 high school students from across the greater New Haven area for a day of leadership development, mentorship, and inspiration. The conference hosted students from more than 25 schools representing over 15 school districts across Connecticut, with the largest groups coming from the Amity and New Haven public school systems. The event is designed to encourage young women to find and use their voices as they imagine the futures they want to build. This year’s theme—“Bold Voices, Bright Futures”—guided the day’s programming, which focused on practicing speaking up, exploring career possibilities, and envisioning ambitious paths forward. As second-year co-chairs of the event, we led a team of first-year MBA leaders that included Molly Lynch ’27 overseeing operations, Gabriela Valencia ’27 leading curriculum, and Briana Chen ’28 directing marketing. We both returned to co-chair this event after serving as first-year leads at the previous conference. Our enthusiasm for the event and its strong connection to the local community, as well as our pre-SOM involvement in women-focused organizations, made this a natural continuation of our work.

The day began with breakfast. Students filtered in and got to know each other before transitioning into an interactive public speaking workshop that set the tone for the day. Each participant developed a hypothetical app idea based on a set of criteria and pitched it to the students at their table. Table winners advanced to compete against one another, and several finalists ultimately presented their ideas in front of the entire audience. The winner was selected through crowd support, and the room filled with cheers as students rallied behind their peers. The activity immediately brought the conference theme to life by encouraging students to share their ideas confidently and support one another’s voices.

Students then heard from Meredith McPherron, CEO of Drive, a venture capital fund focused on investing in the sports and entertainment sectors. McPherron joined the conference for a fireside chat about navigating a career path that has rarely followed a straight line. Drawing from her experience across investment banking, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, she spoke about the importance of taking risks and remaining open to unexpected opportunities; reflected on building a career in industries where women have historically been underrepresented; and described how preparation and confidence have led her to success. Rather than approaching opportunities with an outsider’s mindset, she explained that she focuses on being well-prepared and ready to contribute. Her message encouraged students to approach their ambitions with confidence and to recognize that bold voices often emerge from persistence and preparation.

Students later participated in career breakout sessions led by women SOM alums, in which they explored potential paths across a range of industries including technology, engineering, biology, health, law, arts, media, and finance. These sessions gave participants the opportunity to ask questions, hear personal stories about navigating career decisions, and begin imagining how their own interests might translate into future opportunities.

The afternoon continued with lunch, which included a special appearance by Yale’s mascot, Handsome Dan, before students moved into a vision-boarding exercise. During this session, participants reflected on their aspirations and created visual representations of the goals they hope to pursue. The activity encouraged students to think creatively about their futures while reinforcing the idea that imagining bold possibilities is often the first step toward building them.

Students then joined college preparation sessions tailored to their grade levels. Ninth-graders were introduced to the college exploration process and encouraged to begin thinking about their interests and academic goals. Sophomores and juniors participated in a session led by Betsy Morgan of College Matters, who shared insider knowledge about the college application process and practical guidance for preparing in the years ahead. Seniors met with SOM Silver Scholars, who discussed how to prepare for the transition to college and what to expect during their first year.

The conference concluded with a keynote address from Jennifer DuBuisson, senior director of sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co., who spoke about creating impact in her career. DuBuisson described how her desire to be able to show her children that she was making a difference led her to professional sustainability work. She encouraged students to remain curious and to ask thoughtful questions as they navigate their own paths, reminding them that meaningful careers often grow from a willingness to explore and learn. After her address, DuBuisson met with small groups of current SOM students for informal conversation, as did McPherron.

The event brought together students from across the greater New Haven community, continuing YWLL’s mission of expanding access to mentorship and leadership opportunities for young women. The strong turnout reflected the growing reach of the conference and the enthusiasm of students eager to participate. For us, it meant building a shared space where MBA women and New Haven high school girls could connect. It pushed us to lead, adapt quickly, and learn in real time—all skills we hope to bring into our post-SOM careers. The most rewarding moment came the weekend after the conference, when we ran into some attendees around New Haven and heard their excitement about returning next year.

By the end of the day, students left with new ideas, new mentors, and a renewed sense of possibility. Through interactive workshops, honest conversations with leaders, and moments of reflection about their own goals, the YWLL once again created a space where young women could practice using their voices and begin envisioning the bright futures ahead.