Women in Leadership Conference

The Duluth Chamber is proud to present the fourth annual Women in Leadership Conference—a signature event designed to motivate, inspire, and advance female leaders at any stage in their careers. Rooted in storytelling, empowerment, and connection, this innovative conference will offer attendees the opportunity to hear from trailblazing women leaders as they share the stories of their personal journeys and the key lessons they learned along the way. This year’s dynamic event will feature premier keynote speakers, personalized career development workshops, an expert panel on workplace belonging and wellbeing, relevant breakout sessions for any career level, and an engaging after-party and women’s expo highlighting women-owned and female-led organizations.
The 2026 conference experience is intentionally designed as a full-day leadership journey anchored by three transformative keynote moments: Opening Keynote Karen Laos, communication expert and executive advisor known for her work with leaders at organizations such as NASA, Google, and Netflix, kicks off the day with high-energy insights on confidence, clarity, and executive presence as the foundation of leadership influence. Dr. Alexis J. Stokes-Burks, international speaker and equity strategist, leads into the afternoon with a powerful keynote on community, belonging, and values-driven leadership. The conference culminates with Duluth’s very own Sharon McMahon, nationally-recognized educator and New York Times bestselling author, whose closing keynote on truth, civility, and critical thinking brings the entire experience together in a powerful and energizing finale.

This one-of-a-kind conference is an event that you and your team will not want to miss. All event proceeds benefit the Fuse Duluth young professionals program.
The full 2026 agenda is now available at www.duluthchamber.com/womeninleadership.