Conference attendees will benefit from the expertise of women leaders from a variety of professions in workshops designed to empower and excite.
During the registration process, you will be asked to select two workshop from the following choices:
Let’s Try and Close That Wage Gap! Effective Salary Negotiation for Women
Led by Jestine Philip, Assistant Professor, University of New Haven
‘Gender wage gap’ is a common term organizations use to refer to the earnings gap between men and women. Some of the top reasons for this gap are occupational segregation and bias against working mothers. Even after controlling for maternity leave, a gap of over 8% can be attributed to discrimination or gender bias. A root cause that has been identified: Women don’t ask for more money! Women are less likely than men to make a counter offer during job interviews and less likely to ask for raises on the job. Women can initiate action towards closing the gender wage gap by gaining the skills and confidence they need to negotiate their salaries. This interactive workshops aims to offer tips, best practices, and resources to help women effectively negotiate salary during job interviews as well as at their current jobs. The workshop will include discussions on what to say (and avoid) during a salary negotiation, tips on ‘cooperative negotiation,’ and mock negotiation exercises.
About the Workshop Presenter
Jestine Philip, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management at the University of New Haven’s College of Business. Her research interests are in the areas of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources (OB/HR), primarily focusing on the impact of technology such as cyber management and big data on organizational management and employees. She is also interested in applying big data in HR for talent management, performance, and compensation. She earned her PhD and MBA from the University of North Texas. Prior to beginning her academic career, Dr. Philip worked in managerial positions for companies including McAfee, Dell, and IBM.
Say the F Word: Advancing Feminism through Grassroots Action
Led by Cindy Wolfe Boynton, President, Connecticut Chapter of the National Organization for Women
What is feminism? And what does it mean to be a feminist in Connecticut today? This workshop will discuss the gender challenges and discrimination affecting Connecticut women and girls; why these issues matter; the strength of grassroots activism; and how you can help make a difference – even if you have no more than a few minutes a week to give. We’ll talk about the power of knowledge and numbers as well as ways that all of us — no matter our age, background, level of experience, or time commitment — can work together to advance the rights of women and girls.
About the Workshop Presenter
Cindy Wolfe Boynton is a writer, teacher, empowerer, and justice-seeker. President of the Connecticut chapter of the National Organization for Women and the 2018 Democratic candidate for Connecticut’s 117th District State House of Representative seat, she is a political activist and feminist organizer as well as an award-winning journalist, playwright, and college professor. Her background includes more than 15 years as a regular correspondent for The New York Times and nine years as the editor of Better Health magazine. An author of two books of non-fiction, Boynton is also the author and producer of two one-woman plays that both made their premieres in Manhattan, just steps off Broadway on 42nd Street. An English, Journalism, and Communications professor, Boynton teaches at the Yale School of Medicine, University of New Haven, Quinnipiac University, Housatonic Community College, and the Paier College of Art. She is also owner/operator of the spooktacularly fun Spirits of Milford Ghost Walks
Women and Investing: Knowledge is Power—Six Simple Steps to Spring into Financial Action
Led by Mary Landsfield, Registered Representative at Barnum Financial Group
Women face several challenges in planning for the future, including on average, living longer than men, having higher healthcare costs due to longevity, working approximately four months longer per year to make the same salary as men, and the possibility of taking time away from the workforce for family. All these realities may require a slightly different approach in order to create a suitable safety net for the future. This interactive workshop aims to offer six steps and resources to help women plan successfully for retirement.
About the Workshop Presenter
Mary Landsfield, MBA, is a Registered Representative at Barnum Financial Group. She develops and manages strong relationships with new and existing customers by providing comprehensive financial wellness educational programs to corporations and municipalities throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York City. Prior to joining Barnum Financial Group, Landsfield worked in sales and international trade and investment serving as a Co-Founder of a software company, Skymira, and a Senior Business Development Manager for the trade arm of the Australian Government, Austrade, both in Los Angeles and New York City. Landsfield earned a B.S. in marketing and an M.B.A. in finance. She holds both American and Australian citizenship and enjoys sailing and international travel.
When Professional and Personal Lives Overlap: Strategies for Managing Workplace Flirting and Office Romance
Led by Amy Nicole Baker, Associate Professor, University of New Haven
Workplace flirting and sexual relationships among employees are common in organizational life, but there is little advice or guidance for managers on how to handle these phenomena. In this workshop, Dr. Baker will answer commonly asked questions about workplace romance and flirting and discuss strategies for women leaders on how to negotiate this sensitive and often fraught topic.
About the Workshop Presenter
Amy Nicole Baker received a PhD in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Maryland. Her research interests center on workplace romance, organizational climate, perceptions of women in the workplace, and dual-earner couples. Her work has been published in some of the top journals in her field, including the Journal of Applied Psychology and Educational and Psychological Measurement.
Unlearning Our Socialization to Build Solidarity
Led by Elisa Del Valle Cardona, Director of Social Justice and Inclusion, The Ethel Walker School
This workshop will explore the many messages girls and womyn* receive, using Bobbie Harro’s Cycle of Socialization as a framework. The exploration of both subtle and blatant messages will allow the group to take a deep dive into the manifestations of internalized sexism and the ways in which this internalization harms womyn in their relationships with one another. This session will provide young self-identified womyn with the tools to notice, name, and shift internalized sexism as a way to show up for, lift, and inspire other womyn in collective community and solidarity.
*womyn is an alternative spelling for women with roots in feminism
About the Workshop Presenter
Elisa Del Valle Cardona is the Director of Social Justice and Inclusion at The Ethel Walker School. She holds an undergraduate degree from Smith College and completed her graduate work at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in Social Justice Education. After beginning her career as the Assistant Director of Residential Life at Mt. Holyoke College, Del Valle Cardona supported inclusion in various leadership positions during 8 years at Wesleyan University, where her efforts to support Social Justice were recognized with Edgar Beckham Helping Hand Award and where she served on the Presidential Task Force on Equity and Inclusion. Since joining The Ethel Walker School in 2016, Del Valle has worked closely with the Head of School to ensure equitable teaching, learning, and practice throughout the school community through such efforts as reinstating the faculty social justice and inclusion committee and advising various affinity groups. Elisa’s passion and commitment to her work allows her to serve on the board of RE-Center: Race and Equity in Education in Hartford, CT, and on the Horizons Board at The Ethel Walker School. Her passion for young people and the brilliance and truth they share when adults just listen fuels Del Valle Cardona’s efforts.
Employing Core Concerns to Resolve Conflict
Led by Donna Decker Morris, Associate Professor, University of New Haven
Conflict brings emotion, yet to our detriment we often try to push emotion out of the conversation or become overwhelmed by emotion when dealing with conflicts at home or at work. Participants in the Employing Core Concerns to Resolve Conflict Workshop will learn about and practice strategies for employing emotion to help resolve conflict more efficiently and effectively. Donna Decker Morris, University of New Haven Associate Professor of Legal Studies, will orient workshop attendees to the Core Concerns framework developed by scholars at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard, introduce the I-C-N bucket system, and offer pointers for navigating difficult conversations. Then, we will have the opportunity to apply these concepts through brainstorming, thought-experiments, and role-playing activities. Participants will leave with a game plan for tackling tough conversations in their personal and professional lives.
About the Workshop Presenter
Donna Decker Morris, J.D., is an Associate Professor in Legal Studies at the University of New Haven and is active in several legal and conflict resolution organizations, including serving on the Executive Committee of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. Since 1998, she has been a mediator and restorative justice practitioner and trainer and complements her research interests in alternative forms of dispute resolution and restorative justice, their impact on participants and the justice system, and international conflict resolution with the courses she teaches on law, law & policy, dispute resolution, and restorative justice. Most recently she has been working on projects to develop and implement restorative practices in local schools.