Date/Time: March 9th, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Rowan University, Chamberlain Student Center, Glassboro NJ (no virtual options will be available for attendees)

Are you ready to break through the barriers standing between you and your next level? Join us for Next Level You: What’s Holding You Back?—an empowering one-day conference hosted by the Women’s Alliance Network (WAN).

This year’s theme challenges attendees to identify and overcome the personal and professional roadblocks that prevent growth. Through inspiring talks, honest conversations, and hands-on sessions, you’ll gain the tools, confidence, and motivation to move forward with purpose.

Announcing this year's 2026 Keynote Speaker (image, right) - award-winner journalist & former NBC 10 News anchor, Tracy Davidson. To learn more about Tracy and her remarkable career, please see her biography listed below.

Key Themes

• Breaking Barriers - Identify and confront internal and external blocks like imposter syndrome, limiting beliefs, fear, and societal expectations.
• Leveling Up Your Mindset - Cultivate a growth mindset, build emotional intelligence, and develop the mental stamina needed to thrive.
• Taking Ownership of Your Journey - Define success for yourself, set intentional goals, and lead your life with purpose and accountability.
• Resilience & Reinvention - Learn to bounce back from setbacks, embrace failure as fuel, and adapt with confidence.
• Your Network is Your Net Worth - Build meaningful connections, find mentors, and strengthen your support system through intentional networking.
• Wellness as a Power Source - Prioritize well-being with strategies for managing stress, setting boundaries, and sustaining energy.
• Authenticity & Belonging - Step into your next level by embracing who you are, creating inclusive spaces, and leading with authenticity.

Conference Schedule

• 9:00 - 9:30am: Conference Check-in, Networking & Light Breakfast (Available to All Day Registrants ONLY) 
• 9:30 - 9:50am: Welcome & Opening Remarks
  • Featured opening remarks by Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Vojislava “Voki” Pophristic, Ph.D.
• 10:00 - 11:00am: Opening Keynote
  • Featured Opening Keynote by award-winner journalist & former NBC 10 News anchor, Tracy Davidson
• 11:10am - 12:10pm: Educational Sessions Block One
• 12:20 - 1:20pm: Lunch with opportunities for informal networking & vendor table visits
  • Featured Lunch Speaker: Vernita Bostick
• 1:30pm - 2:30pm: Educational Sessions Block Two
• 2:40 - 3:40pm: Educational Sessions Block Three
• 3:40 - 4:00pm: Networking & Conference Closing

Education Sessions

Opening Keynote (10:00 - 11:00am)

• Next Level Resilience: What’s Holding You Back from Rising Stronger?
  • Featured Speaker: Tracy Davidson
  • Description: Resilience is more than a mindset. It’s a set of skills that can be developed. Tracy shares how her journey through live broadcasting and breast cancer taught her to transform adversity into strength. Takeaway: The 5 Step RESET Protocol (Release, Engage, Scan, Evaluate, Take) helps audiences calm stress and refocus on what matters most.

Education Block One (11:10am - 12:10pm)

• Dear Emerging Pioneer, You Have Permission to Roar
  
  • Format: Workshop
  • Facilitator: Brittanie Thomas
  • Description: Participants will explore what it means to fully step into their next level with clarity, courage, and conviction. Using The ABCS Method — Appreciation, Building, Creating, and Sustaining — this session provides a structured yet empowering framework to help women recognize their strengths, align their values, and intentionally move forward. Through guided reflection and practical application, attendees will craft their personal mission, vision, and values statement in real time. This experience is designed to reinforce a powerful message: you have permission to roar.
• I am an Emotional Support Human: Practicing SELF-Love at the Next Level 
  • Format: Breakout Session
  • Featured Speaker: Dr. Kara Ieva
  • Description: Self-love is more than a mindset—it is a practice. This session explores how self-awareness, boundaries, and communication help emotional support humans recognize what may be holding them back and intentionally step into their next level of growth, alignment, and well-being.
• Breaking the Cycle: Unlearning the Patterns That Shape Our Lives
  • Format: Panel
  • Panelists: Theresa Santucci, Becky Nieves, Patricia Coughlan, & Danielle Roberts
  • Moderator: Birdia Chambers
  • Description: Patterns—family dynamics, workplace expectations, educational influences, and internalized beliefs—often shape our decisions long before we realize it. In this panel, a therapist, a cycle-breaking life coach, a workplace wellness advocate, and an experienced educator and leadership mentor explore how these patterns form, why they persist, and what it takes to disrupt them. Through candid conversation and real-world examples, panelists will share how self-awareness, boundaries, and intentional choice can help women move from survival mode to sustainable growth. Participants will leave with practical insights for recognizing the patterns holding them back and tools to begin rewriting them.

Featured Lunch Speaker

• Put Down the Cape: From Superwoman to Sustainable Resilience for Your Next Level
  • Featured Speaker: Vernita Bostick
  • Description: What if the cape you’ve been wearing is the very thing weighing you down? In a culture that praises women for doing it all, many of us confuse over-functioning with strength. In this candid, high-energy session filled with laugh-out-loud humor and powerful storytelling, Vernita Bostick challenges the Superwoman narrative and invites women to redefine what resilience really looks like. Through laughter, insight, and real-life perspective, she explores the shift from survival mode to sustainable resilience, the kind of strength that supports women as they step into their next level.

Education Block Two (1:30 - 2:30pm)

• Find Your Spark: What’s Holding You Back 
  • Format: Workshop
  • Featured Speaker: Krista Collings
  • Description: What does it take to reach your next level—and what might be holding you back? In this inspiring and authentic workshop, Krista Collings shares lessons from over 20 years of leadership, career advancement, community involvement, and personal growth. Through her journey of balancing professional success, raising a family, earning recognition for her impact, and navigating a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, Krista offers a powerful perspective on resilience, courage, and possibility. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own potential, challenge what’s holding them back, and reconnect with the spark that drives them forward.
• Silence to Strength: The Power of Being Seen and Heard
  • Format: Breakout
  • Featured Speaker: Cassandra Burnett
  • Description: This session invites women to explore the intersection of authenticity, courage and communication. Drawing from Cassandra Burnett’s personal and professional journey, this session empowers participants to uncover the ways they’ve been hiding—emotionally, mentally or socially—and guides them toward reclaiming their voices as tools for confidence, connection and change to answer the question of what's holding them back?
• Thriving Without a Blueprint: Choosing Yourself at Your Next Level
  • Format: Panel
  • Panelists: Kashmala Khan, Dr. Ali Muller, Dr. Sanaz Shahi, & Dr. Jacqueline Tawney
  • Moderator: Dr. Emily Cannon
  • Description: Not every path comes with a roadmap. In this intergenerational panel, students, postdoctoral fellows, and university leaders share what it means to build a life and career without a predefined blueprint. Panelists will discuss navigating first-generation experiences, redefining success, balancing ambition with authenticity, and choosing yourself even when expectations are unclear. This conversation highlights how resilience, curiosity, and self-trust can guide women forward—especially when the “right” next step doesn’t yet exist.

Education Block Three (2:40 - 3:40pm)

• Dear You: A new, holistic, balanced, & empowered you
  • Format: Workshop
  • Facilitator: Lynda Smith
  • Description: When was the last time you sat down to think about who you are and whether or not that's who you want to be? When was the last time you poured into yourself to grow and strengthen your soul? To become a better you? Join me for interactive discussions and activities as we journey through the concepts of SELF, LOVE, WHOLENESS & EMPOWERMENT. Participants will be guided through stages to elevate themselves into a new, holistic, balanced, & empowered you
• From Stuck to Sovereign: Unlearning Fear, Rewriting Your Story, and Rising Anyway
  • Format: Breakout
  • Facilitator: Nicole Dubois
  • Description: In this powerful and deeply personal breakout session, Unparalyzed author and HR executive Nicole DuBois invites women to explore what it truly takes to confront your fears, release outdated identities, and step boldly into your next level. When she first wrote Unparalyzed, she published it under a pseudonym—an act born from fear, protection, and the belief that parts of her story were too raw to be attached to her real name. But through her own awakening, she discovered the profound importance of leaning into her whole truth. She chose to stand in the light of her authentic identity and claim ownership of every chapter of her story. That moment of courage became one of the most liberating experiences of her life.
• Why Not Me? Courageous Moves That Change Everything
  • Format: Panel
  • Panelists: Dr. Joanne Connor, Taruna Chugeria, Liz Jordan, & Robyn Greenberg
  • Moderator: Dr. Lakeisha Carter 
  • Description: What separates women who step into opportunity from those who hesitate—often with the same qualifications? This panel brings together leaders from higher education, corporate banking, and organizational leadership to explore the moments where courage, timing, and self-belief intersect. Panelists will reflect on pivotal decisions, unexpected career turns, and the internal doubts that accompany growth. Through honest dialogue, participants will be challenged to reconsider their own readiness, redefine confidence, and ask a powerful question: Why not me?

2025 Conference Featured Speakers:

• Opening Remarks Speaker, Farah Houshmand
• Featured Speaker, Dr. Layla Houshmand
• Featured Speaker, Dr. Manuela Jimenez
• Featured Speaker, Dena Blizzard
• Featured Closing Keynote, Rochelle Gapere

2025 Conference Presenters:

• Dr. Valerie James
• Patricia Mooneyham
• Lindsay Zogheb
• Dr. Adrianne Robertson
• Theresa Santucci
• Jennifer Savage
• Donna Loftus
• Dr. Donna Mueller
• Jasmine Moore
• Jessica Battle
• Queen Stewart, Esq.
• Dr. Lakeisha Carter
• Angela Speakman
• Michele Wispelwey
• Stephanie Poe-Cerdan
• Scott Woodside
• Zondra Smith
• Priscilla Loomis
• Variuos representatives from conference sponsor TD Bank
• To read more about our conference speakers, please click HERE.

Educational Sessions - Block One

• “That’s what she said…”
  • Format: Workshop
  • Facilitator: Dena Blizzard, One Funny Mother
  • Description: Practice makes perfect when it comes to speaking. In this lively and empowering session, Dena Blizzard—a sought-after speaker, host and comedian- provides us with a safe, creative space to practice speaking. This session will be the most fun you’ve ever had speaking in public. 
• How to Sustain the Best You When Facing Microaggression in the Workplace
  • Format: Breakout Session
  • Presenter: Dr. Valerie James
  • Description: Microaggression is a challenging topic to discuss, especially for victims of microaggression. Many people are unknowingly victimized regularly. This lack of awareness and being ill-equipped to address microaggression, put this topic at the forefront for necessary critical discussion. Meaningful discussion demands that the R.U.L.E.S. of microaggression be presented in a manner that is Un-SugarCoated. Participants will be able to identify 3 types of microaggression, evaluate the context of the microaggression behavior, and better understand microaggression behavior by following R.U.L.E.S ( A framework developed by UnSugarCoated LLC.)
• Thriving in Every Role: Strategies for Life Balance, Mental Health and Personal Growth
  
  • Format: Panel
  • Panelists: Patricia Mooneyham, Lindsay Zogheb, Dr. Adrianne Robertson, Theresa Santucci
  • Moderator: Jennifer Savage
  • Description: Achieving balance between career ambitions, personal passions, and self-care is a journey that requires intentional focus and thoughtful strategies. This panel explores the intersection of mental wellness, self-care, and personal growth. Panelists will share insights on navigating trauma, stress, and societal expectations while maintaining balance in personal and professional roles. Attendees will gain practical strategies for fostering happiness, advocating for their mental health, and establishing a sustainable self-care routine. Topics include prioritizing mental well-being, making time for personal growth, and managing trauma recovery—key components of long-term success and fulfillment across all aspects of life.

Educational Sessions - Block Two

• Roe Was Not Enough: My Life-Saving Abortion Story, Abortion 101, and How to Take Action
  • Format: Breakout Session
  • Presenter(s): Dr. Layla Houshmand with an introduction from Mrs. Farah Houshmand
  • Description: Dr. Layla Houshmand shares her personal journey of seeking an abortion while Roe v. Wade was still in effect, shedding light on the barriers that persisted despite legal protections. Through her story, she explores the complexities of access, stigma, and the ongoing fight for reproductive rights. This session will also provide an accessible overview of abortion laws in the U.S., how they have changed post-Roe, and what individuals can do to advocate for reproductive justice. By normalizing conversations around abortion and equipping attendees with tangible ways to take action, this discussion aims to empower and inform.
• Exercise Today for a Healthier Tomorrow
  • Format: Workshop
  • Facilitator: Donna Loftus
  • Description: Your health and wellness are essential for your overall well-being. This break-out session will educate all participants on the benefits of why exercise is important to one’s health.  Participants will be actively engaged in warm- ups and then a few exercise routines utilizing different mediums including exercise balls, ribbon sticks, dancing sticks, and closing with a cool-down. Please come to have fun while impacting your health and wellness.
• Mind, Body, Spirit: Embracing Holistic Practices for Lasting Well-Being
  • Format: Panel
  • Panelists: Dr. Donna Mueller, Jasmine Moore, Queen Stewart, Esq.
  • Moderator: Dr. Lakeisha Carter
  • Description: Well-being is a multi-dimensional experience that goes beyond physical health—it’s about nurturing the mind, body, and spirit. This dynamic panel brings together four powerful voices in wellness, empowerment, and personal transformation to explore how holistic practices can foster lasting well-being. Panelists will share their diverse perspectives on overcoming life’s challenges, finding joy through adversity, and embracing holistic approaches that connect mental, physical, and emotional health. This discussion will provide attendees with actionable tools and inspiring stories to help them reclaim balance, resilience, and joy in their lives.

Lunch Ted Talk

• The Art of Balancing Act: Work and Well-Being.
  
  • Presenter: Dr. Manuela Jimenez
  • Description: In this TED Talk, Dr. Jimenez will delve into the unique challenges we encounter in our pursuit of a satisfying work-life balance. We will explore strategies to navigate these complexities, enabling us to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights and actionable strategies that empower them to prioritize their well-being while pursuing their professional goals. 

Educational Sessions - Block Three

• Securing Your Happiness: Navigating Financial Wellness & Fraud Prevention with TD SAFE
  • Format: Workshop
  • Facilitators: TD Bank Representatives 
  • Description: This workshop, presented by TD SAFE, explores key strategies for achieving financial wellness and protecting yourself from fraud and scams. Learn how to safeguard your financial future, recognize potential threats, and take proactive steps to secure your happiness through smart financial decisions.
• Finding Your Voice: Self-Advocacy for Health, Relationships, and Life
  • Format: Panel
  • Panelists: Angela Speakman, Stephanie Poe-Cerdan, Scott Woodside
  • Moderator: Zondra Smith
  • Description: This panel explores the vital role of self-advocacy in navigating healthcare, human services, and personal relationships. Panelists will share their expertise on effective communication, accessing resources, and overcoming obstacles in complex systems, empowering individuals to take control of their well-being and build stronger connections. Attendees will gain practical strategies for advocating for themselves and creating a life that reflects their needs, goals, and values.
• Lessons from a Professional Badass: The toolbox for the unstoppable visionary
  • Format: Breakout Session
  • Presenter: Priscilla Loomis
  • Description: In this empowering session, Olympian Priscilla Loomis shares the tools, mindset, and strategies that shaped her path to elite performance. Drawing from her experience at the pinnacle of athletic achievement, Priscilla reveals how anyone—whether in sports, business, or life—can tap into their inner strength, resilience, and leadership. Through the lens of personal well-being, self-advocacy, and a purpose-driven mindset, she explores how overcoming obstacles and building unshakable confidence contribute to both personal fulfillment and the empowerment of others. Attendees will gain practical insights into leading with purpose, prioritizing their health—both mental and physical—and embracing a relentless pursuit of excellence and happiness.

Closing Keynote

• Next Level You: The Happiness Blueprint for a Healthier, Happier Life
  
  • Presenter: Rochelle Gapere 
  • Description: Rochelle Gapere, Attorney, Happiness Coach, and Bestselling Author of One Happy Thought at a Time: 30 Days to a Happier You, brings her dynamic expertise to help you unlock the transformative power of happiness. With a blend of practical insights and inspiring stories, Rochelle will guide attendees on a journey to enhance well-being, advocate for meaningful change, and achieve personal and professional growth. This keynote promises to leave you motivated, equipped, and ready to take your life to the next level.