From Brand to Presence: Power Moves from Newsweek’s Women’s Global Impact Forum
You could feel the energy as we all packed into three different elevator bays and then Newsweek Women’s Global Impact Forum. This wasn’t your average crowd. These were trailblazers, mentors, and disruptors who’ve broken down barriers and are already eyeing the next one. The mood? Pure empowerment. It wasn’t a women’s rally but a community that is rewriting the rules of where we can go and what we will do next.
The speaker lineup was stacked with leaders from the WNBA, SoulCycle, Nissan, Clinique, MyEyeDr., Estée Lauder, and more. Every woman on stage had stared down doubt, stepped out of her comfort zone, and came out stronger. Their stories weren’t just inspiring; they were a compass for anyone ready to lead in a world that changes faster than a TikTok trend. 😉
Kristie D’Ambrosia-Correll, founder of Dacora, had advice I can most definitely subscribe to: “Be unapologetically you.” This is a woman who shook up fitness with Mirror (now lululemon Studio) and then became the first female founder of a car company. Her point hit home, that real success starts when you quit trying to fit in and start building your own lane.
Evelyn Webster, CEO of SoulCycle, reminded us that leaders “set the weather” for their organizations. If you’re running on empty, your team feels it. Investing in wellness isn’t a luxury, it’s a leadership responsibility.
Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of Girl Scouts USA, delivered the line of the day: “She can be what she sees.” It’s more than a motto, it’s a mission for them and I love that. Allyson Witherspoon, CMO of Nissan U.S., echoed that impact, sharing how seeing a woman in a top leadership role for the first time made her think, “Maybe I can be there too.”
Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Commissioner told a story that summed up the whole event. When she left her post as CEO of Deloitte, only men put themselves forward for her job. This was a moment that fueled her mission to boost women’s visibility in leadership. Since joining the WNBA, she’s grown the reach from 35 million to over 100 million due to those who stepped forward to fund and support the association and the subsequent increase in its digital footprint. For her, “Apathy is the death of a brand” and those are certainly words for us all to live by.
Other leaders broke open topics often left in the shadows. Katie Sturino, founder of Megababe, addressed body acceptance and tackling the everyday discomforts women are told to ignore. Dr. Jessica Shepherd, Chief Medical Officer at Hers, called out the late-night Googling women do about their health with no one to turn to and how telehealth is changing that reality. +1 to this being an excellent mission for a company, and as a Hers customer myself, I’m happy to see women’s health be a focus for so many now. Jannine Versi, CEO of Elektra Health, added that menopause and other stigmatized topics still have a long way to go in public discourse.
And of course, no event in 2025 is complete without tackling the topic of AI. The message from the stage was clear: women cannot be left out of the AI conversation — or the transformation — as it unfolds, with or without us. One speaker quoted James Cameron: “Failing is an option, fear is not.” Christel Buchanan, founder and CEO of ChatAndBuild, urged the audience to push back against algorithmic sameness, to expand the creative canvas rather than fear AI will erase jobs. Her call to action was bold: by 2030, AI will enable women to change the game entirely, so be an early adopter and then pull others up with you
Across every conversation, one truth rang out: authenticity, adaptability, and truly listening are what drive real change. Breaking barriers isn’t a solo act; it’s a team sport. Speaker after speaker echoed the same CTA: lift as you climb. The next chapter of leadership is already being written, and women aren’t waiting for permission. We hold the pen, and the story is just getting started.
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