Experience LeadHERship 2026

Time

Event

Location

Details

10:00 am

Registration Open; PowerHER Expo by The Flemma Group at Baird 

SUNY POLY Field House Lower Lobby

11: 45 am

Experience LeadHERship Presented by Lennon’s W.B. Wilcox Jewelers 

SUNY POLY Field House Stage

12:00 noon-12:20pm

Buffet Lunch Service brought to you by Whitesboro & Clinton Fit Body Bootcamp Begins

SUNY POLY Field House Floor

12:20 pm-1:10 pm

Keynote: UNAPOLOGETICALLY HER: Redefining Success at Every Stage, Kathy Wakile brought to you by Strategic Financial

SUNY POLY Field House Stage

Success doesn’t follow a straight line, and neither does a woman’s journey. In this powerful keynote conversation, Kathy Wakile will share how women can confidently evolve through every season of life, from stay-at-home mom to entrepreneur, from supportive partner to industry leader. Unapologetically HER is about embracing ambition without guilt, redefining partnership and power, and having the courage to pivot when purpose calls. This session will inspire women to own their story, trust their instincts, and pursue success on their own terms-  at any stage.

1:10-2:00 pm

Breakout Panel: The Arc of HER Career brought to you by The Arc, Oneida-Lewis

SUNY POLY Field House Stage

Careers aren’t ladders — they’re arcs. With unexpected turns, bold leaps, and moments that shape who we become as leaders. In The Arc of HER Career, women from different stages of their professional journeys come together to share the stories behind the titles — the risks they took, the lessons they learned, and the moments that changed everything. This lively conversation explores how leadership evolves, how confidence grows, and why every chapter of the journey matters.

2:00 pm-2:20pm

Break/Transition

2:20 pm-3:05pm

Breakouts- Please choose one break out session to enjoy, if the session you have chosen is full, please move to an alternate selection

You Are Born Looking Like Your Parents. You Die Looking Like Your Decisions

Amanda Henry (Kunsela Hall Theater)

A reckoning, a reclamation, and a new definition of wellness for women

With support from our partners at The Community Foundation of Oneida and Herkimer Counties

Strength in Heels

Jami DiBrango-Palumbo (Kunsela Hall: A129)

This breakout session explores what it truly takes for women to lead boldly in high stakes environments while staying grounded in purpose, resilience, and authenticity. Drawing from my journey across biotech leadership, entrepreneurship, and personal reinvention, I’ll share real world strategies for navigating pressure, owning your voice, and building influence without losing yourself. The session blends storytelling with practical frameworks that help women step into the next version of their leadership with clarity and confidence.

With support from Nucleus RadioPharma

Command the Room: Uncover Confident Executive Presence Without Compromising Yourself

Kristy Mandour (Kunsela Hall A135)

A high-impact experience designed to help women speak with clarity, courage, and authority in every room they walk into. The focus is simple and transformative: strengthening their leadership voice so they communicate with confidence—without overthinking, over-explaining, or over-proving themselves. Through real-time exercises and guided practice, participants will learn how to regulate their nervous system, project steady confidence, and deliver messages that land. This session blends mindset, embodiment, and practical communication tools so participants walk out ready to speak up, hold ground, and lead conversations with more ease and influence.

The Power of Your Circle: Building a Deep, Trusted Network for Women in Leadership

Katie Drake and Jenna Sullivan Daneli Partners (Student Center MPR)

Female-presenting leaders often carry multiple layers of responsibility: professional, emotional, relational, and personal. This session focuses on cultivating a strong, diverse inner circle of people who can support, challenge, empathize, and strengthen you. These relationships serve as strategy partners, truth-tellers, mentors, emotional anchors, and sources of joy.

Stupendous Love

Heather Wood (Kunsela Hall A133)

This session explores how emotionally intelligent, heart-led leadership builds trust, influence, and sustainable impact. Participants will learn how to lead with empathy and authenticity without sacrificing authority, results, or confidence—especially in high-pressure environments. Leading Through Change Without Losing Your People This breakout focuses on navigating organizational and personal change while maintaining trust, engagement, and alignment. Drawing from real leadership experience, the session offers practical strategies for communicating clearly, supporting teams, and leading with stability during uncertainty. Your Story Is Not a Liability This session challenges the belief that personal experience should be hidden in professional spaces. Participants will learn how lived experience—especially non-linear paths, challenges, and growth—can become a powerful leadership asset when shared with intention and clarity.

3:05pm-3:15pm

Break/Transition

3:15 pm-4:00 pm

Breakouts- Please choose one break out session to enjoy, if the session you have chosen is full, please move to an alternate selection

You Are Born Looking Like Your Parents. You Die Looking Like Your Decisions

Amanda Henry (Kunsela Hall Theater)

A reckoning, a reclamation, and a new definition of wellness for women

With support from our partners at The Community Foundation of Oneida and Herkimer Counties

From Research to Social Enterprise: Building Sustainable Innovation Models that Serve Community and Mission

Heather Hage & Maria Kontaridis (Kunsela Hall: A129)

Explore how mission-driven research and innovation organizations are evolving beyond traditional nonprofit models to build sustainable social enterprises.

Drawing from defense-adjacent technology acceleration and biomedical research, the discussion will examine how research translation, tech transfer, and workforce development can generate earned revenue while advancing long-term community and economic impact.

Panelists will share leadership insights on balancing mission integrity with financial resilience, navigating hybrid operating models, and positioning nonprofit institutions as anchors for innovation, talent development, and regional growth.

With support from Nucleus RadioPharma

The Resonant Leader

Chelan Vanno (Kunsela Hall A135)

This session delivers a high-impact portion of The Resonant Leader™, a leadership approach that teaches women how to regulate themselves, and the entire room, in real time. Through strategic insight and a guided experiential exercise, participants will see how their presence, tone, and nervous-system state directly shape culture, communication, and team performance. Designed for CEOs, founders, and executives, this session gives leaders a tangible skill they can use immediately to lead with clarity, steadiness, and influence under pressure.

Laniece Herron (Kunsela Hall A133)

Becoming Her

Laniece Herron (Kunsela Hall A133)

This session helps women understand themselves more deeply so they can lead with confidence and purpose. It gives them tools to make clear, aligned decisions instead of leading from pressure or survival. The experience encourages meaningful conversations and shared insight, allowing women to connect through their stories and learn from one another. Together, these elements strengthen each woman’s ability to step forward with greater influence, authenticity, and impact.

Empowered Wealth: Real Stories. Real Women. Real Impact.

Katy Heintz, Melissa Fernalld, CFP®, CDFA®, Laura Powers, ChFC®, Shannon Cool, CPFA® (Student Center MPR)

Money is personal. And for most of us — no matter how successful, how driven, how together we look on the outside — there are financial questions we haven't asked yet, decisions we've put off, and gaps we don't even know exist.

In this candid, conversation-style panel, Strategic brings together a team of female advisors with decades of experience walking alongside women through life's most pivotal moments. Through honest storytelling and expert insight, they'll bring to life the foundational elements of financial planning that matter most — making sure your money is working as hard as you are, that you're protected when life doesn't go as planned, and that you're building toward the future you actually want.

This isn't a lecture. It's a real conversation, grounded in real stories.

Whether you're a seasoned executive, a business owner, a mom juggling a thousand roles, or someone navigating an unexpected turn, you'll leave this session with greater clarity on the decisions that shape your long-term security—and the confidence to start making them.

Disclosure: Strategic Financial Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser. This event is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice.

4:00pm-5pm

Cocktail and ConnectHER Hour brought to you by NBT Bank