The PBWC's 28th Annual Conference 'Inclusion Now' Will Explore How to Ensure Equal Opportunity for All

SAN FRANCISCO, March 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Professional BusinessWomen of California (PBWC) is excited to announce that its 28th annual conference will be held on March 28th, 2017 at Moscone Center West in San Francisco, offering a full day of world-class keynote speakers, cutting-edge seminars by top thought-leaders, panels of industry experts, and networking opportunities with leading business executives. This event is an opportunity to reflect, recharge, refocus and renew your commitment to achieving your ambitions and supporting others in achieving theirs.

The PBWC conference brings together individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and industries to discuss today's most relevant issues and catalyze careers. The theme for this year's event is 'Inclusion Now'. Speakers and discussions will center around critical questions that are front-of-mind for us all, such as:

• How do we ensure that women are not only at the table, but fully and fairly included in the conversation?
• What we can do to ensure equal access to opportunity for all—regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, socio-economic status or sexual orientation  
• How do we fully support and include one another?

"Access to opportunity remains unequal not only for women but also for others based upon race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation," said Board Chair Alex Roddy. "PBWC wants to work in unity with other underrepresented groups to ensure equal access to opportunity for all."  

At this year's event, award-winning actress, advocate, and entrepreneur Rosario Dawson will discuss her luminous career, advocacy for women and Latina inclusion in her keynote address. Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson—known for her breakout roles as Cookie Lyon on groundbreaking hit Empire on Fox and real-life hero Katherine Johnson in Hidden Figures—will also share her insights into the importance of inclusion and diversity. In Hidden Figures, Taraji's character Katherine fights to cross all gender, race, and professional lines with her desire to rise in the ranks of NASA beside history's most brilliant minds. Like her character, Taraji is known for redefining diversity, sharing the importance of talking about women who work behind-the-scenes, as well as advocating for equality and inclusion of those from every orientation, ability, gender and race.

The full conference line-up will include more than 50 other speakers, including U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier; Nandita Bakhshi, President and CEO, Bank of the West; and Memory Banda, a leader for girl's rights who is leading Malawi's fight to end child marriage through her work with Let Girls Lead and the Girl Empowerment Network of Malawi. Memory's work is directly linked to the historic step Malawi's parliament took last month to end child marriage. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in more than 20 workshops that provide invaluable opportunities for interactive learning, tactical training and purposeful networking. Over the course of the event, the PBWC Expo Marketplace will showcase nearly 50 businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The PBWC is California's premier non-profit organization working to support and advance professional women and achieve gender equity in professional settings. Founded by an enduring champion of gender equity, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, PBWC has been fighting for equal access to opportunity in professional settings for nearly thirty years. Women remain underrepresented in the halls of power in 2017, comprising just 15 percent of this nation's C-suite positions. In almost every industry, we are over-represented on the lower rungs of the corporate ladder and paid less than our male counterparts for equal performance. 'Inclusion Now' is our collective opportunity to renew our commitment to making change—for ourselves, our colleagues, other underrepresented professionals, and young women beginning their professional journeys.

WHO: The Professional BusinessWomen of California
WHAT: 28th Annual Conference, 'Inclusion Now'
WHERE: Moscone Center West, San Francisco, CA
WHEN: Tuesday, March 28, 2017
WEBSITE: www.pbwc.org/conference
PRESS CONTACT: Alexea Candreva, SSPR, [email protected]

SOURCE The Professional BusinessWomen of California