It’s less than 24 hours since our Women in Supply Chain Forum, and I think I’m still experiencing the high.
Between the LinkedIn messages and the personal emails, I feel so blessed to provide a forum for men and women to network, collaborate and let their guard down.
I am honored to award and celebrate women and their achievements.
And yes, I did go in the back corner during the party and cry because when I looked around the room and saw complete strangers taking selfies together and connecting on LinkedIn and sharing stories and laughing, I was moved by the movement!
Even a day later, I’m still emotional.
Messages from attendees continue to touch my heart as they express their gratitude for such "an inspiring and insightful conference."
The speakers were relatable, vulnerable and authentic.
Keynote speaker Jennifer Kobus, SVP, supply chain planning and operations for Ulta Beauty, delved into the importance of culture, advocacy, and the crucial themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She talked about the importance of asking “what’s next next,” building out goals beyond the initial goal.
Olivia Hu, head of autonomous trucking for Uber Freight, talked about how the latest technology in autonomous trucking is going to shape the future of supply chains, and why women should be a part of the autonomous journey.
Sandhya Pillay, customer VP at Coca-Cola Company, talked about self-advocacy and how to balance being yourself while staying true to culture. She started her session by having the audience take deep breaths and really ask themselves, are you calm?
Three of our four overall winners from this year’s Women in Supply Chain award, sponsored by Let's Talk Supply Chain and Blended Pledge, took the stage to talk about their journeys, their challenges and how every setback is an opportunity.
Congratulations to our overall winners of this year's Women in Supply Chain award.
Lida Hakobyan, overall winner of the Rising Stars category, started out as an over-the-road truck driver and fleet manager dispatcher, then started her own freight broker agency, and today, is founder of Freedom Freight, LLC. CLICK HERE to read more and watch an exclusive interview discussing the importance of being your own brand.
Jennifer McKeehan served as SVP of transportation and delivery for Walmart when she was named an overall winner of the Trailblazers category. Today, she serves as COO of Fanatics. That’s because she knows what it takes to put the customer first. McKeehan shared her journey of regeneration that encompasses everything from sustainable packaging to building next-gen facilities. CLICK HERE to read more and listen to an exclusive interview on what it takes to be a Trailblazer in the fast-paced e-commerce world.
For Eileen Dabrowski, learning and development innovator at Werner Enterprises, DEI initiatives aren’t just a checklist; they’re a way of life. That’s why Dabrowski was named an overall winner of the DEI Pioneer category. CLICK HERE to read more and watch an exclusive interview about the importance of involving people in organizational change management and why striving for equity should be the ultimate goal.
The shared stories evoked empathy, and everyone in the room uplifted each other in the most genuine ways.
The best part? Every single attendee walked away with at least 5 new friends; contacts they can build relationships with to better their career.
Congratulations to the Distro Divas for taking home the trophy for winning Supply Chain Jeopardy.
Women approached me throughout the conference, thanking me for providing a safe space for them to self-reflect. Attendees also messaged me, saying: “I needed this event more than you know.”
“I’ve been traveling all year and this is the only event where I actually enjoyed myself.”
“You have no idea how much I’ve needed an event like this both personally and professionally.”
“I feel like I can be myself here.”
“My cup is full.”
Why is this important? When I helped co-create this forum three years ago, it was designed to provide a networking space for women in supply chain.
But as I flew home, I sat in my own self-reflection bubble. This event is more than just a networking space.
It’s a pathway for women in supply chain to really embrace being a woman in the supply chain. It’s a journey that we can all take together to learn, grow, nurture and be free. It’s a community of individuals who are very different, yet all want the same thing… to shatter our own glass ceilings.
Distro Divas won Supply Chain Jeopardy.
This year’s theme, “Shattering Glass Ceilings, A Woman’ Impact on the Supply Chain,” was indicative of just that.
Everyone’s glass ceilings are different. Some are just starting out in their career and have a lower glass ceiling vs. a logistics leader with 20-plus years of experience whose glass ceiling remains very high. Some glass ceilings are parallel to each other, meaning you want to achieve different things that may or may not be career-focused. And some glass ceilings are full of different puzzle pieces reflecting the many different goals.
Whatever you glass ceiling looks like, the Women in Supply Chain Forum can help.
“For us, this Forum is about building relationships and understanding how to lean on the community that is the supply chain industry,” says Jason DeSarle, corporate director of sales for Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics and co-founder of the Women in Supply Chain Forum. “Women supporting women and even men supporting women highlights that all of our efforts in this journey matter.”
When we launched in 2022, we had just 102 registrants. Last year, we jumped up to 171 and this year we hit 226!
And, no, I'm not doing this alone. I have my own village that keeps my own cup full.
Huge shoutout to our events team, Chantal Zimmermann, Jodi Sage, Mike Bendickson and Martin, who made the event and all of its behind-the-scenes nuances so seamless.
Shoutout to our photographers Adam Rahn and Will Kazary for capturing every single moment during the 1.5-day conference.
Thank you to my sales team Brian Hines, Jay Gagan and Mark Pantolone for the support and guidance.
Huge thank you to our managing editor Alexis Mizell-Pleasant, who took tasks off my plate I didn’t even know I had and helped build our network for the future.
A big thank you to our wonderful sponsors: Nulogy, MyQ Enterprises, Snapfulfil, Trailer Bridge, DHL, PCS, Move for Hunger, WSI, Veho, OTR Solutions, Let's Talk Supply Chain, Blended Pledge and Manifest.
And of course, my partner-in-crime and co-founder Jason DeSarle, whose shared vision and passion for all things women in supply chain is beyond appreciated.
We’ve officially outgrown Atlanta, so Clearwater Beach, Fla., here we come.
Save the date: Nov. 18-19, 2025 at the Opal Sol in Clearwater Beach, Fla.
Interested in becoming a speaker, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the 2024 Women in Supply Chain award. Submissions for our 2025 Women in Supply Chain award open April 7, 2025.
Thank you to our sponsors.
Thank you to all of the wonderful men and women, both in attendance and supporting from afar, for being a part of our movement. You’ve empowered us to keep building. Build the community. Build the future. Build the place we can all let our guard down and become better. And.... We're. Just. Getting. Started.
See you in Clearwater Beach next year! And keep shattering those glass ceilings.
