San Diego Women’s Week returns with speakers on leadership, fashion and marketing

The 13th annual San Diego Women’s Week in March will feature in-person and virtual appearances from a number of internationally known women.

From business executives to a fashion designer, marketing expert and authors, the keynote speakers will include Zoe Chance, Deborah Dugan, Liz Goodgold, Arlan Hamilton, Ugochi Iwuaba and Vanessa Van Edwards.

Tickets are on sale, with the greatest discounts available for those purchased by Jan. 31.

A pared-down schedule is planned, with only two events due to the pandemic, according to Debra Rosen, president and CEO of San Diego North Business Chamber. In pre-pandemic years there were typically three or four events planned by the Rancho Bernardo-based chamber over a five-day span.

The first event will be “Celebrating Women in Business” — an outdoor networking mixer at Bernardo Winery. It will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, with a brief program at 4:30 p.m. The winery is at 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte in Rancho Bernardo.

The mixer is free to North San Diego Business Chamber members and $35 for non-members.

The second event will be the all-day Leadership Conference at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley. It is set for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 11.

The in-person “leadership pass” is $199 until Jan. 31. The price will be $209 from Feb. 1-28 and then go up to $219 on March 1. It includes admission to the keynote speakers presentations and panel discussions, opportunities for in-person and virtual networking, access to the vendor village and a swag bag (while supplies last). Also included is the morning coffee bar and luncheon, ability to watch the presentations on-demand for three months plus speaker books (while supplies last).

The books include Chance’s “Influence is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change and Making Good Things Happen” that will be published next month. Another is Hamilton’s “It’s About Damn Time” and Van Edwards’ “Cues.”

The “virtual pass” is $69 until Jan. 31. Then it will be $89 if purchased from Feb. 1-28 and the final price is $99 starting on March 1. It includes live virtual access to listen to the keynote speakers and panel discussions. In addition, there will be a virtual vendor village, networking opportunities with all attendees in the mobile app plus ability to watch the speakers on-demand for three months.

Tickets for both events can be purchased at sdwomensweek.com.

The chamber is still announcing the speakers and has yet to share details on the panels. As of Friday, Jan. 14, the speakers are:

• Chance, who teaches a class on mastering influence and persuasion at the Yale School of Management. Chance is also an author, international speaker and before her Yale tenure managed a $200 million segment of the Barbie brand at Mattel, according to her online bio. She earned a bachelor’s from Haverford College, a master’s from USC and doctorate from Harvard Business School.

Her presentation topic is the same as her new book, “Influence is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change and Making Good Things Happen.”

• Dugan’s career includes being a strategic leader, change agent, purpose-driven marketer and social entrepreneur, according to her bio. Dugan was named one of the “100 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes and “Top Woman to Help Change the World” by Elle. After starting her career as an attorney on Wall Street, she became an executive vice president at EMI Record Group, president of Disney Publishing Worldwide, the first female CEO in 62 years of the Recording Academy and is now the head of social and global reform at Handshake.

Her presentation topic is “Don’t Leave Your Values at the Door! Bring Your Passion and Purpose to Work.”

• Goodgold, who spoke at the event six years ago, is a branding speaker, author and coach with more than 20 years of experience in marketing and branding, according to her bio. She is the author of “Red Fire Branding: Create a Hot Personal Brand and Have Customers for Life”

Her presentation topic is “How to Futureproof your Personal Brand and Career.”

• Hamilton is an entrepreneur who built a venture capital fund from the ground up while homeless, according to her bio. She is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in high-potential founders who are people of color, women and/or LGBT. The company has raised $20 million and invested in nearly 200 startup companies.

Her presentation topic is “It’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage.”

• Iwuaba is an award-winning international designer who emigrated to the United States from Nigeria. Her designs have been showcased at international fashion week shows and on the 2021 Met Gala Red Carpet, according to her bio.

Her presentation topic is “Using Failure to Fire Up Your Success!”

• Van Edwards is a speaker, researcher and national best-selling author, according to her bio. Her behavior research lab, Science of People, has received national media coverage and her book “Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People” has been translated into more than 16 languages. Her YouTube presentations and viral TED Talk have been seen by more than 36 million people.

Her presentation is “Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication.”