WOMEN EMPOWERING WOMEN
A Conference for Professional Women
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Exclusive Presenting Sponsor
Premier Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
The Arc of Monroe
Authentica | Beyond TalentEdge
Chrisom B. Photography
DePaul
ON Services
PROGRAM AGENDA
PROGRAM AGENDA
9:00 AM 9:30 AM
Registration, Networking, and Vendor Showcase
Opening Remarks
Susan George, Greater Rochester Chamber Lorisa LaRocca, Program Emcee
Session One
Elevate Your Presence: Crafting a Magnetic Personal Brand on LinkedIn
Stephanie Armstrong, Co-Founder, Moxie Creative Studios
Radical Candor Meets Emotional Intelligence
Kathleen Pringle, CEO, Kathleen Pringle Group, Inc.
3:30 PM 11:35 AM 1:25 PM
Lunch & Networking
Session Two
Harnessing AI to Work Smarter, Not Harder
Jennifer Sertl, Vice President of Marketing, Circle Optics
Break
Session Three
Get Out of Your Own Way & Step Into Your Power
Rachel Clar, Esq., Founder and CEO, Interconnected Us
Turning Fear into Stretch for Growth & Collaboration
Raeanne Lacatena, CEO and Business Coach, Raeanne Lacatena Holistic Business Coaching
Reclaiming Your Power: Showing Up with Confidence and Clarity
Jill Peterson, Founder and Chief Growth Strategist, Clover Insights
Cocktail Hour & Vendor Showcase
PLANNING GROUP THANKSTOOUR
Lorisa LaRocca
Program Emcee
Lorisa D LaRocca is a highly motivated attorney with a concentrated focus on employment and Human Resource related matters for businesses Currently serving as General Counsel at TalentBridge, Inc, a global staffing and recruiting firm, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Lorisa manages all of the company ’ s legal and compliance matters Additionally, Lorisa owns and operates Spark HR LLC, a Human Resources Consulting firm that she established after leaving her role as Partner & Chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP, where she spent more than 20 years Spark provides tailored consulting services, including strategic personnel management and policy development for business clients Lorisa also remains of-counsel to Woods Oviatt
A recognized leader, Lorisa has received multiple accolades, including being named a "Woman of Excellence" by the Rochester Business Journal and a Forty Under 40 recipient She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University at Buffalo and is actively involved in community organizations, including currently serving as Chair of the Board of Families Thrive, formerly known as Children Awaiting Parents, and as past Chair of the Women’s Counsel
TalentBridge Inc. - General Counsel
Spark HR, LLC - Owner
Wende Knapp, Esq.
Partner and Employment
Law Practice Group
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLC
Wende is a forward-thinking legal, business, communications, and HR advisor She has worked with every level of an organization and has broad operations experience managing multi-million dollar budgets and leading teams around the globe! She also serves as an advisor and coach to women leaders at every stage of their careers After 16 years as a journalist and then a PR executive at Xerox, Wende went back to (law) school to become an attorney While in private practice, Wende was a litigation and labor & employment attorney at Woods Oviatt Gilman and Harter Secrest & Emery She then moved in-house for more than a decade to Xerox, Paychex, and Procore Technologies, where she led Procore's Global Employment Law function In February 2025, she rejoined Woods Oviatt Gilman as a partner and head of the Employment Law practice group She's a proud Buffalonian and City of Rochester resident, avid-DIYer, wife to her partner-in-crime (especially when it comes to world travel) Joby, and dog mama to rescue fur babies - Gracie Lou, Dolly, and Hugo
PRESENTED BY:
Stephanie Armstrong Co-Founder
Moxie Creative Studios
PRESENTED BY:
Kathleen Pringle CEO
Kathleen Pringle Group, Inc.
ate Your Presence: ng a Magnetic Personal Brand on LinkedIn
er how to build a standout personal brand on LinkedIn that s the right people and opportunities You’ll learn how to a compelling profile, cultivate a thriving community of your onsumers, and develop engaging content that sparks e engagement Led by Stephanie Armstrong, who has ted millions using these exact strategies, this workshop will ou with proven tactics to position yourself as an industry nd fuel meaningful business growth
Takeaways:
ep-by-step guide to optimizing your LinkedIn profile for bility and credibility
tegies for building and nurturing a high-value network of al clients and industry peers
ven content techniques to increase engagement, position yourself as an authority, and attract new opportunities
Actionable steps to create a consistent, authentic personal brand that sets you apart
adical Candors Meets motional Intelligence
xplore how Radical Candor and Emotional Intelligence (EI) gether can empower leaders and teams to build trust, foster ollaboration, and navigate challenging conversations with grace his keynote will provide practical strategies for giving direct, onstructive feedback while maintaining empathy and respect, nabling you to strengthen relationships and drive results Dive to how these principles can help you maintain composure, eate deeper connections, and add meaningful impact even in gh-pressure situations
ome Takeaways:
A practical framework for growth and accountability
Tools for leveraging EI to build emotional awareness and with self and others
Insights into using Radical Candor to address conflict effectively and foster trust
Techniques for balancing candidness with compassion in professional and personal interactions
PRESENTED
BY: Jennifer Sertl Vice President of Marketing Circle Optics
Harnessing AI to Work Smarter, Not Harder: Practical Strategies and Tools for Enhancing Productivity
AI is revolutionizing the workplace, offering powerful tools to boost efficiency, streamline tasks, and enhance collaboration This session delves into practical strategies for leveraging AI like ChatGPT to elevate your work beyond simple cut-and-paste solutions, unlocking its full potential for creativity and innovation
Discover how to integrate AI into your workflow to automate repetitive tasks, generate ideas, and improve decision-making We’ll also touch on navigating organizational policies and ethical considerations, ensuring that your use of AI aligns with workplace guidelines while maximizing its benefits
By the end of this session, you’ll have actionable insights to responsibly incorporate AI tools into your daily operations, enabling smarter, more innovative outcomes for you and your team
PRESENTED BY:
Rachel Clar, Esq.
Founder and CEO
Interconnected Us
PRESENTED BY:
Raeanne Lacatena
CEO and Business Coach
Raeanne Lacatena Holistic
Business Coaching
Micro Session I: From Nice Girl to Bold Leader: Grow Your Influence, One Conversation at a Time
This micro session will empower you with a strategic framework to have conversations that protect your time and energy without burning bridges In the workplace, at home, and in society, women are constantly told to be ceaselessly productive, to please others, and maintain harmony with little or no regard for our own long-term goals and wellbeing In this session, you will learn that you don't have to choose between power and kindness Upleveling your boundaries is a skill that we all can learn, and practicing this skill strengthens your commitment to yourself by empowering you to connect with clarity and authenticity instead of fake smiles and manipulative niceties We'll cover typical scenarios that can trip up ambitious women, and you will leave with an actionable framework that you can use to have conversations that connect you to others, and put you back where you belong: in your power.
Micro Session II: Turning Fear Into Strength For Growth & Collaboration
In this micro session, we’ll explore how our fears, the thoughts we think, feelings we feel and words we speak to ourselves shape our reality Too often, we hold ourselves back with limiting beliefs, saying, "I can't," before we ’ ve even tried Together, we’ll challenge these negative inner narratives Imagine replacing "I can’t" with "I can learn," or "This is hard" with "This is an opportunity for growth" Our inner dialogue holds incredible power let’s use it to build confidence, courage, and conviction The way we speak to ourselves influences what we believe is possible, and ultimately how we behave impacts our results and our reality So let’s transform our mindset and unlock our true potential
SESSION THREE (CONTINUED)
PRESENTED BY:
Jill Peterson
Founder and Chief Growth
Strategist
Clover Insights
Mindfulness in Action:
Cultivating Focus and Resilience in the Workplace
In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure work environments, the ability to maintain focus and build resilience is more critical than ever Mindfulness practices offer powerful tools to enhance mental resilience, manage stress, and sustain long-term success By incorporating mindfulness into daily routines, professionals can cultivate greater awareness, emotional balance, and clarity, enabling them to navigate workplace challenges with confidence and composure
Enhanced Concentration
Mindfulness exercises such as meditation and focused breathing help train the brain to stay present, reducing distractions and improving productivity By practicing mindfulness, employees can approach tasks with a clear mind and a heightened ability to prioritize and complete them effectively
Stress Reduction
Chronic stress is one of the biggest barriers to productivity and mental health in the workplace Mindfulness helps lower cortisol levels, the body’s primary stress hormone, by encouraging relaxation and grounding individuals in the present moment Techniques such as body scans and mindfulness breaks can significantly reduce stress, even in high-stakes environments
Emotional Regulation
Workplace demands can lead to emotional turbulence, including frustration, anxiety, and burnout Mindfulness equips individuals with the tools to observe and manage their emotional responses, fostering a more balanced and positive work atmosphere
Want to learn more about our speakers?
Scan the QR code to the right to read bios for all of today's presenters.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Created for Women, by Women
Greater Rochester Chamber, as part of its Women’s Council initiative, proudly supports women in the workplace because we know women are stronger together. We’ve curated an exciting lineup of events for professional women in the Finger Lakes Region to connect, collaborate, and empower one another. Here’s what’s coming up for women in Greater Rochester:
Wednesday, April 9th
Social at Next Door by Wegmans
Monday, May 5th - Donate Toward
2025 Young Women of Distinction Scholarship Awards Ceremony
Thursday, June 26
Legislative Fireside Chat & Social
Wednesday, July 16
Fitness & Social at Midtown Athletic Club
Wednesday, September 10
Headshot Happy Hour
Thursday, October 23
Trailblazing Women – A Panel Discussion & Social
Scan the QR code to the right to learn more and register for all of our upcoming events!
Please consider supporting our Young Women of Distinction scholarship awards program to support the next generation of female leaders in Greater Rochester!
EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN.