Women in Business 2022 Signature Event
Friday, October 28 | 12–4:30 p.m.
The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City
Our Signature Event is a half-day conference in which students participate in a keynote speaker and lunch, breakout sessions, and structured networking. Three scholarships will be awarded to students at the event. By applying for this event, you are committing to in-person attendance on October 28, 2022. Space is limited for this in-person event, so apply early. Two $500 scholarships and one $2,000 Boylan-Ott Scholarship will be awarded to students who apply for and attend this event!
Donna Julian is the Executive Vice President & Spectrum Center General Manager with Hornets Sports and Entertainment. She is an award-winning, highly respected entertainment executive with an impressive track record of success. Ms. Julian directs all aspects of major venue operations and administration; including event booking, public safety, arena marketing, and guest experience. She is recognized for her outstanding leadership in directing and overseeing the preparation, production, and execution of all arena events from performances by prominent entertainers and high-profile political conventions to major league sports and athletic competitions.
Ms. Julian, who joined Hornets Sports & Entertainment on February 1, 2005, has directed the management of Spectrum Center since its inception, hosting over 150 sporting events, concerts, and family entertainment shows annually. With the onset of Covid-19, Ms. Julian served as the lead of the Governor’s COVID-19 Large Gatherings Task Force Subgroup, participated in the WELL Advisory on Sports and Entertainment Venues, and is part of the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Live Coalition.
Ms. Julian was recently honored as one of Sports Business Journal’s 2020 Game Changers, which recognizes women in the sports business who contribute to the success of the industry in multiple ways. In 2020, Ms. Julian was honored to assume the role of Board Chair for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas. With the commitment, she has become a Big Sister. She is also a Foundation Board Member for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), an Executive Committee Member of the N.C. Sports Leadership Council, and a member of the Women Executives of Charlotte.
Prior to coming to Charlotte, Ms. Julian spent 15 years as General Manager of 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore. She was elevated to General Manager after serving in a number of roles in sales, marketing, and event administration for Centre Management, the operating company for the Capital Centre (later USAir Arena), home of the Washington Bullets and Washington Capitals. Ms. Julian received her bachelor’s degree in athletics administration from Ohio University, was a four-year letter winner, and co-captain of the tennis team as a senior, as well as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She and her husband, David, live in Matthews, North Carolina, with their two sons, Griffin and Donovan.
Speakers: Dorlisa Flur & Dr. Patrick Madsen
About the Breakout Session: Professional development, including education, certifications, and training, can have a direct impact on compensation and responsibility level, and women identify professional development as crucial to moving up the corporate ladder. In this session, participants will learn the benefits of professional development and why it should be a priority for you in your professional journey. Participants will get insight into what companies may offer in regards to professional development and what you might look for in future career searches, as well as learning strategies to manage your own development regardless of workplace.
About the Speakers: Dorlisa Flur is a Corporate Director and Strategic Advisor to multiple large national and international corporations. Dr. Patrick Madsen is the Associate Dean of Advising and Experiential Learning at UNC Charlotte.
Speakers: Criseida Rico, Camelia Taheri Protzel, and Carisa Findley
About the Breakout Session: The pandemic had a disproportionately negative impact on women in the workplace, and as the participation rates of women in the workplace improve post-pandemic, personal branding is an effective tool to tell and sell a career strategy. In this session, participants will gain insight into how you can leverage your personal brand to accelerate your career path. The components of personal branding will be discussed as well as strategies for actively creating and growing your brand.
About the Speakers: Criseida Rico is a Partner Marketing Manager at Appian and Founder of WhatSheTechs. Camelia Taheri Protzel is the International Business Program Chair at Central Piedmont Community College and a doctoral scholar. Carisa Findley is the President of Freecoat Nails and a best-selling author and keynote speaker.
Speakers: Dr. LaShana Wiggs & Terri White
About the Breakout Session: Oftentimes the work or contributions of women in the workplace aren't front and center but are integral to the success of a project/ organization. This session will provide strategies to effectively articulate your contributions and accomplishments. The goal of this session is self-advocacy so your contributions are not overshadowed or understated, providing strategies for effectively articulating your contributions and accomplishments. Women are expected to be humble and not "self-brag" or boast, but a level of confident assurance is necessary for self-advocacy.
About the Speakers: Dr. LaShana Wiggs is the President of Savvi Consulting and an Adjunct Professor in the Belk College of Business in Management. Terri White is the President and CEO of the Charlotte Museum of History and a doctoral scholar.
Boylan-Ott Scholarship
The Women in Business Initiative is proud to present the Boylan-Ott Scholarship for the first time at the 2022 Signature Event. This scholarship is supported by founding Women in Business Advisory Board member and current Belk College Advisory Board member Jim Boylan and honors former dean of the Belk College of Business and Women in Business Advisory Board member Steven Ott.
The $2000 award will be presented to an undergraduate business student who is an active participant in and proponent of the Women in Business Initiative. The scholarship will be awarded on financial need as well as to an applicant who displays commitment through involvement in Women in Business retreats, coffee hours, signature events, and other related activities.
Women in Business Scholarships
(2) $500 scholarships will be awarded to students who apply for and attend the event. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on their response to the prompt in the application. At least one scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate student.
Applications are open until midnight on Tuesday, October 18, 2022
As a part of the application, students will be asked to complete an essay prompt. The essay prompt is: Identify a woman in a leadership role who inspires you. Why did you choose her? What is one specific thing you learned from her that you will use as a leader?
Please keep your response between 225-275 words and upload a Word document or PDF.