7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

Registration (Main Ballroom)

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Introduction and Orientation (Main Ballroom): The Plenary Opening of the Conference includes a brief introduction to IWL, information on becoming more involved beyond the conference, and a welcome and orientation to the day’s program.

9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Panel: Microcredit: How it is Transforming the Lives of Women (Main Ballroom): What is microfinance and how does it work? Different approaches to microfinance. Results of microfinance, the non-financial benefits microfinance produces.  Where is microfinance going, what products may be coming (eg. savings, insurance), scalability, consolidation or not, transformation of MFI to "real" financial institutions, etc.

10:15 AM - 10:30 AM

Coffee Break

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Panel: Women in Medicine and Public Health (Junior Ballroom): The traditional iconic black bag of medical tools is long gone. Increasingly, the world has come to realize that there is a limit to the effect of individual traditional clinical medicine, especially in this brave new world of living with chronic disease. In this session, you will meet four health professionals who are playing key roles in realizing the evolved health needs of the population through their grassroots innovative public health efforts. Interventions involving immigrant and youth health, disease epidemics and survivors of disasters will be spotlighted with an emphasis on changes in public policy that improve not just one's lifespan, but one's quality of life.

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Panel: Cultural and Spiritual Identity: Maintaining and Balancing it in the West (Breakout Room #1)

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Panel: Who’s Going to Save the World? (Breakout Room #2): "Who is Going to Save the World?  The old model of social impact was to write a check to your favorite charity, volunteer on a neighborhood beautification effort for a couple of hours a week, or give up your day job and join the Peace Corps.  Meet three South Asian entrepreneurs who are traversing the boundaries of traditional "for profit" and "non profit" worlds.  None are cold-hearted capitalists nor are they bleeding-heart tree-huggers.  Find out how they are all saving the world through innovative ways.  Find out if they're still able to pay the bills and save the world.  Find out which model inspires you the most and move inspiration into action!"

11:45 AM - 1:45 PM

Lunch and “Building Community” (Main Ballroom): Will focus on how to build supportive peer mentoring relationships in our community. We will discuss the cultural and gender issues which impact our life decisions and the role of community organizations in advancing minority women.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Workshop: Women Reinventing Their Careers (Junior Ballroom): Are you looking to re-invent your career but don't know where to start?  This hands-on workshop, led by Denise Brosseau of Invent Your Future, will take you through exercises to develop a one-page strategy plan to get you motivated!   Our co-facilitators will share their stories of starting their own company, transitioning from the corporate world to the non-profit sector (and back again!), and returning to the workforce after starting a family.  Whatever your current situation is, the workshop is designed to help you think through what are the best next career steps for you.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Workshop: Practical Guide in Developing True Leadership Skills (Breakout Room #1): This workshop will explore the meaning of leadership, from the South Asian woman's perspective. It will also uncover a handful of strategies and tactics to developing leadership skills rooted in authenticity. Come prepared to listen, learn, and dialogue with your peers on critical leadership development issues and leave with practical tips for Day 1 back on the job and/or in your community.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Workshop: Loving our Fellow Indus Sisters (Breakout Room #2): How to cultivate support and love rather than jealousy and distrust among South Asian women, despite varying cultures, caste and religion.  An informal discussion about South Asian women's experiences with fellow South Asian women.  A discussion on how they learned to overcome issues of distrust and their strategies on how to support other South Asian women.  An intimate look at how to have other South Asian women serve as mentors, friends and guides in this ever-changing global world.

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Coffee Break

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Workshop: Women Reinventing Their Careers (Main Ballroom): Are you looking to re-invent your career but don't know where to start?  This hands-on workshop, led by Denise Brosseau of Invent Your Future, will take you through exercises to develop a one-page strategy plan to get you motivated!   Our co-facilitators will share their stories of starting their own company, transitioning from the corporate world to the non-profit sector (and back again!), and returning to the workforce after starting a family.  Whatever your current situation is, the workshop is designed to help you think through what are the best next career steps for you.

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Workshop: Loving our fellow Indus Sisters (Breakout Room #2): How to cultivate support and love rather than jealousy and distrust among South Asian women, despite varying cultures, caste and religion.  An informal discussion about South Asian women's experiences with fellow South Asian women.  A discussion on how they learned to overcome issues of distrust and their strategies on how to support other South Asian women.  An intimate look at how to have other South Asian women serve as mentors, friends and guides in this ever-changing global world.

4:15 PM - 5:45 PM

Global Issues Panel (Main Ballroom)Speakers: Camille Ramani, Jagadha Sivan, Misti Sangani, Jayashri Srikantiah: Thinking AND acting globally AND locally. Beyond our local cities, the US, South Asia and the diaspora, do you consider yourself a global citizen and want to engage with the world at a different level? This panel will focus on the work of four women and their organizations. The panelists will share how their work on global issues is creating social change, the challenges they have overcome and continue to face in pursuit of their careers, and the rewards and opportunities they experience as social entrepreneurs and non-profit and community leaders and activists.

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Cocktail Reception (Cash Bar)

7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Dinner with Keynote Speaker (Main Ballroom): Join us for a farewell dinner and to hear our distinguished keynote speaker. You will also meet your new Board and help us honor our award recipients. We’ll also unveil the new virtual IWL Program library.