Highlights from the 2020 Inaugural Women’s Summit

UT Austin’s President Jay Hartzell and Austin-based CEO Kendra Scott kicked off the inaugural Kendra Scott WEL Institute Women’s Summit this past Tuesday. The pair reflected on the impact of the WEL Institute on campus in its first year. “The WEL Institute shapes our students and prepares them for the future in a way that no one unit on campus would be able to do. We get to transform the fabric of our institution and create unprecedented opportunities for female leaders,” President Hartzell explained. And there is no better way to celebrate a successful first year than to bring together the community that makes the Institute so impactful.

760 students and 625 community members joined together across twelve countries for a day of empowerment and networking. Attendees were invited to “choose your own adventure” based on their individual needs and tune in throughout the day to hear inspiring panelists and keynote speakers. In total, the WEL Institute streamed 8 hours of non-stop content on the Main Stage, including 8 live stage segments and 8 streamed sessions. “The Summit taught me that women are able to overcome the barriers facing them in the entrepreneurial world and that there is a community of like-minded women who can help one another succeed,” one attendee reflected. In between sessions, attendees were invited to network with one another and build community via a Women’s Summit Slack Workspace. The day also saw many giveaways from prize sponsors such as Kendra Scott, Dell Technologies, Tiff’s Treats, Drunk Elephant, Balfour class rings, and more!

The first 100 registrants were invited to pick up swag bags from the brand new WEL Institute Student Lounge.

One of the most popular Women’s Summit sessions featured six influential female industry leaders: Kendra Scott, Emily Ramshaw, Nastia Liukin, Maria Menounos, Tiffany Masterson, and Shenielle Jones. These rockstar women spoke candidly about their early realizations that they were leaders, how their paths have been shaped as women, and how they integrate an entrepreneurial mindset into their lives. “Being an entrepreneur doesn’t necessarily mean you are a business owner. It simply means that there is a purpose and passion behind what you do,” Kendra stated. “If you can take that fire in you and do something with it, that is the entrepreneurial mindset.” 5-time Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin added, “Kobe Bryant, one of my mentors, always told me to stop putting myself in a box. When you achieve a certain amount of success or accomplishment in one area of life, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything else.” As the panelists expounded on their stories, attendees left feeling inspired in their shared experiences.

For attendees who desired a less scheduled approach, the WEL Institute was excited to offer nine “Watch Whenever” sessions. The most popular segments included a panel on pivoting your business during hardship from the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, a lecture on imposter syndrome from the UT Women in Engineering Program (UTWEP), a panel discussing the entrepreneurship journey from DivInc and Women@Austin, and finally a panel on male allyship from Prowess Project.

In the evening, students had the exclusive opportunity to sign up for the Empowering Women to Lead Civic Dinner hosted by eight inspiring female leaders. Attendees were split into small groups to foster open and honest discussion about their unique experiences as women, all while enjoying freshly delivered Tiff’s Treats!

If you missed the Women’s Summit, don’t worry! Check out our Virtual Experience website, where you can view all content for a limited time.

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