Gearing Up Conference: Pathways to Power: Reimagining Gender and Leadership

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of this signature event, the Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business is excited to present the 2025 Gearing Up conference. This transformational day empowers women+ individuals and their allies to take risks, aspire to higher leadership and grow as inclusive leaders through workshops, panels and curated guest speakers.

This year’s theme, “Pathways to Power: Reimagining Gender and Leadership,” aims to empower women+ by redefining leadership on their terms. Let’s learn how to navigate and dismantle systemic barriers in career advancement while leveraging the strength of our community to challenge and transform traditional gender dynamics.

In a world where leadership roles have been historically dominated by men, it’s time to reimagine what leadership and success look like. Join us in reshaping the narrative and forging new pathways to power.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the CWB is pleased to offer a $50 discount to Mass Technology Leadership Council community. Gearing Up has engaged almost 5,000 women, enabling early to mid-career professionals to build skills, expand networks, seek mentorship, and set achievable goals. Participants come from a variety of sectors including finance, technology and entrepreneurship.

To register please visit the conference registration website and follow these easy steps:

• Click on the “Register Now” button
• Select the “General Attendee” ticket option from drop down and enter your registration details
• Enter the discount code PRTNR in the designated field during the checkout process
• Complete the payment to secure your discounted registration

Keynote Speaker Announced:

The Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business is thrilled to announce Betty Francisco as the keynote speaker for the 20th Anniversary of the Gearing Up Conference on June 11, 2025. Known for her transformative work in business, impact investing, and community leadership, Betty will deliver the keynote speech and participate in a fireside chat with Dr. Yaro Fong-Olivares, the Center’s executive director.

Betty Francisco is the CEO of Boston Impact Initiative, an impact investment fund dedicated to closing the racial wealth divide in Massachusetts. A powerful convener and changemaker, Betty is also the co-founder of Amplify Latinx, an organization building Latinx economic and political power in Massachusetts. With over 24 years of experience in business and community leadership, she has been recognized by Boston Magazine as one of the 150 Most Influential People in Boston and was named a 2020 Power 50 honoree by the Boston Business Journal.

Betty will share key lessons that have shaped her journey, including taking risks, building your network, embracing pivots, opening doors for others, and advocating for systemic change. She will delve into the importance of supporting entrepreneurs and tackling the racial and gendered wealth divide. The conversation with Dr. Yaro will explore these themes further, offering a dynamic dialogue on the power of intentional leadership, financial mobility, and advocacy.

“We are incredibly honored to have the innovative and brilliant Betty Francisco join us for the 20th Anniversary of the Gearing Up Conference,” said Dr. Fong-Olivares. “Her leadership and advocacy have inspired so many of us to make a real impact. I know she’ll inspire attendees to tap into their entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial spirit while leveraging the power of community to become stronger individual and collective advocates for women’s economic empowerment.”

Hosted at Bentley University, the Gearing Up Conference, now in its 20th year, brings together women+ leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to foster connections, share knowledge, and advance gender equity in the workplace and beyond. The 2025 conference promises to be an empowering event focusing on Pathways to Power: Reimagining Gender and Leadership, which aims to empower women by redefining leadership on their terms and learn how to navigate systemic barriers in career advancement while leveraging the strength of our community to challenge and transform traditional gender dynamics.

For more information and to register for the Gearing Up Conference, visit www.bentley.edu/cwb.

If you have any questions or need more help, please do not hesitate to contact Cindy Hanshaw, chanshaw@bentley.edu.