The second annual Women’s Business Conference at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will be held 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, March 7, at CSUCI’s Grand Salon.

The first Women’s Business Conference co-hosted by CSUCI and the West Ventura County Business Alliance (WVCBA) in 2024 was so popular, organizers began planning the 2025 conference shortly afterward, CSUCI said.

As in 2024, the conference is expected to reach capacity, according to CSUCI. Click here to register online.

“It was such a success that participants were already asking to do another one before the first one had even concluded,” said Susan Andrzejewski, dean of the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics.
 
Scheduled one day before International Women’s Day the conference is intended to celebrate and learn more about women in business in the region, especially those in professions traditionally held by men.

“What we want to do is empower women by highlighting those who have gone before them,” said Andy Conli, WVCBA president/CEO.

“We want to show the challenges they had and how they overcame them in order to pave the way for other women,” Conli said.

All individuals ages 18 and older, and businesses are invited to attend, exchange ideas, and show their support for women in the business community.

The event’s emcee will be Miss Alynette, radio host of All Things 805 and founder of FemdUStry.

The conference will feature female speakers who have excelled in their respective professions, including Kristin Decas, CEO/port director of the Port of Hueneme; Sevet Johnson, CEO Ventura County; and Dr. Liz Diaz-Querol, a Kaiser Permanente physician who overcame language barriers and other obstacles after immigrating to the U.S. from Venezuela in 2007.

Keynote speaker will be Kathryn Martin, Santa Barbara Symphony CEO, who is a Next Chapter Coach, and founder of The Career (Life!) Breakthrough Academy.

Martin will discuss how she coaches individuals at crossroad moments, helping them to break out of cycles of frustration and indecision to identify, create and pursue their dreams, the school said.

“A time of change, regardless of whether or not you create it, offers an opportunity to define what you really want and work out a plan to pursue it,” Martin said.

“Conference attendees – regardless of where they are in their career and regardless of their situation – will be invited to reflect upon what they want their 2025 to be and look at how to actively curate a life of meaning, ease, purpose and financial sustainability – regardless of external factors,” she said.

Andrzejewski started the conference in partnership with the WVCBA last year because, although women have come a long way, there is still a long way to go, she said. When it comes to construction and technology, for example, women are still underrepresented.

“I saw a need for a conference like this in the county,” she said. “There are so many amazing organizations that support women and women business leaders, but nobody was doing any sort of event or conference around International Women’s Day.

“I thought this could provide a means for women to get together and share about their personal journeys, as it’s different for every woman.”

For more on the Women’s Business Conference, visit Women’s Business Conference.